The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-06-19

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But here is a carnage, not only exhib,
tied once, and that on single. field, but
every year, and every day throughout
the world! "5-rG1f"s
Where is the eye: that sees not its
| woes? Where is the ear that hears moi
its groans? Where is the heart that
does not bleed because Of the loss OF
some dearrelative, friend or companion?
+ 1t has destroyed more lives than all
the weapons of war, and the desolatiOns
of gunpowder. 1t has sent more human
beings to the grave, with all it's horrors,
the flood, the famine and the pestilenee.
| It istruly "the pestilenee that waIketh
1 in darkness, and the destruction that
wasteth at noonday.p Where is the no.
I Bile race, with its unnumbered tribes
that once possessed this soil, raised these
mounds, bathed in these waters, roamed
over these prairies, and pitched their
tentssin these vallies ri f,Fh -lt .
| The great destroyer has been abroad
in the land, with aweapon more terrible
lsand far more fatal than the tomahawk
or scalping knife. "7 sfattH-'H i
We are overwhelmed as we gaze upon
the mass of mortality wasting away. un
der the fires of alcohol, and attempt to
compute the dying and the dead. f~1
h Fain would we soar from this Tester
4 ing tomb that for r.unnumbered ages has
been gathering to the darkness of its Sc
pulchral solitudes, the nOblest beings of
earth to the brighter atmosphere of Tenn
perance, where no clouds gather to mar
the serenity of happiness, where no
scorching blasts are breathed forth from
| the consuming furnace of debauchery to
smite with disease and sorrow the trav-
/ eler in life's pilgrimage. ~.2 ..lt@e
Have, we not all of us witnessed a
| thousand times the terrible efficacy of
| it's maddening touch? ftr @5a @57
/ appeal to those who have reached
the meridian of human existence re
trace your steps in the pathway of life,
go back to your b0yhood look again
upon the bright eyes and rosy cheeks
fof the innocent and light-hearted asso-
ciate, who joined you in the festive
meriment of those happier days;--then
| think how many of those bright eyes
have been dimmed, d,-how many Of
| figured by this incarnate demon.
| Then think how many of those COM
pani0ns now mOulder cold and low in
| the charnel-house of cur race, their
last restings place marked only by the
whitening infamy of o Drunkard7s Is
Epitaph. +
Who hath Woe9 Who hath. Sorrow9
Who hath redness of eyes? They that
tarTy long at the Wile.pa3 . it
The mere physical suffering endured
by the drunkarl from the time he COM
| mencesl his ruinous course until its
termination can only be conceived by
the wretched inebriate himself. a
Insaddition to various diseases; he has
ever within (unless satiaited with liz
quor), atburning raging thirst, for the
momentary relief of which, he will
sacrifice his characteristic property
his body and his soul. 81
He will indeed, subject himself to the
most menial service, pledge the last
article of his furniture sell his Bible,
part with the last garment, and snatch
The last mOrsel from the mouth of his
starving child. No language can des-
cribe,-n pencil can depict the drunk
ards suffefings. His bOsOmis the EN-
blem of hell. IIHa
His property gone,--his character
ruined, his tenderest relations sundePed,
his passions and appetites uncontrolled,
his iii body diseased, and laaths0me
throughout, and all his hopes of i'm 4
mortality blasted what is there left
for him, but a fearful looking far of
Judgment, and the righteous indigna-
ton Of an angry God " .jttE1
-Yontheis peculiarly o season Of ex-
citement and temptation.
The blood bounds merrily in the
veins, the fire of the eye is not dmmed
Orshaded the bodily powers are in their
first flush. of life and Vigor, and every
nerve within the system thrills and VI
brates with intense and joyous ecstacy:
L -, fnEn h3y y11r AL
hope, of wild desire. r.ss
The appetite for food and drink is
especially keen at that age, and, the
fondness. for physical excitement and
qualification peculiarly strong. And
this renders the temptation to indulge
In drinking almost irresistible ssa
The ex1liIara lion which the sparkling
Wine-cuD prod the genial glow, the
exquisite thrill,--the wild tumultOus
excitement which follow I, repeated
drinks is .ravishing to the youthful
spirit. He breathes d new air, be, is
lifted up far above the vulgar details |
of working life, and when heis charged |
with liquor enough to make every thing
dance and sparkle around hims then
he. thinks he is man, indeed, and that
this is III
And when a circle Of such youthful
spirits meet to spend a social evening
then, the temptation comes with an i
creased power. .sii III. 4. II. M,
They, perhaps, have but few resopr-
ces, of a literary. charact r;;-the re- |
straining presence of woman is want |
ing ;;--What is left for them but the de-
cantar. and cards 2 Drinking, second 1
hand jests, stale iwiticisnls, Wretched |
puns, maudlin sentiment and bacchan-
alian f1ittiaS these too fTnauenfIY are |
the young mans, (and I am sorry to |
This id their refreshment sometimes /
during the day, and after the business
DC the day is over, and here the founda- |
tion is laid for dissipatio ion, vice drum KEN
ness, poverty, ilifamY and death. Be
ware my young friends, how, you reck-
lessly triffe with your ardent. and ex-
citable nature.
There lis b magazine of passion within
You, to which 1t is destruction to apply |
the torch Of indul genCe.
Boast not OF your strength OF resis-
teace, our ability TO keep within
the bounds DE reason and moderation,
others, have boasted as. loudly as
you., and where are they Some have
sunk into early graves, some alas; are
living, but as the beast livetII the last
traces of humanity Obliterated, lin
poverty, iii disease, Lii degrada tiOn, -
tlle scorn or the miserable pity of the
world. 53 5sss 3s53
Bring the strong passions Of the
youthful soul into subsection to reason,
81 moral principle, and these will: bear
You on Id the path of honor and of
sAfety. Let them overcome your priI-
,iUIeS. and they will become uneOn-