Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-11-25
RICHMOND w HIG.
To CouRRspONpENrs.
AMon.trou. PcrNer,Ion.

The New York Commercial advertiser, formerly
conservative, but now sectional Journal has the fol
lowing;
Shall re Listen 10 Treason I'VE have no sympathies
with Mr. Phillips and those who speak and act with him.
but believe thoroughly in freedom of thought and
speech la the right Of every citizen who wants TO hear
other opinions than his own, 10 be at liberty TO hear
unmolested.
The Journal Of Commerce replies as follows:
I'VE agree with the Commercial that freedom OF
thought aud of speech essential elements in sys
ten; and would have them restrained. But the
utcrance OF treason against the government, and the in
citing others commit reasonable acts abuse Of
that privilege which, If may be tolerated certainly
not be too strongly condemned"
'Shal we listen TO treason - Shall We listen to mu
der? asks the New Orleans Baehn. Shall listen to
highway robbery Shall listen to ucendarism bur
gary forgery stealing, counterfeiiing, swindng rape
or any other hbominable crimes Shall listen it,
indeed The having been secured how long before
the heart will follow, and the assent OF the judgment he
obainedS Il is impossible for US to tell whether the
proposition Of the Advertiser ITO listen TO treason us he
moro shallow the more monstrous. 1t would 50, m
almost impossible for it from really mil d.
Holding parey With crime Taking it into cousidcra.
tiou celebrating whether shall commit il not
When a msu has obtained his 10 en-
terrain the proposition commit any crime, care not
Of what sort the worst par; OF the obstacles
traon so far the mental process concerned has
ready been and Henceforih the
path is comparatively smooth and the process compare
lively easy If the adherence" of which the poet spe,
has been overcome, sympathy soon follows and the will
TO plunge into the vortex hard upon the heels of sym
pathy, and the deed is done. 'ShaI listen to
treason forsoothg The that saws IT, If he SAWS IL
honestly il already half traitor has but a weak
barrier to leap before becoming whole traitor. States
and moralsts poets aud philosophers all worthy
Of these names have, in all ages and all countries
cd mankind against the entrance Of evil ofits FIRST faint.
Whispers against the distant approach OF temp
taton The substance OF all they have said is summed up
in the words-and it is Daniel Webster we think who
has said they contain depth of meaning yet after
the lapse of than eighteen centuries fully appreca
ted-"LEAD "a NOT INTO TEMPTATION But DELIVER u
FRox Evil
That any journal in the land thoroughly lost to
all sense OF shame could openly propose to listen to
the advocacy Of crime Of any kind of those pro-
positions that some men would naturally pronounce i'm
possible in the present century and in the United States
What idea throw the public in the great Ba-
bel OF New York How eagerly will the thousands Of cut
hroats and thieves and house breakers and imam steal
ers and children steaers of New York clutch at and i'm
prove its lesson How many young and inexperienced
people of both in whose minds the temptation TO
crime exists but IL embryo, in halfformed shadow
scarcely conscious state will by the advice thus publicly
given them by public journal that should be guide
be induced to upon the hint thrown out and prac-
lice upon the principle laid down of listening TO tie
suggestions of the depraved and infamous around
them,
How many young men that read the journal in ques
ton in the cOuntngrOoms of their employers in the
morning will conclude that it it is just to listen to trea
son., they may "lsten" forgery, the neglect 10
make the deposit in bank or appropriatng portion
of the receipts with which they may be entrusted by
their employers during the day! But need not
follow up the reflections to which the proposition gives
rise 1t one Of the most of the most utter
y indefensible, vicious, criminal infamous propositions
ever made by American print and deserves TO be
secuted by every in the Union who does not expect
go the Pententiary, TO be elevated 10 higher
honors, not generally coveted