The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-17
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, MARCH II, 1859.

THURSDAY, MARCH II, 1859.
The proprietors of HARPERs Weekly call their
paper-''A Journal of Civilization" Judging
from the contents of the number before u.s. we
should think that "Journal of Barbarism'' would
be far more appropriate NAME 1t is the number
for March u, and is devoted chiefly to discussion
of the details of the late terrible homicide in
Washington. Besides leading article, by the
Editor, in justification of assassination, as ''the
most effectual, the wisest and the most natural
revenge of an outraged husband" and another
from ''The Lounger," full of mild platitudes and
cold-blooded morality, upon the same subject, we
are furnished with an illustrated account of ''The
Tragedy" as it is called-rendered doubly inter-
esting by portraits of the chief actors-of Mrs.
SICKLEs in a costume du bal-of the Hon. DANIEL E.
SIcKLEs, and of ''the late P. BARTON KEY" Mr..
BUTTERwoRTH does not appear, except in picture
of the killing, where he is represented standing in
stage attitude, while SCKLEs with the expression
of an Italian bravo, is discharging revolver at
his PROSTATE enemy Views are also given of the
sScene of the Homicide, with the Clubhouse in
the Distance and of Lafayette Square, showing
Mr.. SIcKLEs' House''-while the letter-press is
rendered especially attractive by variety of taking
captions which ingeniously interspersed-such
as t'The Previous Relation of the Parties''-''The
ttStory Mrs SIcKLEs could telr'-''Mrs. SICKLEs'
Condition -''Who Wrote the Anonymous Let
s'ter 2'' 1.-THE Trysting Place''-Mr. KEYS
character and Habits" - "Mr. KEY in
'this Coffin - 'NIr KEY on French In
s'trigue"-''A Boy Lover of Mrs. SICKLEs-
"The Story of the Wedding Ring" What won
der that with such attractions TO offer to its read
ers The Journal of Civilization boasts "a regular
edition of over IS, 900 COPIES and lis read
f'from New Orleans to Quebec, and from Minneso-
sta to Florida" We have seen it stated that the
sale of the last number of another illustrated pa
per, containing ten pictures of the SICKLEs TRACE
''dy, with the scene of the encounter, and por-
Gratis CT the parties" exceeded 200 900; to
any body who is at all aware of the immense Cir
culation attained by the lowest and most degraded
ssues of the press, the ready sale which is
found for that yellow-covered literature which
turks perdu at the bottom of the baskets of the
book-pedars, is there anything astonishing in
the fact Our only surprise is, that having sunk
10 the level Oh THESE 4 ne oo1Hat "
Civilization should any longer claim to be consd-
cred in the light of "a family newspaper" and
still more, that it should have the efrontery to
dertake a vindication of its conduct in this res
pect. In the very number, containing the pictorial
denominations we have mentioned, we find
an editorial article entitled 'The Business
'of an Illustrated Newspaper" in which the
proprietors unblushingly proclaim it to be their
purpose to present their readers with illustra-
'ted account of the events of the day. be they what
'Ney mag. If we see nothing around u.s." they
say, "but scenes of beauty, and JOY and love,
'then our pictures shall reflect those pleasing
'themes and those only if, the contrary,
'crime violence and wrong continue to constitute
IA large share of the mass of daily events, then
're shall illustrate them too" Now, apart from the
consideration that there are many cases of 'crime,
'violence and wrong,' of not unfrequent occur
renee the Illustration of which, in the manner
proposed by our civilized contemporary, would
probably expose its propretors to a criminal prose
cution, there is contained in the foregoing avowal
of its intentions, departure from the original
design of its publication which we commend to
the attention of its $4,000 subscribers. We were
not aware that HARPERs' Weekly ever protested to
be newspaper at least in the usual acceptation of
the term Certainly, the news which it imparts
TO its readers, cannot be very valuable inasmuch
as the whole of it is likely 10 be anticipated by
the daily press. We had rather supposed
that like our neighbour The 1nerican, it as
PRED to be "a family Journal" designed
less for the office, the workshop and the
counting-room, than for the evening fre-side and
the domestic circle, and whose object was purely
10 educate-to refne-and to cipi2ize. Nor is this
distinction without difference. In the discharge
of our obligations, the conductors of daily
paper, frequently compelled TO print, in
our columns that which it is necessary that So
ciety should know, but not profitable that al
persons should too curiously consider. 1t is es
sential, for example, to the safety and wel-beine
of the community that the papers should give
faithful report of crimes that are committed, ant
of the trials of those who are accused of thei
commission. People sleep more securely in thei
beds because Of the publicity with which tn
daily press invests every violation of the law an
the action of the magistrates who are entruste
with its administration. Yet we do not desire
therefore, nor expect, that pure-mnded wome
should seek TO inform themselves of all that tran
spires in the foul atmosphere of groggeres an
brothels, or that comes to light in the proceeding
of the Criminal Court. They have the opporun
ity of passing by in our columns, that which
profits them not to know but which it is nor
the less incumbent upon us to publish. All the.
things, we had supposed, it was equally the priv
ilege and the desire of the conductors of pr
fessedly family newspaper-carefuy to avoid.
seems, that far, at least, The Journal Of CT,
Hzation is concerned, we altogether mistake
1t appears to be the pleasure of the proprietors
that all too widely circulated sheet, not only to
publish-if possible, with even greater mnutene
and circumstantiality Of deai-whatever t
daily papers may have said about the late unha
Ply tragedy at Washington-thus culng as lu
ury what only publish from necessity-b
also to accompany the narrative with such pctori
embellishments cannot fail to catch the ey
even while they may awaken the disgust of the
readers-as if resolved that by no possibility shs
they escape the contamination prepared for them
and that they shall see, at all events, if they will
read. We have been thus explicit in our condel
nation of this latest exhibition of the business ia
and enterprise of the Messrs. HARPER not mere
on account of the grossness of their present {
fence against public decency but because the a
nouncement which they make, on the first page
their journal, that 'they intend that it sh
"continue to imprope," makes us apprehensive
worse things to come. That there is roc
for improvement in this department of illustrate
art, in which the last number of The Journal
CiUilization evinCes such commemorate progre
the following table of the pictorial contents of
forthcoming issue of rival publication, satisf.
torily demonstrates. 1t is to contain, We are to
pictures of SICKLEs' house, the house KEY hir
''to meet Mrs. SIcKLEs in; faithful picture of
clubhouse and spot where KEY was shot; carr
''ing the body to the clubhouse; SIcKLEs enteri
CHS wfe's room and exclaimng, Tve shot hir
fplan showing the locality of the club-hou
t'SIcKLEs' house, the house hired by KEY and
F'fatal spot; view of the prison where SIcKLEs
''confned at Washington; three pictures Wust
sting a gross and inhuman outrage acoman
''Cmada; frightful scene in a courthouse in X
'tucky; lawyer shot by the mob in prs
burning and explosion of the steamer Princess
tttbe Mississippi: scene of q railroad accide