Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-03-28

which the subscriber who had last reading,
Giuays paid t,ricc as much as The rest Of
course the papers were his, and as We had
one of the first readings, my " clippings"
were from the property of another. He
would be laughed-at old fogy who would
stipulate for last reading now a days, es-
pecially of newspaper, and it would be
still more curious to see whole township
subscribe for newspaper " on the shares"
in the United States. l have no doubt
the same thing is prevalent at this day in
many parts Of the old world for, although
there has been in my experience wonder
full change in men and things in the Uni
ted States, see no change in the stereo,
typed forms from abroad-no indications
of growth either in education, or that in
telligence and refinement belonging to an
active and free-thinking people.
But, as well-meant laws sometimes pro-
duce bad effects, SO the press, which is so
iniSh leNCi III tuc Cdusc VI ClNiltLdtlou,
is perverted to the basest and most poison
Gus ends, in all our cities; some of the
most trashy publications have very large
country circulation too. 1t is sickening
to visit some of the news-venders' stalls
and look over the pabulum furnished daily
to that portion of the public which of all
others needs healthy instruction. These
publications sail under every name and
color, from " Ned Buntline's Own" thro'
all questions and "isms" of the day, and
are like so many blowfi injecting and
contaminating everything they touch.
They constitute the recreation of the din
ner hour, and the subject of conversation
to the many thousands of men, women
and children in the workshops and facto.
ries and their heroes and heroines are the
cherished models dreamed over and copied
by silly girls and boys who, under better
influences, would make useful and happy
members of society. / saw, few eve
nings since, over two thousand novels sold
at book auction-part of the stock of a
circulating library-the whole stock con-
sisted of novels! Don't you think We
need missionaries, and tract societies, and
publication boards, to couuteract all such
influences? Talk of liquor laws, and
Sunday laws! 1t is like being vacciuated
after you have had the smallpox.
If education is neglected, and the enc
my has been permitted to SOW tares, what
laws will prevent them from growing? If
the Bible is dead letter in our schools,
if one-third of the press is purely political
and another third purely immoral-if
that is not a contradiction in terms-and
these two.thirds find the largest support,
how shall We look for a better state Of
morals than the present standard
There have been some great changes in
the world since l was in the habit of wri-
ting to you regularly, which it is too late
now to notice, but which, among other
things, developed a statement of mine for
which correspondent of yours called me
to account, to wit, that England and France
had no sympathy from America in the
struggle with Russia. Are you not salts
fed that l was right, whether America
was Or not?
People are looking for great things from
the Peace Convention, but my opinion is,
that after England has tried to advance
her interest, and Napoleon has, and the
summer opens, there will be another cam
paign, and many disappointed men on both
sides Of the Atlantic. May be, however,
l am not right.
But, my letter is already too long, and
l will close desultory hcmily 1 did not
sit down to write, with the hope that 1
shall be more at leisure hereafter, should
you still be pleased to consider me among
your correspondents.
Very truly yours, S. II. T.