Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-02-13
ron THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
To Groc-sellers.

"These things hast thou done, and I kept
silence thou thoughtest that | was altogeth-
or such a one as myself: but / will reprove
thee, and set them in order before thine eye
PSALM.
Tt is desired that you take charge of a more
respectable field of labor. One, in which
you may lie down at night and sleep, with
a quiet conscience. Where you may shun
the annoyance of drunken rowdies, which
are so prevalent around grog shops. And
where your dreams may not be haunted by
weeping women and starving children, cry
ing to you, and accusing you of what you
know you are guilty Of, of taking tne bread
from their mouths, and giving in return that
which lends to destroy the nearest ties earth
holds for them, both soul and body bring
ing them to poverty, shame and disgrace, and
leaving them comfortless, ~pennyiess, ana
: friendless.
@. that [ could prevail on one grogseller
to abandon this degrading and ruinous trail
fc. the traffic in ardent spirits. To lay aside
. his deadly weapons by which he is Staying
n his thousands and tens Of thousands, whose
S blood is crying to him from the ground. L
beg YOU. I entreat you, O, that | could per-
suade YOU to quit dealing out destruction to
e your fellow men. You are certainly not
: aware of what you are doingl You are blind,
< G, stop and think before you farther go. You
: are an enemy to the human family. You
he have injured US. You have caused our tears
70 flow You have caused our hearts to bleed.
ne Yon have robbed us, many nights, of that
,e- sweet repose which our good Father in hea-
of ven designed for us. You have driven us
er from a once quiet and peaceful home, to the
sst storms of winter for protection with the
,e. cold snow for our bed, and the murmurlns
las wind for our covering You have taken
its many a husband to an ~untimely grave, ano
left a heart broken wife to spend the remain
,n- der of her days in mourning with those VIII
we have no hope. You have brought down man.
It's, a mothers gray hairs with sorrow to tn
ich grave. Who now living can say, You hav
be- not injured met Who in awful eternity ca
is saw. You have not injured me? You hav
rch injured God, the mighty God; who in tn
,en- abundance of His goodness, and long-suife
has ing, has given you water to drink, with a
and the necessaries of life, and has caused the raj
not to fall, and the sun to shine upon you. WI
sion in kindness has even designed to number tt
hairs of your head. And who, at the san
and time holds your life in his power? You ha
&C injured Him. You have caused men to bia
the pheme His holy name. You have trampl
upon His most precious blood and caus
you others so to do. You have caused mea
the cruelty Him afresh, and put Him to an op
tn shame. Now consider this, We that tore
ming Gcd, lest | tear you IN pieces, ana thefe
In none to deliver
eople You have caused men to commit some
how'll the blacklist deeds that have ever been rec
eve ded upon the annals of time ; deeds, VII
VS. they, in their sober moments, you'd h;
r the blushed to think of. Eternity alone can
CO. ravel your character. But all this have J
u 90 done, and a thousand times more, II co
may tell it; yet with tears in my eyes, and a
t we heart. from recollections of the past, and S,
) His pathies for present sufferers, if God will
bless give you, l will not reproach you, if you
return. O, then, lay aside your soul destl
moni- ing occupation, and be a man. For the
press of suffering humanity, and for your own so
mblv, sake, Law it aside! What you are dolns
atern- no small matter. You may look at 1t no
IS the such, but if you are ever called to drop
me in tear of bereavement over the lifeless rem
of your " son, and bury him a drunk
the if your conscience be not scared, you
- men BY putting the 1bSottfss 70 our rFe1ggff
: true mouth. When you are come to your q
m my bed, and see the dark world of misery az
atisfed cling to meet you, if you have a human h
before il will then be touched but 0, too late
istened late Yes, the hour is coming IN v
and Fl. YOU would lay thousands at the feet OF q
Dgance, for the opportunity you now have-bt
d from late! @. will you then, at once, abando
n had degrading, and ruinous business? iol
an answer. Who will answer, BY hea
assistance | will, l will? Do, one grog.
nner of answer 4 WILL and Will imagine thas
ne who been the means OF accomplishing WOMB
.,straint. | beg you, Ibeg you, | beg you to 40
it. VIII you, O, will you?