American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-10-28

BooKs.-0n extending our reflections
on books, we will, in passing. take very
brief notice of newspapers. and periodicals.
Had We time and space. fully TO portray
the corruptions and prostituticns, to which
the press has been lowered, we rather think
we could not do tie matter justice, with
out beIrayiug some temper. We will pass
the subject over as lightly as We can for
the present, leaving 10 tie common sense
of every reader. to approve or condemn,
according to his own better Judgement
we refer in this place, especially. to the
the sectional aud sectarian ends attempted
to be gaired, through the the influence Of
the press. Cou6ning what We have TO
say Of its literary character.
The family newspaper. TO fill the claims
set up for IT by the publisher. should have
it's columns filed uP, with well written ar
Iicles on Science, Agriculture, Horticul
tpre. Elhice. Religion. good breeding.
good manners. advice to the young. Civ
il Government. general essays on the mo-
raj. social and civil duties Of citizens, and
upon general education. Instead OF these
we have Alice's Firs Love, Laura's Seduc-
ton. The elopement. The abduction oil
a bef utfull betrothed maiden, by he pl
rates. An encounter with the banditt dc.
Or, perhaps we are served with few de.
tails of prof gated licenlious young men,
who end their career on the gallows, in the
prison. or in general disgrace to them
sevee and friends. Then comes our dol
lar weekles, of which. scarcely family
is found destitute. These Mamoth sheets
are gotten up on the ready pay system.
cheap, because they con sell 100, 600 cop
pies each week, AMI for the sole OF ject. OF
publishing cheop Literature! They seldom
contain sensible, well written article, that
might be characterized Tor common sense,
, chastity, or any kind of useful instruction
And yet every one can find dollar 10 pay
for them. which if the book seller were &c
Offer them Combs Constitution Of man
WayIands moral science; Alco's advice tC
young ladies and gentlemen, or Fredley'!
! practce treaties on business, they w;ulC
Ieel to poor to Spare tie dollar, the pric,
> any one Of them. OF monthly periodicals
: We have a few. Of a highly literary ant
moral CT aracler. Littls's Living Age
the Ladies Visitor sc. But space forbid
n us from specifying The majority Of then
= Them are of the same character as the
Keeklies we have been describing
). some of them even more ptrnicious. Ha'
II pers for instance,ii you strike out the month
: " record of current events, the editor
v liable, and notes of travil sometimes lounC
Il in il, there is nothing left for any rationa
d mind'o consumr time upon. Peterson's
has never yet presented to my eye. an arti
;, cle, possessing merit enough to bear reading
s But it snot our business, to review, but Il
r generaize. THUS have we attempted TO por
o tray the quality Of the literature. provide,
@ for the youth of the m ddlc Of the nineteent
|. century Of the Christian era; and we Zee
,e 81 urc, we have not over drawn the profile
,e A severe, and rigiI censorship. ought
r, be pasted upon all books, or papers, b
G. parents and guardians, before ttey ar
read ov their children. or wards. 1t
painful, to witness the readiness wit
which good citizens, and and even churc
to m members, yell their assem- to the circul'
" ~ ton Of this deleterious kind of literature
-. Many OF them are actively engaged in eli
m cu'ating it for gain, or some other merct
nary purpose. =.
10 Books proper to be read in the famil
NO should pass the ordeal oia close inspection
~ by competent judges. And all such shou
h b. excluded, as do not sustain morality
-. religion and truth. The Bible, esp -ciall!
r. the new trsimient, ought to be commo
~ ~ hook of study. All adopted books Of SC
a. eice, books Of travel. Biographies OF en-
r nent men who have led exemplary live
!, Commentaries. Reviews All authenti
l., Histories, and raligions works. The read
" ing Of sectariah hooks. cdnnot he inhibited
=. bpcause the diversity Of opihiou upon lh
nr ology cannot lie reconced. Hence 4
nd religious books, that sustain the fund
n ental doctrines Of morality, virtue al
Il: trHth, are permissible. HOMO.
ne NJ The dispatches announcing lett