The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-31

Downs, trhp OTCIldlu oH i1h
the present month"; private letters have been received in
this city from Danve kentucky, which fully confirm the
intelligence conveyed by the telegraph
AN APPEAL TO THE AMERICAN PRESS.
The Baltimore Argus in seconding the views of the Bal
more American a subject of rstrae Importance to the
newspaper press of this country, strikes chord that will
awaken warm and hearty response throughout the Union
The Argus says:
"PupLcIrY TO cRIsE.--Under this head the American Of
this morning has very sensible article condemnng in strong
the practice among newspapers of hunt
ing up displaying their columns the obscene details of
every outrage crime which may be committed in the
land We entirely agree the opinion that such details
shocking the of all who possess feelings of modesy
positively injurious to the moral tone of the COM
munty, aud they ought be excluded from daily
caraa We shall be greatly pleased to the conductors
press everywhere determining henccorth not to suffer
be polluted by such Details be the
Of BAL sg minds of their readers. This is evil Of
great Nag ntade which entirely within the power of the
press eradicate We say emphatcally let IL be DONE.
To such has this practice been carried that
many Of the most respectable families studously exclude
all New York papers, like the Herald, the Tribune or the
Evening Post The plain Every number of these
journals has daily department filed with themost disgust
ing details of vice, in all its infinite variety and moth
ing eagerly gathered and garnshed instances OF
domestic private personal character especially if female
reputation is involved In many cases. have
to believe and especially when the SANDER market dull
there wanting those who manufacture such
New York journals delight in supplying to the public
The New York Tribune has way Of justifyng its own in
dusry in selecting these revolving scandals And the fol-
lowing is specimen
is sheer aisehood" adds the Tribune, to say that
socey made by the publication of the details of
crimes in the daily papers. 1t is made better Society
crime where newspapers wanting The
deed then done in secret Crime is organized as an or
der Witness the Thugs Of india where numbering part
creed and the head murderer invested with the sacred
dignity of Pope Bishop. Those of Borga, Henry
VIII Louis XIV but show the crimes of society The king
reflects the people,"
The New York Evening Post discour,s in nearly the
same strain. The editor says;
'.Thc business of newspaper is publish the
duty is comment appropriately public mat
ers the of the news, the pubche authors
reeordedae responsible For the views OF pub
questions which takenor the principles and
advocated in the editorial coumnsthe journal justly
held accountable to the judgment of the community"
The Tribune and the Post the great high priests OF
New York morals, and until within few months ago
have seemed avoid the practices they initiate and
defend The mission Of the pous twain has been to hold
up the institution of slavery God aefyng and immoral
this end their conjont energies still most ur-
gently directed But this eternal tune ringing forever
some of itself ceased be profitable to these money
getting patriots Hence it was resolved to open new
branch of businesso bring RIGHTEOUSNESS into the arena
with all her merecious and disgusting accompaniment
and to attempt convince the reading world that what
ever may have been thought heretofore when every i'm
pulse of decency, say of decacy of religion,
protested against staining the public press with the nau
seou particulars of every vile offence that committed
q new philosophy had been discovered and that it
was entirely reconciabe with the duty of newspaper
publisher to pour these daily of Islander the
town.
Who supposes that the vicious argument of these two
papers copied above is believed by themselves They
confess their shame indeed, and expose their
own guilty hypocrisy in all things, by this attempt
excuse-ths effort to carry with high hand--the
public pollution that testers in their columns. Society
made better by publishing details Of crirne-so says
the sanity Tribune And yet who supposes that
this very Tribune has to inquire if the details
which it copies correct-f the libel upon public
or private citizen which it clutches has any ounda
ton in tacf single sentence matter how coarse
infamous is extracted from single article that is
clipped coined for circulation? Whoever does suppose
so sadly mistakes SO that there is inerestn the
agraph, matter how gross the lie matter how damn
ing calumny into the caudron of the Trbunes columns
goes do its work upon the pure and the good in the
wide and waiting world where appetes have been formed
to like much ambrosa of the gods The Eve
ming Post seconds the peshouse logic Of the Tribune and
Is its fitting companion in the fray. Let the argu-
men of either be accepted tolerated and where there
is now one vile print from which decent a refined
woman or any human being not YET lost to all honor will
reco with instructive adherence there will be thousands
and millions II is The example Mcs cures or that
rodes We are to be told that because the Thugs
murder without newspapers, children may not be
taught evil practices by seeing public pouring its
tide of corrupng and shameless ISLANDERS into every
corner Of society We not be told that because
wretches Stay each other in cold blood, like many
beasts of preybecause marriage are broken like
doers oathsbecause varieties of crime are invent
ed--that therefore, upon the opinion of news
paper like the Evening Post to take it for grant
ed that is all proper and right that these things should
be published let the consequences be what they may
And SUCH we sure is the common, the universal,