The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-16
IRON THE BAsaEas 81
Novels amsl n oyel Reading.

10 see, thnt,s t,syou have recaDfiy directed
the altel:ion Of your renders 10 The Isernii.i
cious influence Of norez read, This
every journalist, WHO consuiis the best
Interests of tho community, should do;5
To-, il is greatly within lie power of the
dailygand wcekl y press To- counteract, sif
they cannot wholly check, or control, Tho
evils, of which, this species Of literature
rs so fs..iful$;i HS5ii &c. w w g cannot DO
true 10 theWe!fnre oftie rising gen neraiion
especially, and look without some mis-.
:giyings upon the present unprecede
smulliplication ind 5n ri iTuc
books, They swarm nyer!the land like
the locnsts Of 2 yp,. Nothing like IT has
occurred since The e5inyeniion Of printing;
md though we may. readily admit, that,
much useful and profitable reading is
furnished inthis cheap farm; yet, 1T lis a
3lamen,able fact, that, the channels by
which The multitude ofrcaders are reach.
ed, are OVERLOOKING with profaneness,,i
ribaldry, licentiousuess, personal brawls,
and incentives 10 all manner Of evil.
This is not q morbid view, of The existing
state ofthings, and lie who supposes that
IL is, is ignorant Of the almost countless
works of fiction which, at thp present day,
constitute tho burden of the press and the
mails Tales of humor, or extreme
3caricaturcs Of ofsindiyiiuais,o of society, or
of current customs and impressions, =
meet us every where, sund are found in
the hands of all classes; fol though, for
lDcrly, such works were comparatively
rare, and "Were luxuries for The lpxnri-
GUS, hey are now prepared Tor the mass,
and published IN numbers and cheapness
suited TO the demands and wants of the
mass. For a shilling tho poor may.
know and sympa,hise Witha us much of the
romantic yillainy of London, the refined
and elcgnntidebnuchery OF Paris, cs in,
former times the rich, for his guinea.
Pollution is chenpened, corruption has
wide circulation at n small lScxpense;-
on the centre--tnble of The city drawing
room, on The rough. hewn boards ofthe
los.cabin, these books have their position;l
every where through our country they
scatter moral decay
Fhe multiplicity, then, Of these works
should excite attention, and awaken soli-
citude to, curtaiI, if we cannot entirely
arrest, their circulation. But there are
other considerations still more alarming.
One is, that, The appetite for. fiction Graves
no morally: nay, al the present day,it;
does not even require The decent veil and
semblunce oft which was want 10 be
cast over these productions, even fifty.
years since. However erroneous and
the sentiments, unclaste the
associations, and polluiing the, limoges,
they present, they are sreedily read by
all classes--read, as has been truly re-;
marked, $50 The Obstruction of oil moral
feeling, 10 the utter overthrow of all prin-
ciples, TO tho excitement of uil evil pas.
sions.''
6 Another consideration offan alarming
nature, is, The class of persons upon whom
this evil Influence is principally poured
oui---the YOUNG. This influence is felt
by persons Of the most cultivated mind
and fixed principles; for il is moi, VIC be-
iieve, in tho power Of tho most improved
and strongest intellect, 10 preventih The in
fluence of reading upon the heart nnd
life. a mere youthful mind, then, whose
Judgment has scarcely tinwned, whose
principles are as yet unsettled, and whose
moral nature is liable to almost my i'm.
preston, must be awfnlly exposed 10 the
pernicious influence of norel rending.
Yet, lamentable TO state, these arc the
very persons that compose the mass OF
such readers, over tie whole country
mere youth, just starting into life with
their feelings ardent, their imnginations
warm, their hopes !: y! They gloa,
over the pages of Bulwer and learn 10
admire his heroes who arc thieves and
swindlers; heroines who arc prostitutes
in sentiment and feelings. They sypa
thize will, the bandits and street robbers
Of Sue, the buffoonery and black guardism
Of Dumas. Such is The awfully wretch
ed influence which novels arc daily exert
ing on the minds oflhousands Of youth, and
others in our country. Well, indeed.
have such books been called .,tho seeds
of robbery, arson piracy and assnssina.
ton" They give false views of life and
taint with every touch.
We close for the present, our remarks
on this deeply interesting topic.
id.
TIE MoHAMMEDAN COMMANDMENTS.
are six commandments in the
Mohammedan religion, viz 1. There is
no deitv but God. 2. There is no Proph.
ct but Mohammed-ho is Gods Apostle.
3. 10 fast during Ramadan every day.
4. To pray md practice ahlnions five
times day. s. To apply two aud half
per cent. oflhcir property to tho poor. 6.
10 make pilgrimmage 10 Mecca and
Noun, Ararut. This religion is so gencr-
nl Tint IL hnc nnn RI q. <,.,s, C Gl