The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-07-07
nishing the world. Tho task of selection


thus spent. OF the food Of printing which
covers the land, how little will remain to
take permanent place in tho literature Of
the world. A large proportion of 1t is
worthless, much Of it is positively baneful.
If not SO grossly offensive us that Of who
we have been speaking, IL is near akin TO
it and by debasing the taste and the morals,
prepares the way for that which is worse.
That is injurious which does no other injury
than to pervert the taste, and if there
were no other evil Ia the current literature
most Of it is open to this objection. The
popular weeklies do not stand above the
popular taste to educate and elevate it, but
condesceLd to it and pander TO its vices.
There are some admirable weekles US
we'll as other periodicals which are strug-
Cling to disseminate pure, healthy, ele.
waiting literature. But they cannot be
said to be popular. They are read but by
the few, and are necessarily expensive be-
cause limited in circulation.
The press will furnish just
what the public demands yet it Is plain
to be seen that the press creates II demand
for an iaferor and injurious literature,
by catering to taste which has already
been perverted. Tho evil las most evils
are) is complicated. The press responds
to public demand, and its response
creates demand. A want supplied brings
to light further one to be supplied, the
qualification Of which brings money TO the
press, and satisfaction to depraved taste.
One duty is plain. 1t is that christian
communities set themselves against the
spread of this evil. We must not patron
lze or extenuate an injurious literature.
We must not countenance it or apologize
for it. The encouragement Of the public
is the warrant of the press, and the license
of the press is the debasiug of the public
mind. 50 these things act and React, and
it is difficult to place responsibility. The
responsibility Of Chri.ts people is, how
ever, in one particular, quite clear. That
responsibility, MS l have said, is to dis
countenun'e corrup. literature by all
means, and everywhere-not to fall in
with it or accept it as u necessity, however
deplorable--it is no necessity, nor may we
accept i, on any terms, or give it any
place in our favor, or our liberation. Let
christian communities set their seal of dis
appreciation upon it, and then if the tide
be not stayed "A, least we shall be free from
the responsibility.
There is another lurking and insidious
danger 10 certain class of literature, of
which feel it my duty here to speak. 1t
does not offend the highest culture of
literary taste-nay, satisfies that taste in
all its nice demands. 1t is fascinating to
ore who appreciates tho excellencies and
beauties of the best style, but that fas-
clnation is employed only to instill n poison
of neiesv and unbelief. The poison j.
most skillfully administered and it is the
graceful forms and clothed in garments of
beauty. films literature is less damaging
than the lJwer class of which We have
spoken, i. is only because it does not reach
the numbers that are reached by the other
1t is more dangerous where il i, received
II has charms ard merits which give il
currency AMI influence IN quarters from
which the other would he bahished, in
disgust with Its grossness, If not with its
immortality. Its literary excellence takes
it Out Of the category of the obje ,tions
urged against any lower or!er of produce
tious. 1t is not grossly debasng, but con-
tains a subtle, wnsome, baneful leaven Of
scorn and skepticsm, and receives well
come where poorer literature could not
obtain hearing. Its poison of unbelief
is communicated with almost fatal certain
ty under the fascination Of its elegance
Truth only is beautiful iuterioriy and
inherently but Satan, and like him his
servants, find ways to array ialsehood
in attractive and deceitful guise.
OF less literary value and infused with
the same spirit of fasebood, is class of
poetry now gaining great currency.
might say it is sufficiently destitute Of high
merit to be popular, and being popular,
is doing widespread injury in the ncul-
cation Of error and false teaching. Phys
ical courage, in rocky mountain poetry, is
made to stand for moral virtue, and to
atone for profanity and blasphemy which
would shock the ears of any but the most
obdurate and long-schooled sinner. Nat
ural affection, not more touching in gross
human nature, than is possible even in the
brute creation, is made by such philosophy
to rank with Christs charity, the periec-
tion and the bond Of virtues. Oflhe same
order morally, but with more literary
merit is the very touching sentimentality,
which in exquisite rhyme and measure,
clothes with virtue and invests with II
halo almost of sanctty, the form of II ,u-
eide whose life is sacrificed to hide a
shame. A soul twice dead msy be sub
ject of grief, pity and weeping, but no
glozng sentmentalty should bo permit
ted to weaken the force of the fearful
truth that death should teach. 1t Was the
death Of crime and no poetry can recon-
struct that into sleep Of innocence. Pity
cannot make it otherwise. Tenderness