New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-09
STALK or THE DEvIL.o


he is sure to appear" so often fippantly
applied to the unexpected appearance of
one who is the subject Of con versation, has
in reality a much deeper meaning, and
conveys a moral lesson as needful in the
present day as in those by-gone times when
the devil was regarded as person. 1t
contains a warning against that morbid
curiosity about evil which in the times
alluded to took the form Of wondering what
sort of being the devil really was, and
whether he still held personal inter course
with man; if so, how he might be invoked
subjects of thrilling inte rest to morbid
minds. Few people nowad ays believe in a
personal devil; but the same mcrbid interest
in things evil that gave rise to the proverb
still exists. and the same danger attends it;
the tendency. namely, of great crimes to
reproduce themselves by arousing in
those who hear or read about them and
allow their minds to dwell on them, an i'm
pulse to initiate them. 1t is, of course, the
duty OF society to protect itself against
crime and wrong doing. For this purpose
laws are enacted, and certain designated
officials charged with the duty of bringing
offenders to justice. 1t is not, however,
necessary that the details of. crime should
be enlarged upon and set before the public
so as to become the topic of general con-
versation, attracting the attention and
rousing the curiosity of the young. The
record of murder trials, wherein criminals
have resorted to unusual means of accom-
plishing and concealing their crime, have
been known to inspire fl endish spirit of
imitation. During the prevalence of the
witch mania, numbers who were unsus-
pected by their nearest neighbors volun-
tarily accused themselves, and confessed
that the hearing of the cOnfes sions of 9th
ers had induced them to seek the same un-
which they had heard SO thrillingly
described.
This tendency in human nature makes it
the part of "true wisdom and moral pru-
dence" (using the words of another) "to
avoid knowing or learniR about evil, espe-
cialiy when neither duty nor necessity
obliges thereto" 1t is best for men to talk
as little about the devil and his works
either With themselves or with others, as
they can, lest he appear to them. The
children of Israel were forbidden
to inquire into the religious Gus
toms of the idolatrous nations which
had precededed them in the promised land
lest they should be tempted to initiate them
Yet such is the public greed for excitement
that the press. daily and weekly, profane
and religious, feels not only justified but
required to set before readers the particulars
of every scandal they can by any means get
hold Of sometimes filling their columns, as
has been the case for weeks past all over
the country, with details of indecencies un-
fit for conversation outsid the walls of
brothel. The young greedily devour these
things, and either brood over them secretly
or ask questions which bring bushes to the
brow of their elders-but do not prevent
those elders from perusing the same objec-
tionable stuff
We have alluded. to this subject before.
and expressed dcubt VIII ether the remedy
lay with the public or the press, for they
certainly react on each other. We are in
clinel to thiak, however, that it is not
with either in general sense, but
rather with thai portion of the public which
has the formation Of cha racter in the ear.
lest period of life. In word, it rests
with women to abate this evil. When they re-
alize their powers and respo nsibilities in this
respect the daily paper will Ell ther be ban
ished to offices and places of business, or
will contain no matter, telegraphie or other,
which may not be read aloud by the daugh-
tors of the family at the break fast table.
In the meanwhile, let parents not talk
If the devil" or his doings in the hearing |
If their children, lest he appear in the midst
If their household and claim dominion as
rom acknowledged subjects.