The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-10-17


sional Globean Appendix, containing sketches
OF Debates and Prcccilings of the 2d session,
of the Both Congress.
The E'eHsitcltiary Question.
The subject Of modifying orr criminal laws
and establishing Pcnitcntiary h1s for some
time occupied the attention 81 tho inhabitants $
OF this state and We are pleased TO observe
that disposition exists 10 conform to he cs-
tab)ishcd and successful practice of other
states, both on the score OF policy and human
ity. The Fenitentary system is one o; hene-
violence, beneficial to the convict and advan-
tageons to The state. Many crimes 90 un-
punished from an unwillingncss to be severe
IN our penalties, and some arc punished by
death, and by castigation, which, if we had
state prison or pcniten,iary, would, by pun
IshInent at hard labor for term of wears,
meet the ends and objects Of justice, without
The necessity of shedding human blood or the
exhibition, debasing and tcmorasnc indeed
at the whipping-post The prevention of
crime is the legitimate object of punishment,
and that system which secures the greatest
amount OF prevention, is the best and mcst
desirable, and that which is practically most,
detective should he avoided or at once abo,.
ishcd. If we look at our penal statutes We
shall IND many OF them unnecessarily harsh,
and severe, if no: disrcputa5le to the humane
character of state; whipping and branding
belong to the feudal ages, no; to the present
enlightened times. The punishment of death
should only lie inflicted FOR murder, inslirrec.
ton, slave-stcaIng and arson in the Ist de.
grec--nli other crimes should be punished by
Imprisonment al hard hGJor for periods cores
pondlng with the magnitude of the offences.
With pcni,cn'ary that greatest of all our
evils, slave-trading would receive its DEATH
oiow, ior where at present, the trader is mere.
~ fined and consigned to the District Jail for
term OF months with nothing to occupy his
time, he would be kept at hard and udiscri-
mtadtc labor which would, wo trust, stihe
this hydra headed monster. In establishing
Pententiary we yield to public opinion here
and elsewhere, which public Will is law, and
is the true theory of our government, nothing,
however, is easier than modifying our crjmj.
nal laws should we adopt the pcniten,iarv
system. Several so"thcrn states followed
our criminal Cor rather the old Engish) rrnc-
tIce Tor many years, of hanging, whipping
and branding. which punishmcnts covered all
demon, a M
land took the lead in ahoishng The system
ana establishing rcnitcnt;arics, other South
erD and Western states followed the cyan,r''~
ana have had no cause 10 regret the adoption
ol more humane mode OF prevention and
punishment OF crime. Surely an enlightened
State like South Carolina ought not 10 he last
IN the great march OF sau,arv reform. Let
u.s. Tor moment, look 10 the operation Of the
system in other States. Ii is possible that
many OF our statesmen may have entertained
opinions that State prisons or pcnitentiarics
would be constant bill of cos, 10 ,le state.
10 avoid which prompt and severe pun;shmcnts
for crimes wonld be preferable The system,
no doubt, at first was detective, hu, such have
been lh" improvements in The North that The
iahcT "I con"ic's NO. only pays lie expense
OF the Prison, hnI actually leaves a surplus
profit 10 ihc state, This is lho case IN ;bc
Eastern and Western States, and where in
tho state OF New York three prisons have beon
charge TO The state, it has been asccr,ained
10 have originated from mianIunagcmcnt. anl
cXtravamancc, exhibiting a total wan, OF svs.
tenn. In Pennsylvania the PRISONS have DaiJ
their own expenses ard their systems arc adj
Ihirahic. In the Clinton state prison. ~ Y,
convlcts work tho IRON mines, and IN the rolds
Cannot convict labor be adyantagcously M.
Piled to working our granite qliarres, and
pcriecting the roads passing through swamps
and over streams! We shall in the orgahiza-
ton OF Peutcntiaries have the benefit of MI
The experience OF other states We can loose
nothing III experiments, hut every thing viii
be practical and available. Ii is true that we
labor under some inconvenience in relation 10
the disposition OF criminal slaves. and the
adoption OF secure plan to make their labor
pay their expenses, but i'll this we have also
the experience OF other slave. states as our
g'ndc' whatever has hcca successfully prac-
tHcd there VIII also be practicable to us
ms Is subject OF great interest and mpor.
tance to the state and ono 10 which we NAV
frequently refer. In order to approach This
subject securely, understandngly and boncti