The State guard., 1847-09-21

CdlCuldleu to idSCludte tue TSuueT, dHG
 lead in forbidden paths. Thus vice is
 mistaken for virtue; and deformiiy for beauty. Constant familiarity with vice takes from it many of lis hideous fea- lures. The weIl-laid plot, the success & ful intrigue, when portrayed in glowing and burning language, wir upon the ar. dent feelings oi the young-sway their judgment and influence their actions and before danger i5 apprehended they aye lost in the labyrinth of sin caught in the net spread for them by their SC, ducer.
 The ina gina;ion of the constant read CT of fiction is heated, ard consequently cannot be calmed down to the sober re alities of life. The business transac lions of the day-ihe great duties of the cilzen-the responsible obligations Of the father, the husband, and !he son--of the uife, mother, and daughter, must be felt and performed by those who have more judgment, more goodness of heart, and less romance than the reader of no. vels. Their sympathies have been ex pended for sufferngs. winch have only existed in he heated imagination. Their obligations of every character have been forgotten, and instead of lowing ing reverenlly before their God, they have offered up their alterations to some ideal hero, and that government which hasspread over them it's protecting wing receives in return from them, no substaE tial support, And in place of lhe quiet of domestic and virtuous life, they pre- fer Ieveing in substantial bliss, in re gions perfunned with incense from the sinks of sin.
 This is but a fair picture of lhe bane fnl influence of that class of books against which write. To them may be atlrib uted large proportion of the vice and immortality oi the present age, afforded 10 the young before their judgments are matured-before they are able 10 dis crlmnate between truth and error, fc- ton and reality, unable to detect tie sophistry wilh which most novels a, 5oand; their minds become poisoned, their feelings vi.Iated, their appeiies and passions become their masters, and lead them willingly in lhe ways of sin.- Some may be able to indulge largely in his species of reading, and yei remain uncontaminated, their judgments moi overlhrown, nor their wills directed, but the mass have not the strength of thought, the moral courage 10 resist temptation. They venture, and are lost. If these sentiments are true, should not a remedy be applied to remove the evil? And that they are true, who can doubt If desired to unfit our young men for every manly exerlon, that they might be mere drones in society-or worse, if 1 desired 10 render them imhecile profi- gate, debauchee's, licentious, deceiful, ploters of mischief, ad, pts at intrigue, haters of viltue, and lovers of vice, would let them have free access to lhe novels of the present day, especially those from that hot bed of sin, [lhe French press] the writings of Eugene Sue, and others. Ii Jesiled to unfi our young females for the social and domestic duties of life, to chill every re lgious emotion of the soul. to destroy every vesiige of pure and God-like be- nevolence, 10 take from them the capac. fly of msking happy and vir.uous wives; in word, if 1 wished to prepare them for wantonness 10 increase that unfortunate and wicked class of females common in our large cities, would spread before ihem lhe writings of Sue and hs satel les io inquiiy. would let them drlnk freely from that fountain of corruption, lhen would Heel assured that my object would De attained.
 l have said an evil exists and should be removed. What power can and should stop this overwhe helmng tide which threatens 10 overturn in it's rapid marsh, every thing holy on earth, or valuable 10 man? Let virtuous press derounce every publication which has not the good of mankind for it's object Let iEem refuse 10 have any communi- cation with press that will, in defiance to every principle of morality and vir- tue, continue to pandrr 10 the baser pas sion of our nature. Let Fathers and Mothers remember the obligation which binds them 10 raise for their country and lhelr God, children, sound in body end mind, and withhold from them that poison which can and WiU diffuse itself into every part of their mental constilu. iion. Let the statesman and man of letters remove the mask, tear from them the veil which covers their h,deous de-. formily, thli their demoral zing influence may be seen at glance. Let the good and the wise of every age and sex, fear. lessly perform their duty; then will morals give place for matter more sub stan'iat, for sentiments more congenial to our interest.
 AN OLD MAN. ADDRESS before the Alumni of the University
 If Nnttl Cnrnlina dIliuer.A in, C.i,ar., IIali 1