The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-26

Fort SSss':Dg fer bit Of publio sxirdling, whsn
we have 80 many examples Of various KINGS in
full operation all around ia II is like the rais-
ing collection in the Five Points for missiona-
ries TO the Fe;ee Islands
Is CRIME ON THE INCREASE There has pro-
bsbly been mere discussion wasted upon the
question-does crime increase, and If So what
Measures should be taken to check that increase?
than upon any other open subject that has ever
been agitetsted In England during the past
year or two, these questions have been argued in
Parliament ard through the press almost inces-
sanity ard recent events in the United States
have given Iise TO similar discussion among us.
Tie g.iaes Of this city has. taken severe fit Of
preaching upon this subject, and is evidently In
most hopefully serious way. Like Mr.. Sleek ia
the play, it proans awful,y over the degeneracy
of the age, and al the same time seizes every op.
portunity to turn penny by gratifying those
passions which i. den0unces. Several OF our
heavy Wall stieet contemporaries follow iaziiy
and eleepiiy III The same path, and eGdeayor 10
make - believe that we are al q Get OF great
ecOurdrels, woIse thsn was ever known before,
ard that we are all going TO the devil us rapidly
as possible.
New. these same questions as 10 the increase Of
crime, and the proper treatment Of criminals are
very deep ones and hence au immense deal Of
nonsense tas been talked and wiitten upon them.
Al excellent writer has held. aud maintained
with some force, that every person who commits
crime is more or less Insane, and the more
this theory is examined the more probable it ap-
pears At any rate, ii is susceptible of proof that
crime at the present DAY does not increase in the
same proportion that the great cities grow in
population and in wealth. Hereabouts for ex-
ample, within sound Of the City Hail bell VIC have
nearly million Of people, the great majority OF
whom sre poor ard struggling 70 be rich. as the
sum of all human bappiross They arc constant
ly lee Into temptation. The ineflciency of the
officers Of The law and the loose character of the
statutes in many instances. offer the finest hopes
for immunity to the criminal. And YET, with all
tlis-with people who hardly know there is any
governmeni-wlth no police worth mentioning
and the most miserable criminal courts in the
void. crimes agaias. life and property we
|
| frequent than they we're nhen Ne hsd only half
Our present population. As for the events Of the
past few months, when several extraordinary
crimes followed each other in quick succession,
that is remarkable feature in the history OF
crime in every age. The nctoriesy Of great
criminal often tempts weak minded people to
initiate the crime.
'bn ccf NJ .tr 20 tho, tbo,,,
not so good as we ought to be- considering the
light we have, yet we arc no worse than our pre-
dcccssors. The age is progressive. 1t moves
forward IN science, in The mechanic arts, in the
tiegances ard the reiinenients Of life. 10 litcra-
turc, and in those arts which please the senses
heieh!en the taste and awaken the sense of
beauty. When We do anything now we do it on
larger scale than twas ever done before. When
we 20 10 war We h;ll thousands where the groa.
captains Of ancient times would have destroy I'd
hundreds. VIC batter down in q week forresses
which formerly stood u years siege and then,
laughed a. its assaulters, When we build ship
il is one which might accommodate the combined
navies Of Greece aud Rome. Is IL wonderful
then, that The vulgar criminal who once stabbed
bis victim in the back, or cried "Stand and de-
liver on the highway, should have become trans
formed into an elegant, astute maniac --one who
goes in good society, wears purple and fine linen,
and encompasses your life or takes your purse in
the most delicate, refined, gcn;lemauly or lady
like manner? The amount of crime remains the
samc- the act itse!f attracts more attention be-
cause OF the superior art with whic h 4 is con
-
the socailed increase Of csme III our great cities
We should feel thankful thai il Is no worse
Abroad, crime is more rife than with US in spite
of the most admirable police and precautionary
measures which we have not; and i; il reall woi-
doIiul how we get on 20 well without them