Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1849-03-08

u
with few mastery strokes of his pen,
draws comparison between the charac-
ter of Englishmen in the sew enteenth ard
nineteenth centuries. He says:
Still more important is the benefit
which all orders of society, and especially
the lower orders, have derived from the
modifying influence of civilization on the
natural character. The ground work OF
that characterShas indeed been the saOae
through many generations, in the sense
in which the ground work Of the charac
ter Of an individual may be said to be the
same. whenhe is rude and thoughtless
school-boy, and when he is refised and
accomplished man 1t is pleasing to re-
feet that the public mind Of England
has softened while it has ripened, and
that we have, in the course Of ages, he
come not only wiser, but also kinder
people. There Is scarcely page of the
history Of lighter literature of the seven
teenth century which does not contain
sonse proof that our ancestors were less
humane than their posterity. The disci-
pine of workshops, of schools, of pri-
vate families, though not more efficient
than an preseat. was infinitely harsher.
Masters, well born and bred, were in the
habit of beating their servants. Peda-
gogues knew no wsy of impaiting kno~l-
edge but by beating their pupils. Hus-
bands, of decent station, were not asha-
med to beat their wivea The implaca-
bility of hostile functions was such as we
can hardly conceive Wings were dis
posed to nauranar because Stafford wa.
suffered to die without seeing HE bowels
burned before his face AS little mercs
was shown by the popuiaee to sufferers
Of an humble rank. If an offender was
put into the pilqory, it was we'll if he es-
capped with life from the shower Of brick
bats and paving stones. If he was tied
to the carts tail, the crowd pressed round
him, irnploring the hangman to give it t.
the fellow we'll, and make him howl.
Gentlemen arranged parties of pleasure
to Brdwellon court days, for the purpose
Of seeing women who beat hemp there,
whipped A man pressed TO death for
refusing to plead, woman burnt for
for coming, excited less sympathy than is
now felt for gallant horse or an over
driven OK. Fights, compared with which
q boxing match is q refined and humane
spectacle. were among the favorite d.
versions Of large part If the Town.
Mnltitudes assembled to see gladiators
~espsss, ana fs se6ttaR s snE RR n asaaly
batants lost finger or an eye. The pris-
ons were hells ON earth, seminalies Of ev-
cry crime and of every disease. Az the
assizes, the Esan and pellow cuprits
brought with them from their cells to the
dock an atmosphere Of stencil end pesti-
lsnce, which sometimes avenged thenn
signaliy ON bench, bar, and jury. But
on all this misery society looked with
profound Indifference. Nowhere could
be found that sensitive and restles COM
passion which has, in our time, extended
u powerful protection to the factory
child, to the Hindoo widow, to the negro
slave, which prizes into the stores and wa
ter casks Of every emigrant ship, which
winces at every lash laid ON the bask Of a
drunken soldier, which will not suffer the
thief in the hulks to be Ill fed or over.
WORKED, and which has repeatedly sndesy.
ored to save the life even Of the murder
er.' It is true that compassion, like all
other feelings, ought 20 he under the
government Of reason, and has, for want
Of such government. produced some rid
iculous and some depioable effects. But
the more we study the annals of the past
the more shall we rejoice that we live ia
a merciful age, in an age in which cruelty
is abhorred, and in which pain even when
deserved, 10 iniiited relActantly and fronl
sense of duty. Every class. doubtless,
has gained largely by the great moral
change but the class which has gained
most is the poorest. the dependent, and
the most defenceless."