The Chapel Hill weekly., 1963-12-22

ule ctate was cceaLeQ, Dl0Spne1ly
tended to evaporate and the fear
of Seditious utterances arose as
a peril to the power Of the Crown.
In more recent days, rs the world
became somewhat literate and
people could communicate with
each other sufficiently to elect
their own rulers, democracy was
born and the crime Of sedition
was temporarily reduced. But
since man seemingly must al
ways be afraid of something, a
new terror, known as 0bscenity,
was created with peculiar speed
and wide impact. In those con-
tinents where millions have as>
yet not risen to the point III en-
jOying q written Language and
where the literate are few in
number, The concept Of Obscenity
has not even been created" !"
Obscenity is. then. one Of the
concOmitants Of literacy il not
Of intelligence.
In England, with which Mr..
Craig's volume Is to a large ex-
tent concerned, the concept Of
obscenity has been around in
force since the early Nineteenth
century and the rise Of Method
ism. Earlier objections to OBJ
scenity were registered, but
never had any impact until read
erShip began TO broaden beyond
the English upper classes.
The trend was expanded and
accelerated in the Victorian era
in England, and weIl-fixed in
America, Although America began
coming Of age with Judge Wool
sey's exonaation of Ulysses"
in 1888, England remains squeam-
ish. In 1859 it codified its dis
taste in an Obscene Publications
Act which sweeps pornography
and broadly written classics un-
der the same rug.
Mr. Craig by implication con-
cedes the existence of pornogra-
ply, but questions its Importance
as an agent Of social decay. To
him the censor remains predict
ably the more sinister, simply be-
cause obscenity laws and censor
ship are uneringly applied to
serious books.
s0nce the necessity of obsceni-
ty laws is conceded it is very diff
cult to protect serious literature
from their operation, "
And this to Mr.. Craig is a mat
ter of importance to the survival
Of man and the progress Of civili-
zatf0n.
IF man does not destroy civ
ilization by suicidal war, his most
pressing problems will be relat-
ed to population and breeding.
Hitherto, these subjects have
been left to the mercy of his
torical and geographical accident
and the hazards Of war. In fu-
ture they will be within human
control and the possibilities are
almost limitless. Furthermore,
it is becoming increasingly i'm
possible to control sexual con
duct by coercion and ignorance
even to the extent that this has
been done in the past. Men and
women will be more and more
free In their sexual conduct, and
a rational, informed and respon-
sible attitude to sex on the part
of individuals will be Of para
mount Importance. The choice
between celibacy and inonogarr-
GUS marriage, which has been
the theory although not the prac-
tice of our civilization will, there
is little doubt, have to be aban-
doned in favor Of the recognition
of a variety of sexual patterns
suitable to different types Of per-
sons. According TO the liberal
tradition, these stupendous prob
lens can be solved only In the
light Of free and educated dis
cussion and experiment The
abuse Of the obscenity laws to
limit this necessary inquiry Is a
most serious matter, and the
question Of preventing the abuse
an important one, not only for
me 0ld CIVILIZATIONS but fer the
new emerging communities Of
Africa and Asia" /"
For statements like that, Mr..
Craige may well find himself
the object Of attempts to censor,
His book poses q greater threat
to banners than Fanny Hill.
There Is. 6f course. such a
thing as pornography, but its def
milton Is still as nebuICus at the
end Of Mr.. Craig's book as at
the beginning. Whether It should
be brought under control or abol-
ished. he does not know. But the
price Of attempting to do so is
unmistakably to the detriment
Of truth and freedom.
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