The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-06
JoURNALIssI.


In what follows we distinctly disclaim any AFRO
giant pretensions to censorship over the great body
of the press, of which the Union is only one Of the
members. We do not wish to appear paternal, but
raterna and what we have TO say is not offered as
censure, but as counsel. We take this opportunity
to place our views upon record, because trial
has commenced within our municipal limits, every
stage of which win sweep over the wires from
Maine to Minnesota, and at every station find
crowd of anxious expectants and which for tragic
interest and sad and often revolving Details may
venture to say is quite unparalleled by anything
outside Of that extraordinary record, the French
causes oslsbres. To the trial ITSELF we do not wish
to allude here but to the moral effect of the facts
which viii probably be presented to the jury, we
think it is proper to advert. If thousandth part
of what is generally believed shall be proven then
there viii be much which ought never to go beyond
the courtroom. We have great admiration for
the remarkable enterprise of some of cotempo-
rares; the fabulous sums paid by them for the
earliest and most reliable information is of the
best evidences of the progress of civilization We
have often stood in awe before some wonderful i'm
venton in which grand thought has been wrought
out to its utmost perfection, but experience
deeper and prouder emotion when we see some
gigantic feat of journalism, such as may be found
in almost any week of the year recorded in the
columns of certain newspapers. e
\ But we are sometimes compelled TO ask il news
paper enterprise and competition not productive
ofgeat moral evils terrible to think Of the minute
details of murder, hanging and other forms Of evil,
which the press stimulated bya laudable enterprise,
daily places in the hands of boys and girls, innocent
hitherto but after few months of such revelations,
innocent no longer. We know how the conductors
Of the great papers reason |; they say, "the public
will have these details, and we are compelled to
furnish them" But we think that is great mis-
take If the newspapers refuse for instance, to re-
cord the details of any matters offensive to public
ton? The TRUTHS, the press is not only the expo
nent Of public sentinent-it is to mould opinions.
If prurient matters are furnished prurient appe-
titles will be stimulated to ask for more whereas if
the supply is withheld the demand viii die OF star
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We should be sorry to have these remarks limited
to any one case. We believe them to be of general
application Journalism is fast becoming science,
and it is time its disciples assumed their proper
office as directors of the public taste, and ceased to
pander TO its improper desires. Let us show the
world what ought to be done, rather than daguer-
reotype with filthy minuteness every foul thing
which ought not to have been done. 1t is true, iii
be truisni, that power is in America so mighty
as the press ; more wonderful than electric tele-
graphing more potent than steam, yet too often in
trusted to hands entirely unframed. An editor is
supposed to be specially qualified for his Office, by
the possession of the necessary gifts and the proper
training and experience Now, what would be
thought Of that engineer who, having powerful
machine under his control, allowed some subordi-
nate to amuse himself with the levers, to sit on
tie beam which closes the safety-valve And yet
that ia what is often done with the machinery of our
moral and social life. Too generally the rule seems
to be recognised that whatever exists ought to be
published and photographic reports must not be
revised The severe laws for regulating the press
in England have had this salutary effect that all
disgusting minutie summed up in one expression,
the evidence was unfit for publication. . We hope
to see similar respect for public morality in
the newspaper reports this week, and a judicious
discrimination on the part of brethren will only
increase our respect for their ability, enterprise,
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