Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-02-06

s'sO oD'us ~ tn0 WedkneSS Oi the tf1iu are nike
increased. Thus, our best feelings are sup
ported by our reason, in }he resolution to add
here TO penitentary system Of pupishments,
ana II becomes paramount duty, to look out
Tor means to improve, that which is already
established among us. At the first view, we
discover, that one principal advantage Of the
system is almost entirely lost in our establish
ment, as it is new constituted. Obstinate
rogues are but too often, men of quick, ready
and ingenious minds and such soon become
SO artiul in evading the law, or SO skilful in
gaining over public sympathy, that they Of
ten go on for a long time, forming new
schemes, and isventing new diyices of rogue
ry !; all the while teaching to plant youth,
their pernlcious lessons of cunning depreda-
ton.
The milduess and the due superintendent
to offences of penitentiary punishments,
seems to afford very certain remedy
for this ev1L-Ofenders are promptly re-
moved from society for the FIRST offence
which can be found against them; and
the mischievous tendency of their exam
pie, with their precepts, as it seems to those
who do not pursue the crime farther than the
lmmurement Of the criminal, is com pletely
prevented. But, mixed as our convicts are at
their work, and free as they are, to converse
together IN the day, or during the tedious con-
finement of the night, instruction in the craft
OF roguery becomes more extensive than be-
fore, because all reasons for precautions have
ceased, hostility to social order has become
vindictive, and leisure for propagation of
misch;evous knowledge is greatly increased.
An experienced malefactor, and we shall al
ways have enough of that description from
other countries, takes as much pleasure in re-
I.tsvx n
the details of preparation, and the accidents
Of execution, as an old sailor does in descrih-
ing the perils of the ocean, or veteran SOL
dier in recounting the exploits he has per-
formed, or witnessed, or automatically heard
The natural vacancy in the mind of youthful
convicts, is thus soon filed, to their everlasting
ruin, by this destructive outlet from the bane-
fnl memory of their abandoned assnciates-
The first predatory inclinations felt by them,
after their return into society,", produce a
strong desire To commence the practice of the
lessons thus received, which must too often
triumph over reason, with the I'D of that des-
pair, which consciousness of the contempt Of
the world cannot fail to give rise to in the
minds of such outcasts from it. To guard
against this evil, new rule ofprison discipline
should be enforced in all Penitentiaries, by
which silence unbroken, like that of a batta-
ioniunder arms, by any thing but orders, s. the
sound OF movements, may be insured, under
the appropriate penalty of the gag during all
the succeeding day: and what is much more
important still than that, new arrangement
in the interior architecture of all such build
ings should be required, by which eomfor-
table recess, with thick walls, and strong
door, with a safe lock, may be provided for
every male convict, wherein he must be- in
fexibly compelled to pass every night, when
not in the hospital.
Profit from the labnur Of criminals should
never be lost sight of for, society must be en-
titled, many view of the justice of the case,
To remuneration from that source Besides,
the idea of punishment without pain, plainly
arises out of fanciful humanity. Neverthe-
less, the custom of decreeing pain by law in
any other way than by toll and privation, as
plainly spring from an unamiable harshness of
our nature, or from our unrefined and unphi-
Iosophical habits of thought and feeling.
Where hard labour on cheap diet is steadily
Improbable, there must exist iamentabie
degree of error in plan, or acknowledgment in
execution, which may always be corrected.
A complete classification of criminals can
not be abruptly introduced without loss. as all
those who have been already taught the same
handicraft art, whatever may be their ages,
must be set to work in the same apartment.
But the Importance, where reform is hoped
for, OF preventing young criminals from re-
ceiving any farther criminal instruction, is so
very great, that nothing should be left undone
from which the more complete attainment of
that end may be expected. Therefore diyi-
sion by ages should be adopted, as sUon as is
practicable, without dminution of the returns
from labor, and % years being the mean
term of active life, when it is protracted TO
old age, at all, is perhaps the best period for
separation. All below that age, may be still
considered in youth, and all between il and
Sc, in manhood from which class the small
number actually in old age, scarcely need TO
be separated. Again to guard against the
communicating influence of desperate and vim
dictive feelings, which may justly be expected,
it seems not less important to keep the con-
victs, whose term of confinement was originally
shorter, or is about TO expire, apart from those
who are looking forward to an early day of
restitution to all their rights. Four trades and
four workshops, would thus appear to be the
most expedicnt aumber, for permanency in
such institutions. Provision should, however,
be made for the performance Of a more severe
labor than that required by any of the COM
mon useful arts, by way of punishment for
dIsobedience, negligence, or laziness and as a
substitute for the whip, step wheel, or some
more heavy machinery, TO raise water for the
repletion of capacious cisterns intended to
supply fire engine of great power, always
kept in order, within the area ofthe building,
presents itself at once, as best calculated to
answer those two distinct and important pur-
poses in our case. Had such provision for
those purposes been formerly made, the com
moDwealth would not have incurred the hea-
Wy loss it has sustained by the late cohagra-
ton !; md the superintendent would have been
saved the modification he has ever since suf-
fered, notwithstanding the complete exculpa-
ton afforded him by the evidence taken at the