Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-08-07
From the Philadelphia National Gazette.
Isr..i:ciIY of sIIIne.

Publicity of Crime.
With, the past year wespubished several ar
ticles from tie London Metropolitan Magaztae,
ina ourpose Of which was to show, by the ctia-
iron OF special cases, that the publicity given IA
the ne wspaper press to crimes, operated as u
bad example to many and constituted TO a cousid-
cradle degree the cause OF their frequency. We
find this subiec, briefly adyeried 10 late num-
Der Of the Salem Glzette. The editor remarks
he has ..no doubt, that the public press contrIbu-
ties 10 swell The criminal calender, and 10 demon
aize society by narrating, with minute Pnrticn-
larity, every device to cheat and dciraud mankind,
or to perpetratc, with security, some horrible
crime. The perusai of such accounts may, and
no doubt does, sometimes originate the dlspos
ton To initiate them, under the hope that the
bunder which led to detection and punishment
in one case, being clearly pointed out, may DC
yoided in tho other
As an evidence thu: such is the case, we sci
Dom read tho particulars Of some new crime
without finding 1t speedily followed by a suces-
sion Of attempts in the same line. But can edit
ors suppress such publications atoge iher without
being ceusufed by their readefs?' The question
involves considerations which deserve notice.
We coincide in the opinion that tho narration OF
the modes by which frauds have been successful
w committed stimulates many, who arc not fori-
fed by honest dISposItI0ns to Try what may be so
GAINED. Bat while thu, is III - equally that
,he unwary arc put upon their guard by the press
against tho fresh inventions OF ingenious ro9ues,
and on this ground alone IL may be argued that
the good coun terbaances the evil. THIS, how
ever, can be SAID of only one species Of crimes.
With regard TO murders and similar atrocious
offences it s moro than questionable whether
any benefits to society results from spreading all
tho details OF the means OF commission. The
observation of Que, who has gwen attention TO
the subject, must confirm the assertion that the /
bloody and disgusting narratives, the Inanuac- |
iure Of which constitutes an important branch IN
many newspaper establishments, iamillIar'zes the
mass with the worst capacities of humanity, and
IN certain morbid constitutions eXctes irresIsta-
BILE impulses to perpetrate the same acts. There
is seldom an instance where any special expedi-
ency can exist tor the circumstantiai accounts IN
question. Bat whiio an editor may generally
omit them, IT Is not in his power to exclude en-
trev some specification Of the crimes which oc-
cur in the community which looks for Il record
Of them with sicky eagcrness. In this in
other things the i'll must be tolerated unit. the
prepoDderance Of refinement and virtue lnflI-
ences in society becomes sufficiently great 10
render press wholly independent of the vulgar
tastes which belong, we are sorry 10 believe, to
IL ma oriiy around us.
The day has not yet come, when n newspa-
per- which pays tho most rigid regard 10 deilcacy
and stern morals Will find fair encouragement.-
The depravity of any print so far from coustn-
ting bar to Its success, ~, as every one mus.
know, pretty sure passport 10 favor, If its base
purposes he followed with systematic Industry
The publicity given TO crimes, heightened IN the
by the reporters fancy, is one Of the
icast offences of certain newspapers which flour
ISL with a wide circulation. Their prosperity
grows win the frequency Of their wanton ut
tacks tho and IntoTestS OF moo :" ovosy +
relation, and the violations of all tho cauons OF
charity and good breeding acknowledged BY
christians and gentlemen While a portion of
those circles of society which claim TO be the {
moro ell waited and refined, support and read IN
prints of which speak, II is idle To trust TO
special encouragement or applause by suppress
sing iho mention of actual crimes. We doubt G
whethcra daily newspaper governed by thus ruo 1
would exist n single monih.