Year: 1870

From the Philadelphia Age.l


The recent attempt, in a leading
journal Of New York, TO connect one


murder, has caused quite a cOmmO-


ton, as well among the papers of


that city as among the people of the


nation. It was no common matter


thus TO arraign a son for murder,


while the bruised and mangled body


of his father was yet unburied, and


when the people were clamoring for
victim. In some cases such an ac-
cusatiOn would have been followed
by lynch law. The aroused mob
would not have waited for substan-
tial proof of the allegations. No jury


would have been called to determ inc
the weight Of evidence. A stout
cord and the nearest tree would
have settled the question in a sum-
mary manner. That such q course
was not pursued by the people OF
New York, is not owing to the re-
straining influence of the press of that
city. To be sure, the late outrage,
committed by one of their number,
has called forth rebukes from some of
thespress of New York. But that is
locking the door when the steed is
stolen. What is to be condemned, is
the cultivation of a spirit of journal
ism in a city which would produce
such monstrouS fruits. The article in
relation to the son of Mr.. Nathan was
no firstliug OF the flock. Such an at
tack could not have sprung into lie
and being in the midst of a pure and
correct system. No man would
have dared to pen and print such a
charge unless the community was in
some degree prepared to accept the ac-
ton, by former efforts in the same line.
Such preparation has been afforded the
people of New York by the course of
their Journals, for the past decade.
No relation of life is held sacred from
the reckless or ribald pens of BOhe-
mian scribblers, and the columns of
leading journals spread the pestilen-
tiai muck in all quarters. 1t soils the
counting house, the Office, the parlor
and the workshop, and lowers the
tone of public morals with a sure and
steady influence. Public men are as
saulted, all their private relations
dragged to light, and bespattered with
the slime of mean men, fired with
jealousy or maddened with envy.
Editors attack each other in the most
brutal manner, impute criminal and
impure motives to each other in ref
erence to publications, hurl such grOg-
shop epithets as "liar," ''scOuudrel,"
"periured villain" a. each other, and
round their attacks by illusions of the
most grossly scandalOus character.
Upon such meat the press of New
York has gorged its readers. They
have feasted upon highly spiced food,
until they refuse more simple diet.
They must have sensational articles.
No matter whether true or false, SEN
satiOn is the demand. If its track be
across the character of a pure woman,
the reputation of an honest, upright
man, or its iron wheel crushes the
heart of a stricken family, still the
ear must pursue its headlOng course.
1t is a part Of vicious system of jour-
nalism, and these papers in New
York, now engaged in hunting down
the Mercury, must remember that the
tree which produced this fruit is of
their own planting. Had they re-
spected the rights, feelings and
characters of others, had they
denounced the nrSt departure from
the rigid rule of respectable Journal
ism, this latest outrage would not
have occurred. But they fed the
fame, md must now expect to be
scorched by the conflagratiOn. Some
good may, however, grow out of this
Nathan's outrage. 1t will show both
journals and the people the necessity
of taking the back track in relation to
sensational movements, and at the
same time impress upon the public
the duty of holding newspapers to the
same responsibility which hedge
around private individuals. The New
York journalistic system eliminated
with the attack upon the son of Mr..
Nathan, and the people have a right
to expect a change for the better from
this time. Such a change is much
needed and will be hailed with de-
light by the moral intelligent men of
the nation.