The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-11-07
For the Camden Journal.
A STATE PENITENT[AY,


tenn. was highly expedient and desirable as a
matter of pecuniary advantage TO the State.-
We asserted that from fifteen 10 twenty thou.
sand dollars was yearly spent and irrelrevably
lost, BY the operation Of our present penal sys
tenn. We think this sum will he exceeded
greatly. if we look minu,ely and particularly
into the remote consequences which result and
follow in direct line from our mode Of punish.
ment. We deem it unnecessary to say more at
present under This view, but close the preposi
lion by saying figures may sometimes lie, but
when we make calculation and base j, upon
experimental facts, and no, theoretical prnba.
bililies-when we have the proof at hand, we
are bound to believe.
| As another and stronger reason, paramount
to all other considerations, and mole weghty
than dollars and cents. We urge the claims
of The Penitenlary system. believing that its
moral influence and effect upon The community
in a remedial sense-beltering those who have
already transSressed, and as a preventaton
against the commission of crime and the viola.
inn of law. which is more to BE- dreaded than
any ct her consideration which it is possible to
| imagine.
At present we find il invariably the case.
that criminals when punished for violations of
the law, are goadpd with the belief tina, injus.
tice has been done them, and this is moi always
without some foundation but no matter how
unreasonable the complaint may be. it is hard
sometimes to determine how much punishment
is due to every vi"Iator OF the law, in every
case, and under all circumstances; hence il is
almost impossible TO avoid. in sume measure,
either extreme--lno much or too little punish.
ment. 1t is a maxim Of law. " that it is better
ninpiy.ni guilty should escape, than that one
innocent person should suffer - and it is no,
unr.quenly the case that many guilty escape,
because the punishmcu, is ton great, it may be,
for the crime but il every, Grim" and species
of transgression is pr"vid ID for in ih- rgh, way
then there is no excsr for the non punishment
of the guilty, but every violator Of his eountry's
laws be punished according MS they merit. We
are not aware of any mode by which it is pos.
sible entirely TO meet the difficulty hut we
honestly believe that the establishing Peniten.
tary would enable lis 10 approach the mark
nearer than we do al present-tee:ing assured
that our laws wond he better executed, and
would work with greater equality. We notice
| in one particular where our present mode ol
punishment is productive, (as we Think, of
great evil. 1t is certain if every sensbilhy Of
the soul is destroyed, and every trace Of the
Divine impress is ohIileraed, you will as a
| natural consequence produce demon in the
shape Of human being. Whip the poor wretch
publicly tor sealing peck ol corn or potatoes.
aud turn him loose. after month or two of
close confinement in common District Jail,
and you have a living specimen of depraved
humanity perfected and ready f,r all manner Of
crime. To ohvialr or lessen these evils, we
PROPOSE our PenitenIiary as The most humane
and natural manner or mode bY which violators
of our laws ought to he punished. The thief
in place Of heng publicly chaslised, and i'm.
prsoned indolently in Jail, we sentence I"
manual labor, and if correction be necessary in
carving out the punishment of his offence. lei
him receive it within the walls Of The Penien.
liary. and not make show of to the gralifl
calinn of an idle, gaping cro"d of spectators.
who, lost to all refinement, derive no moral
benefit hv his disgrace. in reslraing them. II
is 10 be amcnted that TOO often many witness
these somewhat unusual circumstances merely
to CRAFTY the animal propensity. There are
variety Of characters who usually frequent snch
plsces, and il is a matter of surprise that even
a man of intelligence nr any prelrnslonS or
claims TO refinement should be found in such u
crowd. There are exceptions to all general
rules, but as n common thing we will find that
by far the largest part of those who display such
cagernrss and aviIily to witness the exit OF
Door human soul from time to eternity, are
those who have never had any moral training
or religious teachings in early life. 1t is no
wonder then tha, they would find the {" cruel
sports of the gadia,orial arena" more atirac.
tive, and the Indulgence Of all vicious and de.
PRAYED app,ites uore congenlal to their tastes
than moral ana refined exercise of body and
mind, in aiding in some mighty work or retor.
nation for the good of mankind. For many Of
this abandoned class we ought to have Penl.
irntiary. to put them in and make them work.
TO punish them now according to law, would
cos, too much, and like the Indians gun, would
cost more than it comes 10. can scarcely
ina zinc circumstance where to witness the
execution Of a criminal can he recnnciled with
good taste, sound judgment, or claims to refine
mcn,. We do not pretend to say that II Is I'M.
possible to do 80, but for us voluntarily to pre-
sent ourselves at such scene, would he to
compromise our self respect and lower our
standard of consistency.
We are in favor ofcapa punishment under
some circumstances, and would never consent
TO its abolition, with or without Prniicntiary..
but we object to public executions and public
whipping, believing them to be productive Of
little or no good We join mos, heartily with
those who advocate private executions, to he
witnessed only by the proper officers and con.
seryatiyes ofthe law. Such IA course as is adopt
ed and carried out by the Peniten'iary system.
w.
| For the Journal
In accordance with previous notice, the