The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-03-03

the vast machine and not Its tools. IL ever that
day shall arrive, the first maxim that shall es-
tabsh will be, it is cheaper TO educate the infant
| mind, than to support the aged criminal. Gap
| plause long repeatedly Give your pence to com
mon schools and save your pounds on prison. No,
prison doors-"iro Let % Man was not mad e
| TO be sent to prison, but 20 be educated ;
and as John Wilkes said, I" the very wsrst
11s yor can pat imam to is 10 nans him
gentlemen! II comes like the ply scians pres erip
ton at the funeral, too late (Renewed laughter }
Treads. mills to prevent crime! Why, the tread
mill only fatignes the muscles; crime springs from
weak moral faculties and over active propensities.
Would yen use an argument to turn over rosk, or
a crow bar TO convince man! General laughter
But il is our duty 10 educate democracy-to warm
its faithto elevate its hopc-to purity its morals
and TO direct its energies. This is our high and
sacred Office. Yet how slightly have we consider
ed This subject, when, every where 1t is held 10 be
the first and legitimate duty efthe State to provide
judges and hangmen for the people. It's duty to
provide the prison. the fetter, and the galows. II
is the duty Of the State TO destroy human beings,
living minds that bear the impress Of the divine
workmanship, however furnished and worse than
this, il is held duty for the State to immune hu
man beings IN dungeons to deprive then Of the OBJ
jects Of the external word and of Gods creation
TO create for them living death, to turn the mind
into abk, and throw the warm gushings OF hui
man feelings, and sympathies, and affections, back
into fearful chaos 1t is the duty of the State to
punish er.me to send forth fearful retribation to
those who break the law. But hitherto the half
civilization of Congress, and the semi barbarism Of
the State Legislatures (laug hter)- and the divine
right of demagogues have not thought it duty to
provide for the people, pretended to be govern
ed, the means Of religious and intellectual ad-
vancrment, TO enable them to know and UNDER
stand their duties as regards this life and the life
to come. Compelled to obey laws which they
scarcely ever heard of, the necessity for which
they cannot see, and yet not allowed to plead ig-
M In
breaker is held up To The laws vindctiveness and
the bitter retribution Of bis fellows. The law is
severe TO punish crimes; it can kill the poor offend.
ing wretch, and send him before his Maker when it
pleases. Powerful but impotent law, il judges of
the act it thinks that it knows the motive that led
lit; but here it stops and here il fails. 1t pun
ish and in the very zeal of this sacred power, al
most too awful to be placed in human hands, it
Furnishes daily; but how inefficient its pun.
ishmen's. When did they ever cange the hard.
e.ed o6endera They coerce the body TO con-
blunder Of human society in all ages and ia sll
times. Should not the law be equally powerful to
prevent as to punish crime? how murderously un-
just to punish where we might prevent! Isl the
heaven? is it not written on the heart of man?
And should not human efforts be means Of grace?
Statesmen, legislators, how long will you dare to
insult both heaven and man? how long will We trust
tn penal statutes, public executions, dungt ons,
chains, and treadmls, instead Of that high intel.
leetual and moral influence bv which alone you
ought TO rule?-( Applause.) Why, every chain
you Jorge, every prison you build, every torment
confinement, which blast the mind TO idiotcy, you
might have saved, 10 and shall be disgrace to you,
your country, and your times-(cheering and cries
ouIeave untouched those mighty means withwhich
the strong arm OF power invests you, OF giving to
the whole mass Of the people, down to the lowest
citizen king that lives npon this free SOIL perfect
acquaintance with his duty to God and man, and
fitting opportunities fer the full and free deveope-
ment Of that immortal mind which but buds here.
but shall blossom in eternal freedom hereafter.
the legislature and the educator to correct the
circumstance, as well rs to punish the criminal.
But We are more willing to execute the law, than
to prevent its infraclion. Yetwe shonId remember
schools; to save pence, we spend pounds, shlings,
and pence-we reduce the school masters salary
few dollars and spend thousands on sheriffs and
penitentiaries But this is not only expensive and
ruinous, it is cruelty, for We by neglecting the
child, produce vice. and then punish it, erect gal
lows, and then supply them with victims. The
more we reflect upon the connection between crime
and blind needless ignorance, the more we shall
be convinced that tn ire is true eradicater Of
crime, but a well principled educ ition. Penal
codes, active police, poor houses on the most Ii
beral scale, all but stitutes and palliatives
The eye fthe law is all Seeing; the most ac-
tive legislation cannot be at all times and in all
places, with the people, To check crime, we must
check the disposition to crime; to prevent overt
acts, we must create an 0mnipresent control over
the heart-set up the man in watch over himself
and make conscience the universal preventive. Gap
plause But now it is eur purses and prisons fret,
and our minds and morals afterwards If the latter
shall follow we pleased with the news; but un.
der all circumstances, and at all hazards our purses
and our prisons Give the children Of the poor
that education which will enable them to see, ho-
nestly, their own condition and resources; which
will cultivate in them an onward looking hope
which will give them thei leisure hours, rational
amusemeut-this, and this only, will work out that
moral revolution, the legislators noblest ambition
mouth we are to drop few cents daily" No, he
is divine being, made for education and useful
ness; instead Of building poor houses and prisons,
let US by education open the doors Of these millions
of prison houses Of ignorance.