Smyrna times., 1858-04-08
Crime in Delaware.


1t has long been the pride and boast of Della
warians, that the " Diamond State" could pre-
sent the ceanest record in the annals of crime
ofany State in the UnioD,-as mass the mos
pure-minded and upright in their moral deport
mant, and as citizens the most loyal and devo-
ted of any of the sovereign States. However
we'll and long, in times past, she maintained
such an honorable name and distinction, we feal
81 Ichabod " is about to be written on her BAN
nr-" her glory has departed" 1t is no less
humilatins than true, that crime is alarmingly
on the increase in our State So frequent does
one announcement follow another, of murders,
homicides, suicides, deaths from want and ex-
posure,-the result of evil habits, &c.,-that
they have almost ceased to excite wonder or
comment. What has been the cause of this
sudden fall from high and honorable estate to
the very zero of crime and debauchcry! What
great engine of evil has been set in molten to
batter down the walls of security against the
foe of happiness and virtue! There must evil
d ntly be some cause for the sudden and mi ghty
revolution which is sweeping over the country.
cause for alarm. Never has there been pa
rallel of the criminal cases on record in our
State. for investigation before the courts. 1t
has been stated, ON good authority, that the
Jail in Sussex county is so crowded that three
prisoners had to be put in the kitchen, while in
one room there are nine men, and in another
seven women.
In New Castle Ito say nothing of those there
for the various other misdemeanors) there are
for capital offences IL persons, while there are
in Kent and Sussex 2,-making the aggre-
gate of 16 personsAow in prison in this State
for capital offences.
There are numbers ofcases occurring through
the year that are not enumerated on the crm-
nal record and many that are not reported even
in the newspa pers, which as clearly and con-
vincingly mark the strong current of crime as
the veriest murder that has been committed in
our State. The Wilmington papers almost
every week report one and two cases of death
from exposure and intemperance, and other
equally indicative names; and what is true of
that part of the State is equally true of the
rest. There are hundreds now within our
bounds who are eking out a life of misery pro-
duced by the same cause as the cases enumera-
ted above,-but who may, by thus preparing
their system for it, easily become a prey to dis
ease aud death.
Whence flows this stream carrying in its
course desttuIion, misery and death! The !
question is readily answered. the sale |
and use of intoxicating liquors. OF this there
is no question. The m1n who deals out this |
terrible beverage and makes his living on the |
aisforunes of others, will not pretend to deny
1t. The truth is too pal pable.
The question arises, is there no measure of
rellef-no security against such an invidious |
enemy? Ia retrospecting the past, it would real
ly seem that there is nothing potent to resist its
Onward march. The temperance men tried for
years-fathfully and laborously tried-with
the only aud single IN OF beneftting the pub
lic to be overwhelmed in the end, and crown.
ed with curses for their " labors of love-" Ifl
there be any truth in the Millennium, day of
deliverance must come,-if not before that glo-
rioss day, not one day thereafter, for righteous
ness and mammon can never dwell together-
J." Reforms can never go backwards" and de-
liverer may yet arise who will lead us over the
sea into the land of promise.