The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-04-09

MR. EDITOR; As iutimsied in my fret
number. | proceed 10 show, in this. the
sdap.slion cl Peaitenliary TO the &C.
'complsshmsnt Of The second object of
punishmeht--lhe reformation Of the Of
lender. Here PRINT me TO remark that
an one OF the number who believe ths,
= large msjprtty Of those who violate the
laws Of snciety, and consequently receive
lhelf peual,its, may, by The exercise Of
udlcious Influences, be redeemed from
their unhsppy condition. However lou
aud degraded man may be; however deep
he may be sunk in vice and immoralily,
. spark Of that nobility with which sll
hsve been endowed will remain, and may
be kndled into 4 .me which will destroy
The lies that bind him TO bis corrupt ways.
snd enable him TO arise from his despised
position But msny Of those who commit
offences have no, b. come, by any means.
selllet in vice; they vlolsle the laws from
revenge, resentment. idleness, or some
other accidental circumstance. while their
thoughts and inienuons are not totally cor
rupt: these evidently may be operated up
on with success. Blu, all experience
shows that "prisous which have been
conduc ed on the principle Of retsliatIon
have every where multiplied feions, While
those which have been conducted on tie
principle Of rendering prison school
OF moraf reformation have thus far sue
ccedtd beyond even the anticipations Of
their friends" II You desire to reform
man, you NUT operate upon his mind,
upon the nobltr parts oil his nature. John
How ard devoted J ears olun1ring industry
and lsborious research TO punishment
especially to prisons as the instruments
OF punishment--snd he came to the con-
ciu.ion that al 10 10 vain TO punish the
wicked, unless you seek 10 reclaim them. "
Is = Penueptary calculated TO reform
the vicious! In the first place, it weans
them from their wicked associations. |
need not remark upon the Influence which
The companions of man exert upon him.
lie often continues in course ofconduct.
which be would desert, we're it not for
them; he fears their dIsspprovsl, their
SCOTS and jsers, hence he often gees on.
though bis judgmen. may convince him he
Is wrong. In Peni entiary no association
or communication 10 permitted between
the inmates. exeep, perhaps lew words
alb IA, the employment, before them. They
have ueither line nor opportunity TO talk
of their past lives. to tell of their various
crimes and exploits, and consequently
strengthen each other in vice; The old and
desperate criminal canno. impsn his
spirit and render yet more vicious The
young and comparatively innocent oHen-
der. Prisons IN common with no labor
have been found to be rather ho,beds Than
preventives Of crime; and against them
has Eugene Sue directed his battery with
great xii and ability. In his d" Mysteries
of Paris" he has portrayed with pencil
Of light and w,th the spitil OF philsn-
thropist the effects Of such system, and
for one | return bin my thanks for the
enlarged and liberal ,iews he has pro-
mulped. We shall gain much II We cue.
coed in weanine tie offender from wicked
associations, which we will nnqoesi'ona-
bly, do If we exclude him from his com.
panions without The walls of the Penten'
tintiary and prevent him from forming
Others within---,me and his new situation
will soou destroy all attachment. for them;
md he will also become essranged from the
lie he has led. We know that even the
wicked become sttsched to ,heir modes d
life, and that this attachment increases N
/ strength the more they ndulge. them. Blu