The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-05-19
MORAL. OF THE slcKLks TRIAL.


Th" Following article FROM tho New Orleans
P'""y"n' i "raluiully ir,," i',t W. nan>Er ITO
""r rolum,>, III lieu ii amy thing w.. could say
The subject. W. ram only PARTIALLY cnnru,. .
however, with the Pic'y"nc in thnt Portion If
its article cent 'urnu the press "f tho country
" for the growing dcpravity of public morals. -
Had 'h" /'r"rnc included only the press of thu.
N"ithcrn cities we think il would have come
n"r"cr the mark Whr very E,w ;rxrcr, nur
religious parcrs) nrc entirely hlam"rss. yc, we
are lnrlin"d 'u think that certain "Pictnria." of
some Of the Northern cities arc the chief sinners
IN th" direction alluded to. Yet these sam. ii!
i"s'rni"d newspapers receive large patronage
III. n.the Southern Siat"S--Suuthrrn men contrib.
ut" I" build up these pron,ulra,nrs of scandal
ami promoters If ,hc grow ing ,lepravi,y of puL
''r morals, whil" some of our own pnrers csp..
r'allv those devoted To literature "Ianguisl and
l''nr, and then. finally sink into that "tluml
S"rH"'fa'n"ss' which has been the fate of too
many o: ""r literary pnrers-io by very star
vainn ::
The g:cat Sicklcs trial Is ended The case
was su"nl'i"d I" il'" jury on the 2i,h ult
and afns hcinp ont forty minutes, "A verdict OF
a"'lniga wns rendered. This result was not
uncNl"ctc'l l.,r in this country at least, there i.
Il law IRI.S>c.i TN human hearts more liberal
than the written STATUES which hollis puitI.s.
him who takes lif' in defence Of tho r,iri,y al
ms nom" AMI The Integrity of family lies, how
ever unworthy hc may himself have been. The
decision of tho p""rs "f tn" prisoner i'm this cel
Irht" trial, which has Just .closed is another
Ict added To tlr's,' Of less nntorirty rccor.lirr
Va" concurrent sentiment Of communities widely
s"l"rar"d. nn'l radically differing in many Of
their social Institutions
Th" result We arc dsInS"I 10 dismiss with
ont iurthcr notice, but tn. incidents aucnlinp
tn" investigation influence th. publication
Of the most nau$ca,ing Details illustrated in
many cas"$ with tl" pencil Of III. artist and
,hr pen oi The ready wriirr.--arn Of too pravc
Importance {" he "vcrl""k".l Into how MANY
families has the faint Of. impure ihnmchts been
introduced! How the pruricnt desire for scan
dai has been stimulated! To what extent hos
ia" public taste h""n ,epra we'd. already favnrn
Ole t" the. nniisttabc exposure of matters
stilc''y private, the dissection of thro,bnn human
hearts before the public cyc luyl,ria,inr in
the dramatic details Of personal sulrcrinri
We cannot but believe the press Of tho
country justly blasneahlc for the growing de-
Prav"y "i public morals. and the unusual fire.
Iu"ncc of incidents that give Il sl,ncl, TO t,,c
safeguards of family honor Il seems 70 ,lnrv
IN personalities It's Argus eyes penetrate every
iiSS"'s". and peer into every home circle and
the saiici'irs Of private lifo nrc so often viola
ted that wc may almost be said to live in house =
of glass.
public ball gives occasion to intoxcatc the
lneXlrrIrncc of youth with the insnua,inu influ. .
enc" "t -nattery. destroying h!nshing moilesty
ana 'Nc'l,,g passions which often destroy The
laughing up, the beanling eye, the swelling l,lst
-"vcn the mysteries Of the toilet are described
With th, rninuteneSs cf n cnnno osseur in
the perfection of human beauty and the
accuracy of the professional dress maker
no elegantly dressed woman visits the wn
'cr'"g places, or by her grace and native nveli
ness becomes mn attraction in society, who is not
III "hce made public property. No private scan
,i"'I occurs which is not dragged before the pub
u" rnz". ;n forced into the common current of
ail conversation, at putiic p'nccs and often in
The private circle. Can such things he harmless /,
Is not love Of DISPLAY and desire for no,ori.ty
mus cultivated III our wives and daughters? :?
are moi The barriers which common sentiment
has bu 1T around the family circle, thus brok en-
down. aud our home idols made the common
property Of the worldi
When such shocking d"praviry. as has been
"ni"i'ici hy the late trial, is snwn like au-
'n'n leaves. over the land, no lac" being sacred
against their intrusion, can it be expected That
III; community shall lie rs pure, rcn.ly to re-
l''lise ih. bare thought of wrong, as though il
had not been brought into immediate contact with
:" much impurity
Say not, that like Ire thunder Storm such oc
currences purify the moral atmosphere II is nm
opinion that acquaintance with crime
renders it disgustful. The poet has stated the
proposition more true to nature and to sound
philosophy.
"VIcc s monster ofs frightfnl mi.n
AS I" he hated, needs but to be seen:
But, seen too oft, familiar with her frcr
We first endure, then pity, then embrace,
In no other country is the privacy of every tay
Tile S" boldly entered in this. No where are
the artist and the aids Of rhetoric so uniformly
invoked to make every private transercssinn ar,
amusing farce To laugh at or n tragedy full of
dramatic situations 10 create popular excitement.
perhaps but burning with flame
That leaves for ever ih" marks Of is heat upon
the hearts and conscenecs Of the public
We look upon the Sicklrs tragedy bur,l.enine
The columns daily of the millions Of sheets thai
have. during lis progress, been sent broadcast over
The land as the seed Of glunmy harvest Of evil.
Its Influence will doubtless be felt when the nc.
tors in it are forgotten ana, # The press will con
tInuc to lend itself ns the willing caterer to ill., reg.
uiated desires fast Incoming almost universal
for the details Of impuriiy the consequences can.
fail Lao,