The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-05-04
Reading.

The publication Of the Sickles trial with
all its minutiae of evidence, has been the
cause of great deal Of newspaper discus
sion, not only as regards this particular
case, but as to the influence Of publishing
and reading whatever is descriptive Of vice
and crime. sft
The horror which some editors have
naniff sted over the publication of Mrs.
Sickles' confession, excites nothing but con-
tempt, as it is evidently insincere. They
describe the improperly of that confession,
with an emphasis and q length of phrase
which shows they have dwelt long over it,
and, by a law ofafinity we suppose, their
minds have dWelt most intently on what
was most Objectionable. We wonder how
these timid souls managed to read the
Scriptural quotations in Mr.. Graham's
speech, and we suppose if ever they teach
the commandments to their children, the
seventh is carefully omitted.
Still, many honest people arcdivided in
their views Of the range Of reading that
should be allowed. Some would make
that range as wide as taste or inclination
would demand; others would carefully ex-
clude whatever should make known the
existence of impurity, and some even 90
so far as to exclude whatever is not fully
proven, either by logic or affidavit-ta-
6oing with their virtuous disapproval,
nearly all romance and novels.
We do not propose to debate either side
of this question. But we do object to that
tone Of indignant virtue. with which the
advocates of carefully culled reading as
sail their opponents. We should like TO
see some credit for purity of motive
and for honesty of purpc Sc given to
those who choose fer themselves or adyo
cate for others a liberal range of reading.
JOHN MLToN is a great name among
Christian names. Standing as he does,
prc-eminent for his wisdom, both world Y
AMI spiritual, his opinion is entitled to re-
spect and consideration. We close tbs
article BY quoting passage from his ''de-
fence of Unlicensed Printing"
"As the state Of man now is, what wis
dom can there be to choose, what CONT
ncnce to forbear, without the knowledge
of evil: He that can apprehend and con
slider vice with all her bats and seeming
pleasures, and yet abstain, and yet distin-
guish, and vet prefer that which is truly
better, he is the true warfaring Christian.
| cannot praise q fugitive and clustered
virtue unexercised and unbreathed, that
never sallies out and seeks her adversary.
but sinks out of the race, where the i'm
mortal garland is to be run for, not with
out dust and heat. Assuredlv, we brine
not innocence into the world, we brine
impurity much rather, that which pulifies
us is trial, and trial is by what is contrary.
That virtue therefore, which is but q
younglng in the cone nplation of evil,
and knows not the utmost that vice prom
ises to her followers, and rejects it, is but
blank vr'u', not a pure; her whiteness
is but an excremental whiteness: which
was the reason why our sage and serions
poet Spencer (whom | dare be known to
to thlnk better teacher than Scotus or
Aqulnasl describing true temperance I'M
der the person of Guion, brings him in
with his palmer through the cave of Mann
mon, and the bower of earthly bliss, that
he might see and know. and vet abstain.
Since, therefore, tie knowledge and sur
vey OF vice is in this world so necessary
to the constituting of human virtue, and
the scanning of error to the confirmation
Of truth, how can we more safely, and
with less danger, scout into the regions
OF sin and falsity, than by reading all
manner of tfactates, and hearing all man
ner of reasons And this is the benefit
which may be had of books promiscuous-
" read."'