Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-02-13

Fu,xSn SSowDEH-As thou waSt so o''iSi"s
as TO give place in thy paper to some u my
c,ude observa lions respecting the employment
Of our iaboring poor, am further encouraged
in believing thou vii, rightly appreciate my
r,o,;vss in thus submitting few remarks reii-
,;v, ~ a class of offenders, in my opinion, not
,-oner,v provided for. Crime makes an early
.,n.,r,nf, in the uncultiva:ed mind, and, as
small Offences become familiar to II, the way Is
,bus gradually opened TO offences 81 deeper
dive, and by thus passing over juvenile ohend-
.rs without a suitable corrective, in ripper years
the culprit is brought to expiate his guilt in
penilentiary, or on gihbet. j would 10 God!
j bad the power Of awakening my iellow>cin'
zens to an adequate sense of the danger so, iety
is in, from the loose unguatded manner 'h's
destitute class of the community ne educaied-
or. l should rather say, trained VI in The schools
Of vice and degradation. Look into our streets
when the military drum beats TO arms-imme-
dia,ely he avenues are crowded 10 overflow
ing with these little outcasts, three-iourlhs of
whom bear in their compilations incontro,erI-
BILE evidence tina, they have bren protruded on
society out Of the holy band Of ma'rimony.-
Here |, is that crime is suffered to take early
root, unchecked by the vigilant hand OF moral
eoyernment-here is the kind Of internal I'M
proyement we want, and which ought to he the
eons,as, attendant Of that which is commercial,
in order to make our country prosperous and
happy.
II is no, my purpose, at this time, TO exteDG
our view much beyond simple notice OF this
important subject I cannot, however, avoid
cie,y to beautiful view, drawn by the Chief
Justics Of Massac huset's, descriptive OF an IN
sti,u,ion erected for the purpose OF correcting
juvenile offenders at South Boston. ] shall
merely transcribe his concluding remarks:-
eff of hundred vagrant boys and girls,
thrown into the streets OF a CITY to beg and
steal, one half the number shall be taught to
abhor the ways Of sin, and become honest in
dustrious useful oitzeDs,-is not more good
done, than il, after long course OF profigacy
and crime, they should all come to The galiows!
Surely The public mus. be alive 10 this subject;
apA il is matter Of astonlshment that, until
taken 10 look into this great sff.ir, and adop,
some plan WHICH shall lessen, il NO, cure, tine
enormous evil OF Juvenile punishment without
reformation. But, thanks TO the wise and W.
silant administration Of our city goverumen',
system is now es, ablished, sanctioned by tie
legislature, which promises a certain and rad>
cal cure wish evsrs Uficer OF our govern
ment, every member Of our legislature, a. d
every in eligent ci,izen Of Boston, could have
been pre sent Al The scene | witnessed a, South
Boston.
Ave first saw the boys, in the whole about
90, distributed in groups in different apart>
menis, al, diligently employed in some useful
handicraf,, cheerful An6 busy in their working
clothes, and under the superintt ndence OF one
Of their numbrr, who acted as monitor. The
girls, about Is, were az work by themselves,
under q woman, teaching them to sew. Alter
walk about the grounds, we returned TO The
house ana found oil The boys with their frugal
dress suits on ready for examination by the SUI
perinten6ept. They marched into the school
room in military order like young recruits,
cerfe city clean and in plain uniform made Of
the house, Consisting Of jocky blue jacket and
white trowsers-the cost OF suit being but
one dollar. In this examination l could see
nothing different from what takes place at our
common schools. In geography, grammar, mi
nor arithmetic, they seemed to me TO answer
well. In the elements of religion and morals
they appeared to have been instructed. j came
away-from this prison shall ] call h?-no,
scnool of reformation; for such it is, and ough,
&, be fos such subjects.
Now, under the influence OF all christian
charity I say it. that If one half the funds ex-
pended on foreign missions, to people totally
ignorant of our language, written or oral-l
saw one half Of the funds so expended were APP
propriated toward, the erection OF such an in
s,i,u,ion ~ tina, Of South Boston, it would do
infinitely more good IN reforming the Pagans
Of our own cities PENN.