The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-10-02
TIE Peniientiary Question
FEsl &c G;rsEssssaaA PEzi..
rCsmranaa

Tie Falufary efTeri # eogfnsmeat IN
the Penf,cnliaIy In re.prH,lEg oi-cu1sss, Is
fcelinely and e.eqEeRily rorirsssd hy 81 s.
sane committee when lhsy say. ca.
has planned in the bosom Il Ilssn ihuse pas
sioBs AMI elaolious thai e0ns'Eain him 10
as,,nallzsr his r0laclis5nn 10 that III his spe-
r.rs, and IN rgl.iya'e these Er.aGinns, iia~.
rn'3are Da,ipToci'y Il leeling. Ahs'sar:-
Is speaking. las nature Is sorial; hat 81 iasn
bora aud rlerIs..cd in tie l-as0m 81 riril'-
zaiion, ani Wten lis Gsgnliies are ramrl
lollh. ard hss i'ai5ng PsaPensil.cs eFs'.iiesi.
by canstanl lnr"sra8sap, aud Whcn the
treasures ii sns ir'y laer"gue essrniiel -
bis comforts AMI has ha.rlncr.. tie hca.
west rnrsc that csu ls!l ug"u Ian. i eou..
,'iesr and uncra>tug su.lasfe.
" lis lor,iiI'lc ialay eE,!use and ,unmfh
over ihe 'uit',i,n ri oarpore:l suffering.
hls as.l Al ~a>1mn u,av s,t as ,!tiiancg the
srorn al tlsr rls,'Eri world 49, he uns'sr.
gues the isn"m'ny ii gal.,s.' d'~.7rrc. his
desperation may ,aaiAs ,im col OK colGiy
aud itadcssly "a capt;l punishment; bt'l
that condition that culs hl'n of iusn the
world aud 40 H. rulea.."r.,s aud at.gar.
iiun.: tlai Judgment nflaW that proves ,he
grave ol every sorial llcssii'g uni al'uro.
mrnt, and leaves 'hr mind 10 ptgy upon ~
sell, and mixes bitterness and FeproachWl:h
every rcmhrncr; that doom w!.ich places
before the exc omc long. dask. and unchaus-
ing scene of scrlusiOn lhaiean never he bro
ken by the human Voicp. lighted mp by n
smile Of Joy, nor Moderated By lear of
sympathy. Is more appalling. in The train Of
rctlcrlIu',, ihanall iheierroFs Ofdissnluiion.
llcxilc from our native country, although
il may place Us in the midst OF the most
refined aud polished snr;rty in foreign
countries, aud carry yi%h il, M il frequent
does, the consolation derived from noble
Struggles and elevated devotion to a pure
rausr, frequently breaks the proudest spi-
rit and shakes the lirmest resolutions, and
is viewed rs an act If on,lawTy irom lha
emloymcnts Of oar existence; what must
that exile from a,l hnman kinG-ihatis TIE
result Of vice, prnaigacy aud crime; that
carries with il the fortunes Of self condem-
nation and the apprehension Of the world;
that cannot be sooIhed hy The enthusiasm
Of principle, nor milioalcd Ivy the distant
applause tf prosierily! The evening SIM
sets bur 10 rise on the same dask scenes Of
mental suffering; the mind is driven To re.
~ upoa Us own resources. Tie pleasures e
inventive genius are Withdrawn, and the
poignanry ofdecp aud settled repentance
is uninterrupted. This is not theory that
no practice has sanctioned. II is founded
on The deepest principles Of our nature, all
round the globe, where civilization has cast
the lines and boundaries of her empires"
I Now let ms examine the third part OF
the proposition we set out with as 10 the
cost of erecting il. The report Of Mr.. FL.
liott, chairman Of the Penitcntiary com
mittee of our last Legislature, think may
be relied on, as furnishing a correct data
r as to the cost. II is there estimated mot
as guess work. but BY reference to the
costs of similar establishments in other
States, that The whole cost will not exceed
100000 for a renitentiary with two
hundred cells. In the same, report il is
eoncInsiveIy shown That a tax of cents
on every 500 valuation Of real estate, and
proPoriionablc tax on each poll Cor -four
years, viii raise the above amount in clean
cash.
What man with one spark Of patriotism
in his bosom, with i single aspiration for
the welfare of our country, for tic safety
Of our property, for the security aud hap
piness OF poslerity as well as ourselves,
would fora moment withhold the piuancel
But win there have to be$l00,0G0, raise
Cd in cash! No: This is the amount Of
; cash estimated 10 pay fortto whole oftie
work il we should have it done. But is
il not apparent 10 every one, that after part
of the cells are finished, convict labor
could be applied towards completing tie
work. In the State of Ohio the lmatc
asylum, was almost exclusively erected by
convict labor of her Penitnntiary. Sup
pose one hundred cells finished and filed
with sturdy convicis: cannot their labor be
applied towards completing the work?
Thus we see by proper application and
: economy of convicl's labor, it will not cost
. much over half The above estimate.
Now let us see tho amount our State
would yearly save by adopting the peni-
Tertiary system. There is in our State
annually expended about $4,000 in pro-
scouting and maintaining in the common
iails inso.Yent criminals CHI, rIed with pc. :
tertiary Offences. tSeo EFiotl's Rep.)
Let US now suppose there are 600 con-
picts inthe common jails ofour Safe, lard
If there are not that many there should be,
Judging from the crimes commltted:l these
; 200 conyicts, il confined at hard labor in
Pcnitentiary, would earn at least nett
: sum of $50 per head, which makes the
!. sum of $4,000. This added to the sum
{ of SI5. 900 annually expendedin prosecut-
!, ing and maintaining insolyent criminals in
n our iails as heretofore, amounts to the
handsome sum of s25.0o0, which we
would save each year ny adopting the Pc
T nientlary system. Thus the criminals
d would be made to support themselves by
their labor, instead of being supported as