The North-Carolina standard., 1846-03-11
For the North Carolina Standard.
The Penitentiary System. (NO. II

The Penitentiary System. (NO.I)
Mr.. EDITOR: design to discuss through the
columns Of the Standard the important question,
" whether Penitentiary should be established in
this State "!s Believing such an Institution TO be
demanded alike by the spirit of the age, The die
tates OF humanity, and the teachings cf enlight-
ened reason, | shall urge its advantages with all
the energy and ability Of which am master. In
considering this subject the first inquiry which pre-
seDts itself is, what is a Penilcnlary We an
swer that, II Is an institution designed to accom-
plish the objects Of punishment. What then, are
the objects of punishment They are example
anu amendment-eXample sufficient 10 terrify 9th &.
ers and prevent them from committing offences Of
a similar character; and amendment of the often
der-to reclaim him. TO make him regard with hor
ror his past course and 10 restore him, regenerat
ed man, TO society. The first seems the only one
which our laws regard and are at all calculated TO
accomplish; the second, however, l contend is
equally as important, and that no society ne
gect II without total dereliction of duty and vo-
lation OF the letter and spirit of the word of God
No one presume, will deny that it is the duty of
one individual TO endeavor 10 reclaim another who
has inflicted an injury upon him. :" Be not over
come of evil, butOvercome evil with good,' is the
language o! Holy Writ; and passages of like import
might be multiplied 10 an almost indefinite extent
If this be the rule which the individual should OBJ
serve, society composed of individuals must like
wise observe II, Tor those principles Of conduct
which are binding upon man considered individu-
ally, are binding upon him when associated. Is a
",
objects Of punishment?
Does confinement in penitentary present an
effective example? Is the punishment sufficient
10 deter men from committing offences2 In the
first place, it deprives men of their personal lber
ty. This is numbered among the natural rights of
man, and has ever been regarded of the
greatest boons of Heaven to him. There is scarce
ly right or privilege which he clings with more
lenacity, and for the maintenance of which he will
make greater sacrifices. II has been question
IL
his life his liberty History tells US what efforts
men have made IN every age and country TO pre-
serve their freedom; life, properly, health, family
and friends have alike been sacrificed. The same
principle that makes men abhor slavery makes them
abhor personal confine ement. Society is the natu-
raj element of mantle one in which he moves,
acts, and thinks, and hence he must consider re-
moval from il as a punishment of the most severe
character. That society regards this personal li6-
erlY privilege of the very highest order, is
evidenced by the safeguards which il throws around
il, and the means which it has employed TO pre-
serve it, But it is futile to attempt to illustrate
the strength of this principle; it is almost sef-ev-
dent; reason, experience and our observation leach
US that il exerts Pre-eminent influence over the
actions and conduct Of men. Then, as Peniten-
liary deprives criminals Of their personal liberty,
and as this is privilege, which all most un-
willing to lose, they will not commit crimes, for
fear of its loss. And this conclusion will derive
strength from view which shall hereafter pre-
sent, viz: that this punishment will be more GER
tain than many Of those now employed, and there
fore more effectual, since il is admitted prlncl-
pie that a punishn ent mild and certain is more
efficient than severe and uncertain.
AgaiC, peniteDtary will be rendered yet more
useful in suppressing crime, by the moral IDauen-
ces which will there be thrown around the GRIMM
al. The large majority of offences are committed
by men who are wicked, who have sthed the still
small voice Of conscience, and slaves to their
aPpetites and propensi;ies. They delight In vice,
aud consequently despise virtue and all Vrtuous in
Huences. The observation of any one will teach
him how disagreeable it is to the wicked to be
brought, even for a brief period, under the lnhu-
ences OF plety. You can place them in no position
from which they will more desire to escape. Their
greatest effort is to drown the scruples OF con-
science and the teachings OF the spirit OF God !;
hence they always avoid the sanc:uares OF relI-
giol and the company of good men. The Peni-
tentary is designed to be essentially an Institution
of morality moral atmosphere should enclrcle
it, and the of virtue should shed its light upon
it, If then, wicked men dislike SO much 10 be sur
rounded by the influences of virtue, and ii penl-
tentary be designed to surround them by such,
they will not be disposed to commit offences pun
ishabe therein.
Lastly in Penilentiary, the convicts will be re-
quired 10 perform regular and constant labor. They
will not have the privilege of working when they
choose or as they choose, but from morning Till
night they must be actively employed Though
labor be emnenty necessary to The proper devel-
opement Of the mental, moral, and physical tacul-
ties of man, vet it is fact be disguised, that
to require some men 10 work would be the most
severe burden you could impose on them-one
which would be a real terror, and which they would
strive TO avoid Perhaps they might not SO much
dislike to labor for part of the day at employ
ment for which they might have some peculiar
predilecrion or which might not exact great physc-
al exerlion, but TO be compelled 10 labor from sun
rise to sunset active manual employment,
will be to them grevous burden. When there
fore, we reflect that many offences are committed
by those who are idle and have formed habits Of
dleness, we must conclude that confinement in a
Peniteniiary will tend essentially TO the prevention
of crime. From these reasons we fairly arrive at
the conclusion that Penitentiary will present
great extent, an example sufficient to prevent men
from committing offences punishable therein.
Are we sustained in this conclusion by facts
Are there more crimes committed in those States
which have Penteniaries, than there were pre-
vious to the erection of those institutions? No
one, dare say, will have the hardihood to make
such an assertion. We find that many States who
have adopted this system so much pleased
with its operations and effects that they are serI-
ously deliberating whether they shall not entirely
abolish capital punishment. This is clear proof
that thesewho have the best opportunity of judg-
ing, and who can therefore best form correct con-
clusions regard PenilentIaries as preventlves Of
crime. If they are not preventives of crime, the
most enlightened States and nations have fallen In
10 serious error, for fouI-6flhs of the States OF
this Union, and all the most Intelligent nations OF
Europe have, after mature consideration, adopted