The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1847-12-17

OF Its present session, act on the snhJect.
SO that commissioners on behalf of ,ha,
State and this may meet at the same lime
and place. -
Ia organizing the three Regiments Of
Volunteers for the Mexican War last year,
the State incurred liability gilmore than
thirty-lhousand dollars. a considerable
psrlion Of which remains as yet unpaid bl
the Uniled States Government, as will
more fully appear BY the report OF the
Qnartarmaster General. Two other Re-
gimeuts, being the fourth and fifth of In
fantry, and one company ofCavalry, have
this year volunteered, and are now IN
Mexico. In the organization Of these lat
ter troops, did not consider myself either
authorized or called upon TO expend large
sums ofmohey; first, because Congress had
made liberal appropriations for the sup
port Of tie army, which were under the
control OF the President, and the Leglsia-
ture Of ONO had not, tor that purpose,
placed funds at my disposal; aud, secondly,
because the requisition itself contained
the following clause. The proper officers
OF the Staff Departments will be imme-
diately sent TO the place of rendezvous,
with funds to defray the necessary expen-
ses, which may be incurred agreeably to
law
The Assylums for lunaiics, for the blind :,
and for the deaf and dumb, have all been
managed, with distinguished ability and
success, every way worthy Of the high
character which they have attained, and
Of the lustre which they have shed on the
good name of the State. | cheerfnly
commend them to your continued patron
age.
The mild yet firm disc ipline administers
ed by the Warden and officers of the Pen
itentiary, aud the moral and religious in
sirumentalities brought into requisitiOn
including the largely increased library for
the use Of the convicts collected by the
Rev. Mr.. Finley, are exercising, l trust,
wholesome influence upon their charac.
ter. No duty intrusted to government is
more difficult of execution than that o.
the punishment of crime. The great OBJ
ject TO be kept in view is, the protection
of society, by the confinement aud espe
cially by the reformation ofthe criminals
in such manner as shall at once de fray al
expenses and train the convicts to habits
ofindustry; not forgetting though tallen
,,l ,Ic Ia.
enlightened aud hearts to be animated by
the lessons of morality and religion. Il
i, uot true that We have directed our at
iention too much to the financial vieV
alone Of this great governmental obhga
tion! Having succeeded in making til
Peni,eniiary defray its own expenses, All
in erecting other institutions, aud pay
balance into the treasury, have we no
overlooked the nature Of he contracts b
which the convicts have been hired on
and transferred from hand to hand; an
have we not, in some respects, forgot te
what is due 70 their miGds aud bodies
May il not well be questioned whethe
nnremit'ing and unreqnitcd toll from eaI
~ dawn Nil night. under the eye of an II
terested task-master, without an hour
read by day or light TO read at night, con
sliinies the great road to moral reforma
iiun! Is IT right to continue IN the hano
Of one individual monopoly of betwee
two and thee hundred lahnring men, q
only tIlrty three GEMS yer day, boarding
lodging, and workshops found! is ii jus
TO keep up that monopoly AT that price i
competition with the honest mechanics {
the State! Is it to be tolerated that sue
a contract is claimed to be perpetual!
submit to your deliberate judgemeu
whether the. " arden Of the PeniienIiar
had power.@iiher by virtue of his olhce
or by any legal enactment, to limit G
control legislation, BY any such perpein
contract, and whe ther the General Assem-
bly, has not uudoubted right, in the exe1
else its discretion, to abolish the pen
tentiary system entirely, or to adobt sol
tary continent, either in hule or in par
or, if they find the present system detr
mental to the indus trial concerns OF Il
State, whether, fro IN the nature of gov
ernme Mt and the terms of the contract
themselves, they may not employ eitht
the whole or part of the convlcts at I'll
public buildings! And | would furlhe
submit TO the wisdom of the Legislature
whether the work on the State ii ous
ought not TO be Immediately and earnestl
resumed; and whether couvlct labor ougt
not to be withdrawn from avocations il
furious to mechanical pursuits and diret
ted to this necessary object, taking carr
in its gradual withdrawal to work no il
jury to any just rights of contractors
And il by this direction to the lober
the prison, or portion of it, appiopri'
f.. IL