Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-03-30
The Spread Of Crime.

Ii is appalling to think of the rapid progress of
crime in our country. The papers from all parts
of the land abound with sickening evidences of
depravity. Were 10 transfer to our own CO.
lumns from each of our exchanges, the dark re-
cord which daily meets our eye, our journal would
become little else than register Of crime. No
part Of the land is exempt from the whitening curse
The North and South, the East and West, may
cease their mutual reproaches, for moi one OF them
all can exhibit an unsPotted robe Deeds Of black,
unmitigaled sin, horrible as,assinatlons, fiendsh
irIumphs over helpless innocence, daily Insult the
pure, unslumberiDg Eye that looks upon US from
above.
The city Of Nashville has lately been the
scene Of tragedy which transcends in horror
all our conceptions of the extent to which hu.
man niquty proceed, after the many
exhibitions with which the previous history OF
crime had abounded. gentleman by the name
of Porerlied, christian man, who adorned by
his meek virtues, the holy faith which he profess
ed; citizen, whose sterling integrity had com.
manded the respectful confidence of the commu.
nifty in which he lived, has been rulhlessy cut
down IN the prime Of his existence. The whole
Affair." as we learn 1t from various papers in its
cause, and its attendant circumstances no less
than lis bloody close, is one Of the most terrible
which has been published to the world.
Remarkable for his domestic virtues, and Of a
singuaTly generous and conidng nature, 1t may
be ina gned with what emotions this man heard
that notorious villain publicly boosted Of having
invaded the ssRetiiy Of his home, and robbed il Of
the bright and "crownng Jewel" Of its happiness
and honor Not iOra moment did he believe the
atrocious story which those venOmOus lips had
breathed. II was TO him hJeous calumny in.
vented 10y malignant fcnl, to asperse and ruin
The fair fame Of a spotlc-s woman. IIo sought
out the author Of this unparalleled SANDER. The
craven wretch quaed before the aroused indig-
nation Of the injured man, and he yehenently de.
MED that he had ever spoken the base libel Por.
ferfed lefl him, and returned to ms home. H.
would soon have ceased to think at all Of the darL
cloud which had intercepted the light Of his happi.
moss lie met bis wit. with the most touching
expressions Of continued confidence aud love.
His noble and magnanmous nature judged her
character by hiss own, aud reposed IN undoubting
faith upon her purity aud love.
Yet II was all too truc,--true that tho villain
had boastcd,--tfue that he had reason for his
boast. \ few days after the affecting interview
between Tho husband and wife, she was found i'm
she society of the infamous betrayer Of her purity
and peace. It's said that when this Intelligence
was communicated 10 the unhappy man, he fell
20 the earth ~ II shot through the heart. No
long time elapsed, before, 10 walking with a
friend he accidentally met the remorsolcss villain
who had irampled to tbedusl 'the shrine where
he had ,rnered up all his hopes" 4 rencontro
succeeded, aud he, the injured, fell, bloody
corpse.
Then followed a scene not uncommon in our
county,. not unnatural under such circunstan.
oes,-.a wild aud general outburst OF the passions
Ol the people. The criminal was fora f., m the