American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-13
From Noah's Weekly Messenger.1
MORE HONEST THAN WISE.
BY THADDEus W. MEIGHAN.

| we once learned lesson while sailing up
the Hudson river on board steamboat bound
for Albany. We were silently contemplating
the majestic scenery that forms the banks of the
river, and INDUCING in various comparative
speculatons, such as whether tho Rhine, the
Seine, or the Zuyder Zee presented more at
fractions to the eye of the lover of nature than
the Hudson when juvenile companion d.
verted the current of thought into another
channel and begged our company to the after
cabin, IN which he stated was number ofcon-
vlcts on their way to the State Prison at Sing
Sing. was actuated by no mean motive in
complying with tho request of the little fellow
at my side. | certainly did not wish to feast
my eyes upon the degradation of the unfortu-
mates, nor did the contemplation of human suf-
terng convey to me any feeling of pleasure
went without any settled idea of what was
going for. The pleading look of the little boy
with mo was perhaps the handspring of ac-
ton.
In the cabin, upon large settee sat eight
wretched beings, linked together, as well by
crime, as by the iron bracelets that bound their
wrists aud made them fast to long chain
which was secure against breakage or the at
tempts OF the convcts or their friends. Around
these eight unfortunates were clustered males
and females OF all ages. Beautiful young girls
|
their cheeks, and the radiance of truth and SIM
Pliclty beaming in their eyes stood there con-
temPlatlng the perverson of tile attributes they
possessed, and wondering to what depth ofhor-
ror, misery, and woe could reach. Aged, hard
featured men, with no charity in their hearts,
and sympathy banished from their natures,
were sneering aloud and talking oithe vengeance
OF the offended laws, forgetting that the object |
OF prisons should be reformation instead Owen
geance, and also wanting to be reminded that
they were violating the finest and most beaut-
tul principle upon which God himself reared |
the guiding creed of the world.
Women--the mothers of young girls-made
up part OF the congregation, and INDUCED in
curious remarks as to how the prisoners felt
and whether they had parents living, wives.
or children. And then these matrons would
gaze as though they bcheld the nermost
ii oughts.' of those degraded convicts.
Among the classes we have enumerated were
several very rough bad looking men, who were
probably candidates for the hard lot of the poor
creatures they were torturing
we have often thought that batting crimi-
nails with curious looks, converting prisons to
the purposes OF menageries, aud levelng pri-
soners TO the grade of rare animals in cages,
should be abolished by those whose power can
remedy the great evil. The moment the doors
of a prison are closed upon the wretch doomed
to stay within for certain term, that moment
all eyes belonging to the great world without
should lose sight of him. Many feon is pre-
vented from returning to the pursuit Of honest
employments by hundreds who have seen him
in the garb of convict. The fear of exposure
detcrs him from essaying an useful walk in life
upon the restoration Of his liberty. But we
are DEPRESSING
Two of the unfortunates in the cabin were
negroes, and one other was woman. Between
negro and the woman was an old man whose
commanding, Roman profile, and sngularly ,
athletic form was calculated to attract atten-
ton. The expression of the face was peculiar
1t carried an indefnable something which SEEM
ed to insist upon having respect and sympathy
1t was not the face Of a low villain. nor that of
bad man. 1t betrayed frmness-great firm
ness The unvarying glance of the grey eye, ..
the sharp-cut lines OF face, the stern, bold fore
head, and the thin, compressed lips, betokened
we thought, 4 cruel disposition. The dress
worn by this old man was such as would be :
worn by tradesman in easy circumstances I
Convinced that he was convicted Of no common
crime, and sympathising with the old man, we
sought PERMISSION of the officers in charge Of
the gang to speak with HIM. This was grant
cd :
We approached the old man with some DIFF
iidence, and addressed him simply with "good
day, sir"
The reply was courteous and gcntlemanly; !
but briet and not inviting further converse. We {
persevercd, however, and engaged him in con- I
versation His style was unaffected and exhi-
bited a we'll cultivated mind. He conversed t
upon the current topics of the day; showed :
himself perfectly familiar with politics, deliver
cd many jndicous opinions of the likely results
of measures then before Congress, and aitogeth- 3.
er seemed so much like merchant chatting in
his counting house, that we entirely lost sight
of his position, although to communicate with
him we were obliged to stand in most unplca- :
saat cheek-by-jo~l proximity to the negro /
The landing OF the passengers at one of the in
termediate stopping places diverted our atten- {
ton, and made us fully aware ofthe poor mans ?
destiny. Without reflection and with an alb {
IuptneSs that startled ourselves, we asked 6
"What has brought you in contact with
these creatures, and entitled you to a place !
among the motley group of State prisoners at
Sing Sing?" J.
Not a muscle Of the mans face moved. In II
the same tone of voice in which he had spoken
of the sub-treasury bill, he quietly said
"Draw near with your little companion, and
let him hear. My little story will do him some !
good, and ifyou are wise you will also profit by
it. ! am here in consequence of having adj a
hered, throughout life, to the very spirit and q
letter Of an old sentence in general use. My {
prospects were not very brilliant in early life. 4
At twelve years of age was obliged to 60 into
wholesale warehouse as errand boy and por-
ter. The wares dealt in were crockery and
glass, and much care was required to prevent \
breakages and accidents l had friend Gas | :
thoughD in an old clerk whose heart seemed c
bubble. Nothing could move him. He lived
only for money, and what he called quiet. He
rarely spoke; when he did it was to deliver
some dry, harsh, business maxim, or admins
nnle whitening hrinf rob,.xa ..a. ,rar,. Z