New-York tribune., 1841-04-19
PETER ROBINSON AND THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

;zd country some particular II hane s
.c,on and then Thus have burHnc-ai
another swnglsn-no* suicide l. IN vosae-no* pons nh %
aiscs-nos soldiers shoot he serscan- Almost e'fEy
wear there peculiar OF annual winch over
h' d n, ~ o ar, ,beyr,y ,,rocity that mas
OF beng depayed minds en 10 1t IKE ec
a,isn onomanis and all 81 in places the
one by eaden types springs into foul Towering
Most focb has this opening the second volume
of Buwers Nigh, and Morning been brought to our minds
by the which part Of City Press has adopted WIN
regard 10 the recent terrible NewBr1nswck tragedy he
avidity with which cll The particulars attending ths hod
butcher the murderer trial. execution and the cones=on
real or manufactured said have fallen from his M nave
been collected published and read ences no less dePa
we'd appetite in the community, than most unPT1ncped ana
reckless disregard OF consequences on the part OF those WHO
are wing-nav eager for the sake OF private gam 20 poi
son the fountains of public intelligence, and tan INTO destroy
ing flames the heish passions which now sunoeF IN ' DO
som of Society We weigh well our words when say that
the moral guilt incurred and the violent hurt innctea upon
social order and individual happiness by those who have thus
spread out the loattome details of this most danns deed
are enod greater than those of the wretched mscFea"
himself Obcyng the impulse of his own guilty heaFt' he
slew. in cold blood his unoisnding neghbor plunged MS
family into misery and hurried himself and his victim into
the presence of Infinite Purity and Eternal Justice lhe
consequences of this act confined comparatively mar
row limits the demands of the Law have been met the
murderer has pad the forfeit of his crime and the social Ia
brio remains untouched.
Bu, what on the other hand the results winch naturally
follow the minute publsaion of all this aocious wicked
ness Look first the consequence OF promoting tanrarl-
~ with crime the heart IS necessity, hardened. all the
finer feelings Of humanity blunted and the soil epar-
ed for full fcwerng growth of law.despsng wickedness
All those instructive feelings of shrinking and abhorrcnce with
which heart from deeds ot at'ociy
are dissipated and formidable barrier against sin Is thus
broken down and destroyed That this the inevi'a-
bic effect no one can Doubt for have daily examples in
the OF those who called by professional duty 10 WIT
ness of carnage and of death
But this is bv the extent OF the wrong he de-
tails of Robinsons been thrown to great eS-
tent among class of population generally ignorant de-
void of any fixed moral principle and open every side
che !ruy VINO wcuiG ca1 d"se
recals with the gcediness, already vicious de-
PRAYED and restrained from the most unhaowed wickeess
only BY the of the law. What the effect of placing in
the hands of such the full story of some mcreant7
arocious guilt? reads all the details and the confessions
grccdncss and terrible pcasure his mind reToves
and broods over them he marks in his mind how the murder
was committcd-wha the motive for ;s preparation.
how it happened the guilty wretch discovered hl>
mar he notes was found out by blood upon his clothes
suggests itself His boodsained knife betrayed another:
why did he not bury his knife deep that eye could
reach it third given into the hands of justice by
some unguarded expresson-by word look limiting
knowledge of the murder in allowing clue to
escape whereby suspicion fastened upon him the reader
is surprised the tooshncss of the murderer and
ders tha, he should have said this done that omitted
another thn Thus before he himself fully conscious of
the process that has been going in his mind the whole
scheme of vlany has been emodeed, all necessary pre-
cautions devised and disposition haawakened make
the experiment the full that detection
might easily be escaped.
This the process. which, goes the
the mind OF every upon reading these details Reflect
then that many who will read them wholly unpncpcd
chcrishng magnity against those above them in
cia rank and half prepared whenever it may be done with
impuny plunge into whatever ylany viii CRAFTY their
malice or bring money into their empty pockets. These
the minds that cling these reports like ccches the
cold cherries their unfurnished and comfoe
homes they read them and consider all the circu
stances and weigh all the chances of detection. The idea
grows up haln the wherever he goes, and whenever
poverty or distress him the face points him. like the
guilty imagination of Macbeth. the daggcrs hlt, for rid
dance from his foe Is there then, deadly influence
asouldamning power, thus spread abroad which
fecually couneract2
For the sake then, of social security, OF individual we'll
being and OF all that is excellent in public and private lie.
most earnestly do wish that check might be pu, upon
these infamous and most banetl publications l, is sup
pose but little appeal TO the convictions those
who have spread abroad these poung details is folly
attempt argument expostuaiion with those whose only
actuatng motive pecunary gain oswho regard their
reputation their neghbors good name and all the
of society. OF the swift money
By publishing their pesterous deathbreathiag history
Robinson and his guilt they have without doub, put some
hundred dollars in their purse with men who recognized
such thing as conscience the of the foul wrong they
have thus done their Ows would hiss reproach and fierce
upbraiding in their ears The gull; OF murder may not stain
,bs;r hands but the f,ml,r and more dann,- 49,: