The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-12-30
The Sources Of Moral Evil.
From the Baltimore Sun.

1ue sources OF moral 6V1ls
From the Baltimore Sun.
The case of Hester Vaughan, youn,
English woman, who is under sentence O
death in Philadelphia for the alleged muir
der of new born infant, has furnished :
wide field to the leading Northern Journals
Tor dlscoursing upon the general demorali
zatlon, and has set the social philosophers
and woman's rights women of New York
an agog, SO that meeting was held on
Tuesday night, in the Cooper Institute
Horace Greedy presiding, Ian account Of
which we published yesterday to help hel
case. Whether the evidence Of the guilt Of
the young woman was sufficient to sustain
the verdict of guilty which the jury rem
dered, We do not undertake to say. The
e1 pd,7e story OF the prisoner, sad one
enough, which we have already published
may or may not be true. but it has stirred
up the compassion Of many, and great
anxiety is manifested that Governor Geary
should pardon her, or ut least commute her
sentence. 1t is also made q subject Of com
ment by the New York press that while
not one man or woman in Philadelphia has
signed petition to commute the sentence
Of Hester Vaughan, twenty thousand men
and women in Pennsylvania have petitioned
Governor Geary to pardon, or at least to
commute the sentence OF one Alfred Alexan-
der, colofed, who was convicted of killing
woman, another mans wife, with whom
he had been improperly associated.
We have said that the press of the North,
IS discussing this case with much interest
some OF the journals looking at it through
the rose-colOred medium of q romantic
philanthropy and seeking to make a heroine
ana martyr Of the young woman, and 9TH
ers, among whom is the New York Times,
insisting that she is simply q murleress,
and should be made an example of. The
Times argues that this is necessary, on
account OF the frequency of the horrible
crime OF infanticide, which, it alleges, pre-
Vmis TO such an extent in some Localities
notably in Massachusetts-as to challenge
the serious thought of all who are capable
OF 'ppreciating its moral and social bear
'ngs. The picture which the Times draws
OF this phase of social decentralization ia
Well calculated to arrest tho attention OF
Christian moralists, and to awaken appre-
tensions OF the results Of such a state of
things, unless more efficient means are
adopted OF limiting its prevalence. That
pape. charges that the evil reaches largely
into what is regarded az respectable 90
ciety," by indirect means, at least. This
thing on the one hand, and the looseness of |
divorce on the other, are twin barbarisms.
1t was only few days ago that we gave |
statistics from paper read bv Professor
Woolsey. of Yale College, showing the
fr'ghtful increase in the frequency Of di.
vorces in the United States, and the great.
y iessened veneration of the marriage tie.
" nat is society coming to when the very
checks and brakes upon its downward ten.
1ency which are found in virtuous and clio.
iat:ng female influence thus give way? In
addition to this is fearful outbreak of
'tner crlmes-a hundred murders. Il Is
committed in this country with
n one month-men, women and children /,
'utchered, and some of them under circum-
tances OF almost uncomfortable cruelty. II
Inc Northern Journals discussing this
u9)ect demand to know what is the reason 1
no what is the renledy7 We feel yery
are That one reason of the decentralization j
I society is the press itself, which, in too 6
,any cases, forgets its responsibility to 4
'od and man, and panders to the worst t
assions OF human nature for tho most | t.
Drd'd purpose, which habitually speaks b
lth filppant irreverence of the most sa-
red things, whether belonging To religion
chastity, and, in its very record of|
1mes, instead Of stripping them of their
bscene and horrid details, strives to am.
NY aud invest them with Sensational tt
~ dramatic air. Much of our newspaner S
Ierature has become almost as corrupt ms
10 literature Of England under the inAu. c,
ice OF the anti Puritan reaction in the es
ign OF Charles the Second. Who can y
II to recognize in the following nictnra IL
Macaulay of the the revival OF letters in OF
at period prominent features of rescm. ~ ~
ance with some influential journals of Tho a. a.
esent day "1'he war between wit and to
nritapism soon became n war hatwoan n
t and morality. The hostility exc;ted OF
q grotesquc caricature of virtue did mt fr
are virtue herself Because the cantinc ed
,undhead had punished illicit love with W
rG ROY severity, virgin purity and con- 70
81, nueilty were to be made o Jest. Az ~ =,
fsoendhead never opened his mouth r.
cept IN scriptura' phrase, the new breed "
WIS ana flne gentlemen never opened su
.ir mouths without utteripg ribalelry of or
lcli porter would now be ashamed.S IF 70,
sensational Journals are uot rs swag- M
ing ana shameless as this 10 their licen- ne
us and immoral tone, it would not ee.,n Pc
DC the result Of q higher standard of be
1or, but because they are aware that e. 20
aPery may be more alluring than expo s UT
y nilst the daily visitor TO everv house- anu nn
IS thus often recreant to the confidence en-,
osed IN u, the weekly messengers and gro
gates Of the skies" who, on SUNDAY. the
uid De proclaiming the grace and purity It
ne Gospel are often, in some parts If hal
country, ignoring their divine commits pm.
and preaching up political and Sec :.
al hate aud uncharitableness. Another NJ, ~
on OF the frequency of crime of late + :
be traced to the demoralizing influence Ma
ar, one Of the results of that greatest and and
Of humanity, which is more terrible teri
the mere destruction which it involves its
imam life. Millions of the male popu- in 9
N were drawn away during tho late sha
STRIFE from those restraints and sur TED
dlngs Ut old homes and associations ge!,
n tend to keep even tic vicious with. Sc; \,
e limits OF decency, and thrown into fail.
re OF life where no such influence ia one.
ed. where bad companionshir cannot II Il
wooded, and bloodshed and violence pow
me the normal condition of THINGS, pres
at the same time multitudes of WON. w
ID children are deprived of the pres with