Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-19
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Our Country and the TIE eAperance Order

Our Country and the TIE Aperance Order.
We grow sad when we think what few
short months have brought forth. Not
many months back, and the sun, as he rose
to his zenith, shonc OH people happy in
their peaceful pursuits content in the abun-
dance that the unSparipg hand of Nature had
spread around them, and who mingled to-
gcther in perfect friendship, bound by CON-
mon ties, and by feelings Of brotherly love;
they needed not to wander aiar from home
their own hcarthstones possessed the sweet
est attractions to them. The sun of 1860 is
now drawing to its setting and What do we be-
hold, as our eye glances over the land From
the icy lakes on the north, to the sun lit
waves Of the Gulf on the south, from the rock
bound shores of the Atlantic, to the golden
sands of the Pacific, every section of our once
united and happy land, is now torn by party
broils, and tanatical violence And even
this is not the worst-this glorious fabric,
this Union OF ours, founded on the mangled
corseS oil those pure, unselfsh patriots, who
gave their lives to secure our freedom, and,
cemented with the very life-bIood of their
brave hearts, that this nation, the wonder Of
the world, is about to be dragged down from
It's high position by the hands of it's OWN
citizens painful, saddening thought is
/
/ that bind us together, the golden sun of
liberty will set in night of eternal gloom
/ for we are the last attempt of people at
/ lf.government--the oppressed and down
! trodden Of the earth will be left without hone.
and the future historian will point to the
dismembered fragments of this country, and
eXclaim, Behold the fate of the last great Re-
public! Besides, the "men of '76" fought
not for the South, nor for the North they
fought and died for their whole country and
their bleaching bones whten every plain
from New England to the sunny South, and
one section of the country can not claim
them they belong to the whole.
But it is to be hoped that the dark cloud
that now ovcrhangs us may pass away and
leave the political horizon all the brighter. -
Let us not forget that there is q bright sun
shining behind every cloud giving to it "a
silver lining" And intimately connected
with the welfare of our land is the Temper
ance Order much more so thon many
imagine When we have sober race of
statesmen, we shall have wiser and more
moderate counsels-when the mind of our
legislators are no longer clouded by alcoholic
liquors, more good will result to the country
at large from their deliberations. And, in
der TO secure such results, we must so en-
large ou! Temperance Circle that it shall en-
brace the whole great brotherhood of man, as
it is expressed so beautifully in the ritual of
-: Or !,r.
We may send our lecturers into the field
they may travel throughout the length and
breadth Of the land, disseminating Temper
nee principles, denonncing the liquor traf-
fc, AMI un!urling the banner Of the Order
and inviting the young and the old to come
ami marshal themselves under its foIds-but,
We regct to say it. we feel that we cannot do
g., ~ much as we would wish towards the re-
dtmptlon Of the word from the curse of in
' t-InpcraDce as long as the laws Of the lands
arc tcagucd against US: we must have tha
. ~ that we SO long have desired, one prohi-
. Bang the making and selling of ardent
- spirits, except under very severe restrictions.
>, y nave seen enough to convince us that We
canmo. procure the passage of such law at
n TINS time no, not even during this genera
= 'innS. When those who make and admins
n Ter the laws are the supports of those who
i mlnufa1ture and distribute the fiery poison.
whom hoary- headed statesman suffer them.
!, selves 10 ne so far under the influence of the
, nt1N;cating draught that they neglect the
a hi5a offices that they have to fulfil, we can
"a but turn away in despair and patiently
| await better day. We have seen enough
II 70 SNOW us tnaC we can never expect the
1t redress of our grievances by this generation
IS OF Statesmen and LegislatorS-and our only
| hope is in the rising generation, whose
t lips have never been moistened by the spark
IN ling poison. To them we are to look; let then
N be carefully nurtured in our principles-le
le them never stray without the limits of tn
r Temperance Circle-and when the busy hant
It, of time shall have displaced those now i.
tn power, and they shah have taken thei
/ places, this. new generation of law.maker
ed shall give us the law that We in vain sough
IA, Of their fathers
=" When wise legislation shall have driver
Y the accurscd traffic from our shores, an
L drunkenness Shall have been forgotten, or
tn t ought of remembered only as dreadfu
as tale OF days gone by, crime and misery, an
as want and woe, viii no longer desolate tn
st fair land that God intended should be bles,
a ing to the rest of the world.
or GERMAINE.
,r. A Large Bear.