The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-07-21
LIBERTY EQUALITY, PROGRESSION.
Crime ana its Causes.

Crime and Its causes form o subject Of
frequent comment and Investigation with
the public press The. frequent fearful
crimes which disgrace, disturb, and sadden
civilized society, are, however, seldom sat
isiactorily accounted for. At one time, a
brutal murder is ascribed TO a craving on the
part oil the perpetrator after the. wealth Of
his victim. Then the love Of money, as
the "root Of all evil, ,'is dwell upon in
ldolorous style, and the object Of the whole
reasoning seems 10 be to prove that If the
passion for gain could; be sefadicated doutof
the human breast, murders would rarely or
never occur. AT another. time an injury
has been suffered, and the spirit Of revenge
lmaddens the mind, and controls the will I'M
It'll il is satiated by the life blood ofits OBJ
feet Then we have another theory account
ing tor the crime of murder, and, perhaps,
numerous pallia.ing arguments on behalf Of
the murderer.
/ Again, society is shocked by the exposure
lofipfernal associations for the destruction
Hofll.e and property, without any discoveraz
ebf adequate motive. Then we are treated
to long essays upon avitiated education,
eyil associations, the inefficiency and NAL
administration of human laws, and the me-
cessity Of reform in the laws and the man
ner OF their execution. Numberless are the
various shades in the character and causes
ofcrIme, and as numberless are the various
reforms-and preyentatives proposed. But,
we think, il is easily made apparent, that
all grades Of crime, from the petty slander
up to the most deliberate and atrocious
murders, are but manifestations Of The fall
len and depraved character Of unregenerate
I man.
Civilization, as the term is commonly un-
derstood, works no radical reform upon mans
character. II does not eradicate the sources
Of crime, any more than the cultivation ol
The earth destroys its power to throw UP
thorns and bramble and noxious weeds
But as agriculture re moves the asperities OIL
the soil, gives it more pleasing surface
and employs il in the production of useful
fruits, SO civilization, undoubtedly, destroys
the rongher and ruder traits Of savage life,
and developes the mental capacities and re-
sources Of man.-Ye., as tares grow up with
the wheat, and weeds rise to choke The
growing crops, SO vice and crime appear in
4 uiStuouS III iHe uuHdil HedIt, anu COullHut
TO spring up and bear their evil fruit amids
all the glories and blessings of civilized SO
ciety. The tiller Of the soil who is slothfu
and careless, allows his farm to be overruI
with weeds. and the strength of the soil i
, wasted in their production, SO there arr
those in all civilized communities who neg
!ect 10 cultivate their better principles, anl
who allow their evil passions 10 gain tn
ascendancy.
Is it not very strange that SO much vie
| and crime prevail in what are called civil
lied COMMUNITIES. Civilization not base
upon, and directed by. purifying religion
i Twill never reform the evil passions Of mer
E 1t is the quick and healthy conscience will
d in, and not the outward social arrangement
+ and obligations, that most restrain men frol
), wicked and criminal acts. What may
J called intellectual civilization, is better tina
a state of savageism, but it is only the prc
lgress of a truly Christian civilization iha
j will reform and restrain the evil passion
: natural 10 every son and daughter Of deger
crate Adam. .-Mlo York Sun.