New-York daily tribune., 1844-12-07


seventy thousand human beings died nthe sea-,
fold. and the punishment OF dea'h was lntiicted
in cases wh;c, ere rew visited with but limited
imprisonment Tnen there was no appel made
10 the moral sense of the convicted-none to hu-
manitv. and the severity Of tho keepers office
was G ar ed out even 10 the lsttec. Plsoas were
indeed then places of torment. II WIS 20 the
veIv Uy,rs: passion Of the hu.n.n b'els. tina; the
| sp1eal nas made-,o Fear. The lash wcs the
mans bv whic. England in h.r prisons soughtto
te,er her guilt from further crfnc. Bl. within
40 er 80 wears a light had dawned upon this
countrg-a reformation had been effected, which
though Eut vet thorough and effective, had
been 50 successful as 10 give hope of final tr!-
umph.
There are two systems in operation in this
coun ~. That of Pelnsylvan a. which S IN ep-
eratioa in 3, and that of New Yo:k which is IN
one alton IN IS states. The Pa. system IS usu-
ally denomina;ed the S3iitary, and the y Y. the
sile 4 system The silent, humane system was
the mos. generally adopted. There were ohjsc
tons 10 both systems Tha. Of Pennsylvania is
said 10 uroduce serious arrangement Of the mind,
by continued solitary confinement. To the
silent system It is objected that it requires tde
Sc OF 100 much cruelty 10 enforce 1t. In
enforce the silent system, he said 1t vas within
bis own knowledge inst 6000lashes wiiha. cat with
six tails had been inflicted in one month II the
Sing Sing Prison, ana when he inquired as to
the cause of such cruel infections, the reply was
.'It is necessary" He had, in consequence
serious intentions OF abandoning the elce on MS
| first apnonIment, but the conviction that such a
necessity did not exist led him 10 continue 10 Ill H.
and he rejciced that the eris OF the officers OF the
| Prison had not disappointed this belief Ihis po'-
ton Of the. Gentlernan's remarks was listened to
with evident satisfactory
Between the sysiens u glorious rivalry existed.
II was rivalry not To torment the convict, but by
benevolent means by kindness, by senlc deailng,
TO restore in him The pride of manhood, 'he seeds OF
honesty ond virtue. Societies have been III eAlst-
eu,e in Boston, and in Philadelphia for the purpose
OF aiding the working Of The systems, aud both were
welded to their own, and such was Their interest
IN the subject that the Society OF bad
sent on its representatives, who were now IN the
room. Out oil these Societies lac 'lr. believed
that naicrials f.r u New York Soclefy could lie
found, by culling the best portions from eaca ana
| rej-c'irg what was considered unayaiiao!e. ne
hoped the gentlemen oc both those Socities would
take the members Of this by Tie hand and hsip them
forward
Passing 10 his comparison between the progress
OF crime IN Great Britain and ibis country, he re-
marked that England he'd moved much slower tnan
America i'll reforming her PRISON dscphee, and II
ought To be source vi uch national pride that The
baeuce was in favor OF The ii :manc System IN
hmcrca. He MAIDS ihS comparison III no in'Idi0us
sense but for the purpose Of proving the correctness
of his position in faror Of the Humane System
The classes Of offences compared were such as are
IN this counlry visited with State Prison confinement.
He regretted several times that the means oi pro-
curing Statistical information relative 10 crime were
much less accurate III this country than III England
We have not Time 10 go into the statistics pre-.
scntetl by Mr. Edmunds, and on which he founded
his position They would require Two much space,
which we cannot afford TO the exclusion al other
equally interesting subjects. He compared New
York State with England IN the latter IN. arrests
inr crime in 1886 we're 99, l27. In 81, llU,099. IN
1912, I39,35S. Being about | in every hundred o!
her population. The increase in years was 4O,-
OO0 or nearly one-half. The convictions. great nnd
snlil, excluding the game laws, amounted TO 81
299, or | in every 60 of population Convictions
for State Prison crimes in 1872 were 3t,3O9, or IN
every l50 ol her population.
InNew-York State The convictions for '' FERROUS
crimes" in 1890, were 1859, or il every 1911 OF
he. population. la l9iG-l3i3, or in every 1903,
and ci this number $50 wrre Foreigners. Thus
with all the advantages England possesses in her
improved Police &c. the balance Is greatly IN lavof
| OF New York.
He ascrihrd The cause OF this vast difference to
three prominent things, he first WIS lhe general
character for temperance OF cur pubiic-Ihe second,
the extension OF education and enlightened govern
ment To snew the truth OF thi-, he gave rs posi-
lion that in England, oi the 1o9,386 confined in 1912
SO, 500, or one-tourth OF The whole could not read.
While in New York, OF the 96l convics, lis OF
about one-eighih cannot read.
Mr.. Eimonds related some facts in Illustration Of
the cruelty Of the silent system, which are too
lengthy 10 enter upon. They were, however, con-
ciueive i'll proving tbat whipping but hardened the
criminal who had been known 10 commit suicide TO
| avoid the degrading punishment. In blaine and in
Connecticut " here this system was i'll operation,
Ii tie or no necessity for whipping 10 enforce
obedience had been deemed necessary. Mr.. E.
urged that it should moi be left to the mere will OF
the officers Of Prison to infcf the punishment OF
the LASH but that the public should demand Legis-
latye enactments 10 prevent IT,
He paid compliment TO the good state Of dis
cipiine which now existed In the female depart
ment OF tbs Sing Sing Prison, where year ago
riot and ribaldiy and blasphemy were heard. BY
the introduction by the present Malron o the hu-
name sy systenl-thc appeal 10 the moral sense and
not 10 ftar-the crimes in this department which
used 10 average AZ in month, now only average .
The sy stem adopted is that of classification and IN
struciion Not classification by grade CT crime, but
in general sense, by separating the degrad, and
depraved FROM these who manifest good and virtu-
Gus disposition-a wish to reform and be obedient.
This system is only yet in partial operation, but
il has succeeded so far 10 the full satisfaction OF the
oillceTs.
Mr. e. concluded his very long but interesting ad-
dress by reading the following extract, which was,
he said from The pen Of one whom he regretted it
did not otener exert in the cause OF the unhappy
convict.
such views ae yet in advance of the nge-ifwe cannot
brook the idea OF dvorcng things apparently naturally
linked together crime and rebuye pun directly inflicted,
we have right To complain oi the inllure. -
But the hour the when the great truth will be
practically acknowledge that the Aaho of Nature has
relation 10 the supremacy OF The
raj part of the unma-oi the Inv the mind over
the lw the members-and when all human Institutions will
take character accordance with that tr-a truth old IN
Scripture but human paclce-tbe most important IN
It's hight und depth, and length and breadhe most aper
vadng application human concerns, here and hereai
ter that has dawned phoSophy-wich the most nd
vanced student Of the relations o social viii find the load
OF his steer he whheocver he will through the
mora unyefe and alike his torch search he wherever he will
telescope for the aud the microscope for the mnutete
blood with winch the swe aud the EXTREMIST capillary
Len,s-hc Kingdom of Heaven within us-tie Of
Chrstianity-tiooti ~1l to man.
He was upplaudrd warmly as he took his seat.
Rev. w. H. CLAIMING, in moving the adoption
of the resolution offered By Mr.. EJmonds, made
u brilliant and iouchingly eloquent appeal to the
meeting, and the world at large, TO gnze the
claims Of The sunkep, butnot lost, brother and sister
who had cnce erred and being punished, mad not
the means OF returning honest life again, through
tie unrelins apathy and scorn Of their fellow