Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-06-15

/ " uOn these circumstances To show what little
"fear common thieves entertain oil capital
punishment, and so far from being arrested
IN their wicked courses, by the distant pro-
liability of its infection, they are not even
intimidatcd at its certainty, and to take a.
! way life appears TO me to be wholly ineiIi-
sc cacious. But there are p,,nshnents, which
! 4" am convinced thief would dread and
which If steadily pursued might have the
most salutary effect, namely, a course of
discipline totally reversing his former hab-
IT'S. ldleness, IS one of the prominent cha
"racterstics of a protested thief put him to
labour debauchery is another quality, alb
"stinence is its opposite, apply il. Dissipat-
"ed company is a thing they indulge in :;
"they ought therefore to experience solitude:
they are accustomed to uncontrolled liberty
"of action, would consequently impose
restraint and decorum /; l say this because
have very often heard thieves express
their great dislike and dread of beng sent
to the house of correction, or to the hulks,
where they would be obliged to labour, and
be kept under restraint but never heard
one say he was afraid of being hanged
From my observations am quite certain
that thief cannot bear the idea of being
kept under subordinaton."
Wonderful indeed is the difference OF o.
pinion between two men living i'm countries
directly opposite in their governments, in
situations and characters this strikes me
with astonishment that man like Hammer
accustomed to all the severity of a bloody
! code should so deviate from the chairman of
| the committee of the Senate of the United
States shews him deserving a residence i'm a
country more congenial with his lust and
benevolent mind. How much more is he
| htJudge Of the efficacy of the hanging sys-
| TEN, when his experience has seen the de-
! morallzing effects clearly demonstrated, than
men acting upon abstract principles, seeing
things through narrowed and condensed
ideas ofright and wrong. Surely the COM
mittee are not serious when they object TO
the Penltentiary system upon the grounds
they have stated in their report They could
| not have considered maturely the subject
| or we think something more consistent with
the republican institutions of their country
would have emanated from the pen of a gen
tleman distinguished for his enlightened prin-
cipes.
To convicts disregarding the awfulness of
death and the gallows, it is no punishment
| to be hanged by its frequency, the terror
Is lost on others, whose vicious habits are in
tended to be checked. 1t therefore becomes
| cruel and inhuman, because no single in
stance OF good is produced but when we
consider the many characters of guilt, and
| how very different they are, the claim on
humanity and justice is Irresistible, to the
phllanthropic mind pleading in mercy on be-
half oil the unfortunate beings doomed to an
untinlely death.
The best report upon introducing the pc
| nltentiary system i'll any of the states is from
the chairman oil the committee appointed by
the legislature of Louisiana and should the
plan he adopted as reported, with code of
laws suitable TO the punishment of crimes,
and for Its organization, with a,selection of
suitable officers, it will be the most efficient
institution of the kind in the United States.
find in Pennsylvania the subject has re-
vived, with hopes of lettering the system
there; but there is one thing do not SO well
understand (if it be 'true,) that of working
each convict alone this will not answer, try
1t who may the kind of work that can be
done by an individual, and he to learn before
he can do the work, will produce such a
mass of inferior manufactured articles, that
they will not pay half the cost of the raw
material; direct attack is then made upon
the enormous expense, and in the end one
the system itselfis to be the result; this upon
mode of working is no doubt to guard
against contamination, which may be equal
ly guarded against by having large and well
regulated workshops. 1t immaterial wheth-
er there are two OF fifty in shop, if they are
properly attended to it is impossible for
them to corrupt each other, or lay plans of
escape, or rebellion while at work When
they are not at work, each convict should be
entirely alone, out of the reach of hearing or
seeing any thing except suitable books of in
structiOn.
There has likewise been too much depend
ence IN the benevolence of the community by
creating officers to manage these institu-
tons, and they not clothed with the necessa-
ry power of enforcing strict observance of
the rules and regulations | mean the Board
ofInspectors (which believe they have all
had) who attend from motives of humanity
to the duties required of them, and by their
regulations duty devolves upon one or two
OF their members to attend frequently and
inspect the affairs of the prison. This small
body, not responsible for the police or man.
agelnent OF the interior, has direct negative
on theeacts and doiDgs of the police officers
who are, or ought to be responsible if any
is necessary which will not be doubted
is indispensable to good order As the zeal of
this inspcctorial board abates by the disap-
pointment IN not progressing as desired, they
become discouraged and relaxed in their at
tentlon to the subject; the management of
things derolves on those selected to carry
into execution the orders of the inspectors
who are not always in place to direct the
management and keep things in their proper
course thus the cause of complaint against
the police and government of these institu-
| tions.
tits obvious that the failure of the pen-
| Tertiary system of punishment is-frst, from
the causes above stated, and secondly, that of
not selecting judicious officers, and they vest
ed with power to suppress the first spark of
INSTRUMENTATION, and maintain strict observ-
ance of the rules and regulations thirdly,
| the underlined ambiguity of the penal laws