The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-08

nee uom justice. You not q secret tribunal OF
that kind which is viewed with dsfavor in free govern
ments you try no person yeu inquire and accuse,
as preliminary step to the trial your OATH composed
with concise and studied evinces great know
ledge Of human nature IL Is chart which may be
traced the outlines Of your duty. The limits Of your
action is exast and even handed justice; even the
attributes Of mercy not included within its terms
for you leave represented favor affection,
but present all things truly" You accuse, not try
tribunal. After you have read the Indictment sent
you by the public prosecutor, and after you have
carefully examined the Witnesses you will decide,
first whether the offence stated in the indictment has
been committed, and secondly, whether 1t was oom-
mitted by the person accused in the indictment,
Zach Of these questions should be decided separately
and both in the affirmative, by twelve jurors tho
Indictment may be signed by the foreman You should
not indict upon suspicion or remote probability you
should have as strong testimony of the guilt Of the
accused as would satisfy you petit jury. While
members of the grand jury you should De eau
tous to receive communications, written or
verbal in relation to any matter before, or likely
to come before you and If such should reach
TO execute the laws would not approach YOU
clandettinely, but in manner prescribed by
law In Jour various relations to society citizens,
and as sovereigns, have high moral duty to per-
FORM not alone in the prerogative of accusation of
bringing the offender to trial and punishment but in
the exercise Of constant vigilance to prevent crime
by the removal the causes much has bee done by
education, Il do not mean literary merely0 and much
remains to be done in the field OF moral and religious
instruction teaching Of the true dignity and con-
stitution Of man, physical and mental, an improve
nent in every possible way, to prevent ignorance idle
y,
pal Of crime Mr. Alison author of the history
of Europe during the French revolution endeavors to
ton to cneck the progress of crime in the British
islands, he says by the criminal returns of France
in the whole eighty-sx departments Of which it has
been found hardly, with exception the amount Of
crime just in proportion to the degree of
which prev Ms and it is where prevalent as in
those towns and departments where education has
been carried to the highest pitch" In Scotland it is
melancholy fact that the progress of crime has been
more rapid in that part British domnons during
1Qsf fhaV nfh aYa ofA in
rope the progress of felones and serious crimesih
Glasgow, during the last sixteen years, s beyond all
that period advanced about seventy per cent, while
serious crime has advanced 500 cent crime Is ad
the increase Of In he
comnttas which, in 1918, 164 had risen In 1887
to 236l2 that is to say, they had tripled in twenty
advanced from SO, in 1905, to 34lS in 1885, being
increase in four and twenty years. of than thirty
fold. Returns of exactly The same character" he
says, "have been obtained from the statistics of
America" and quotes from the works of M. BEAUMONT
and De Tocquevle, who say, I'VE DO not think that
North to instruction. because, in Connecticut, where
there is far instruction than in New York. crime
accuse knowledge the cause Of this one is obliged
to acknowledge that 1t is not preventive" That
authority respectable as De Tocqueville should not
discourage the friends Of education have thought it
my duty to furnish answer Education, in its
general sense, must be understood a cultivation of
the young, and conducts in every sense to, and
includes civilization In this how education
promote crime? admit knowledge is not virtue in
itself it is neither good or bad. Reading writing, and
arithmetic may assist the felon who forges and the
honest man to support his family knife may serve
Should we prohibit this useful instrument because,
sometimes we find it In the hands Of the assassin?
The great instrument of civilization is general instruc
ton. Some crimes, doubt, committed by
of the increased wants of society while 1t prevents
of error. The individuals most exposed to crime in
civilized community the ignorant, because it les
sens the chance of subsistence He who cannot read
and write is excluded from many employments-ex-
posed to misery, and liable to commit crime. If
crime keep pace apparently, with education it by
means proves 1t is the cause Crime may increase
from many causes within given year. the winter may
have been sevore-provisions embarrassed
commerce. great influx of destitute strangers and
sometimes the police may have been more vigiant in
detecting crime. 1T Is easy to account why crime
should fearfully increase in Great Britain where q
dundant population has increased beyond the means
of subsistence. According to Colquhoun, London, in
1906 numbered above twenty thousand miserable ind-
without knowing from and by what they are to
be supported during the passing day where they
are Lodge the succeeding night The number now
$4,000 every Saturday night in state of brutal in
toxcaion and every twelfth house is devoted to the
sale Of Spirits In Dublin CO. 600 persons in one year.
pass through fever hosptals Colquhounfurther says
that the paupers criminals, and vagrants alone in
Great Britain amount to 100000 France is hardly
in better condition In Paris, 10 600 annually, Of the
whole population, pass through the hospitals one
sixth OF the whole population die there.t The causes
merous that cannot wonder when we see the great
base Of society corTupted-wthout employ, and with
cassessnd where the existence Of thousands depends
upon crop Of potatoes. We recognize the great his
torcal truth that the decay Of political bodies is like
and aecrepitude Of their age as hopeless until
the regeneration Of mankind in youthful FORMS to be
nourished and sustained from purer source. The
effort. the part Of foreign writer's, to place us
in the same rank with themselves, in progress Of
crime, and on the same broad way which leads
ed tn mi will fail
They have seized hold with much avdty the report of
asngle State for short period to their posi-
tion in relation to the whole Of America 1t is not
true that crime increases in Connecticut. appears
from the report of Mr. Elisha Johnson the warden of
for years, from 1888 to 1889 inclusive 40
and for the next seven years. from 1910 to 1916 in
elusive were S6S The average population Of the first
period Is 3O3S26, one convict to TAI inhabitants
The average population of the second period $780,
one convict to $50 inhabitants, making decrease Of
ID per cent MIR Pilbury the warden in 1885, (about
the time referred to by Ason says in his report of
that that out of $50 convcts the proportion Of
In 100 when they came into prison could read,
before his conviction could read and write, and
was Of temperate habits and followed regular trade
drunkards were rs in l00 In $780, the convictions in
the state of New York in courts Of record, with a
] Sll persons In 1885, when the population was
there were 1076 convicts, for 2021 per-
sons In ls4o with population of 42s 92l there
1343 which gives one conviction to 1903 persons In
ls45 population 2604,496, convictions reported by
sherls were l,461 in 1882 persons In 1896 con-
victions reported by sherifs of counties were 321
population 2655673 one in 2236 persons, being 140
convictions less than in 1s45, Notwithstanding the
increase Of population, and great influx Of foreigners
tending to swell the criminal calendar. Mr.. Witsie
agent Of the Sing Sing prison. in a report of 1885,
says, at present s42 prisoners 40 cannot read
write "a have never been to any kind Of school S5
know how to rea d. but not write $40 know how to
read and write, but large portion Of them do il very
imperfectly AZ received good common education
went through a college; ass have been habituai
diunkards and about one third Of the above number
actually committed their respective crimes when in.
toxcated. You will observe, in this return he re-
marks that only fifty prisoners, out Of eight hundred
and Orty two have received thing like education
lsa2 the whole number Of convicts reported by the
shers Of this State is Of these, CAB could read
and wre 225 could not read write liz could read
but not write; 1877 had common education; 90 had
tolerable education II well educated 2 had some
education: Ia limited X n naor