The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-08

they can strike heavy blow, and then, |
emptying out the sand, they have the |
appearance of being totally unarmed. To read
this description may give nervous visitor to
Paris the same sort of shock which an invalid
sometimes receives from a medical work re-
vealing hitherto unsupported varieties of dis
ease. The coclSney will trembe as he walks
along the boulevard and runs over in his mind
the list of professional criminals who may be
lying in wait at every corner.
Such person, however, may more profit
alb reflect on the question whether we are at
all better off than our neighbors. M. du
Camp accounts for the numerous army of
crime by theory which we fear will hardly
bear inspection. He says that it is owing
partly to the want of emigration from France
10 this we may reply, only too conclusively,
that, in the first place, emigration is confined
TO decently honest people in England and
Germany, and leaves the dregs behind; and.
in the next place, that we to all appearance
have as large a list of criminals in London as
in Paris 1t is indeed impossible to arrive at
any satisfactory statistics ON the subject. NJ
du Camp gives us a set of figures as to the
number of arrests in Paris during the last few
years In 1867 it amounted to over 35 900,
whereas ten years before it was only 20, 726
This, however, only gives a very indirect
impression as to the numbers of the classes
living in crime. 1t includes, apparently,
vagrancy, and it would be difficult to compare
it with English statistics of a similar kind,
without knowing many facts as to the eff
cheney of the police, the causes which justify
arrest, and other varying circumstances. The
chief subject for remark is that the numbers
have SO rapidly increased of late years, and
especially in the last two years. The alb
sence of emigration can evidently have no.
thing to do with this, as emigration was no
lon ic
The true explanation would seem to be SIM
pier The increasing attractions Of Paris
and the great facilities of travel are constantly
drawing a larger supply from the
rural population in search of high
wages and the various charms of the
capital. A similar gravitation towards the
| large towns is conspicuous not only in France,
but in England and America, though in France
it has been more systematically encouraged.
| The natural result is, that many of the immi-
grants fail to obtain employment, and go to
| swell the ranks of the poorest and sometimes
of the criminal classes. Nothing is more
common than to find poor people who have
come up from the country to London from
| a vague hope of improving their position,
and have only fallen into deeper distress.
| The same result is, we. presume, at least
as common in Paris; and the CONNER
cial depression of the last two years
| has no doubt increased the effect. The sudden
swelling of pauperism in the English metropo-
lis has been coincident with the increase of
crime in Paris, and is due in great part to
similar causes. The chief moral of NJ. du
Camps Investigations would seem to be tole-
rably obvious. He shows with great force the
enormous difficulties of dealing satisfactorily
with the criminal class A man or boy who
has once acquired a taste for living on crime
is, as a general rule, bound to an almost
hopeless servitude. The Jews, according to
NJ. du Camp, show a certain superiority in
this respect, which is evinced by the fact that
one Jewish rogue never preys on another, and
still more by the Jew occasionally saving
money and retiringon the proceeds of his pro
fession. This is above the power of most
persons who have once tasted blood They
become as incapable of leaving their trade as
tiger of living upon cabbages instead OF
deer. A thief who has made a successful cOUl
Immediately proceeds to spend it in de
bauchery. He may be recognized by a sud
den outburst of tawSry fnery and throws
away his money upon his mistresses and com
panions. He returns to his career as Ger
: tainly as the savage who has received q
, superficial smearing of civilization throws
away his clothes and takes to the bush as soo1
7 as it comes within sight. human being
becomes simply a machine for performing
, one special piece of roguery, and we can NJ
) more turn him to account in any other wa.
l than we can make spade out of a skele
ton key. The problem, therefore, comes t.
, this-when man has only one talent whicl
< is prejudicial to society, and no virtue
Q worth mentioning, how are we to make hin
/ useful? versatile thief might give hope
s of being fit for honest industry; but nothing
t seems to be more remarkable, in the Frenc
a as in the English predatory animal, tha
the limited nature of his capacity. He re
It sembles wild beast, which can only ge
! its living after single fashion; the ant
e eater can only subsist by inserting his lon
s tongue into an ants nest, and the thief ha
: the one available talent of gliding his hand in
: perceptibly into the human pocket. The thief
S pleasures are equally limited; the most men
:, tionable being attendance at certain singing
f halls and drinking-shops which appear to b
G very similar throughout the world. If it wer
e not for a certain soft-heartedness, we Nigh
Q hang all the thieves or shut them up for life
If and then make a fair start, though perhap
l. the vacuum would be speedily filled agai
k from the surrounding masses of misery. A
e it is, the evil cannot be finally cured withou
/, raising the whole standard of life in the 10 \
n est classes. A strict and effective police ST
\ pervision is evidently required to keep
l. within bounds, and there is little use in was
J. ing sentiment over restrictions ON the hbert
st of such barely responsible persons. Sho
N terms of imprisonment are evidently throw
3. away; we want vigorous measures in dealin
III with class in which even the rudiments of
5e moral instinct are almost indiscernible; an
IS no means will be effective without a suppl
IS mentary scheme for cutting off the supply
10 infant recruits who are constantly driftiI
$, into the ranks of crime from the vagabol
n population of the streets.
e