The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1850-04-26
", From the Maumee River Times.
IGNORANCE AND CRIME.

'In tsfg tINJAYQINftlNI6 AtvD ONlMG'
i The Editor Of the Blade in commen.
ting upon the conviction Of Professor
\ Webster, remarks: bsliagi x
Al fsWho shall hereafter say, when con.
templating the character Of murder, that
4 ii is the result ofignorance or moral OBJ
lilquiiy; oriwho that coniemplates il, as
|presented lin this trial, with all the cir
cumstances which prove that ifcommitted
blythe condemned at all,ii was done liber-
ateIy-A-in ilcOol blood, and after the most
Thorough preparation, will notgfeel how
feeble are the securities Of education and
morality, when brought into conflict with
passion and pfejudice.' qg saa' ss4Ef
bolt would be charity 10 believe, that the
Iwritet Of tho above wished simply 10 form
a we'll turned period, instead Of aiming
to instruct or enlighten'his readers. His
object, however appearsto be, to prove
lif possible, thai tseducation and morality
are no securities, or at least very feeble
ones, againstthe perpetration Of crime
We are aware, that many Of the ignorant
lwhose minds have never been enlarged
and cultivated by reading and reflection,
enter,ainthe opinion that education serves
only to render wickedness more skillful,
and morality aeclohk beneath which to
hide its deeds, but we are surprised that
man Of intelligence and refinement,
should harbor the thought for a moment,
and much more, that he should promul-
gate j, TO the world as sentiment of
truth. ~ a,sf
As the enemies of"education and mo-
raliiy,n may quote our contemporary in
support Of their opinions, we will furnish
t0sthe friends Of education and knowl-
edge facts, with which to combat aathori-
H. i@ls ~ .''A sE9'lss ~ 'Ag
Report, relative 10 The intellectual and
moral condition Of l, ,l29 persons commit
ted TO the House Of Correction at Pres
ton, during one year: 7a gaE
Il. Unable 10 read. !...!.554 Y
2. Barely capable Of readingA-222
8. Can read the Iestamen.!.J.I55
e a. Can read fluently...........3S
5. Can read well e. write liitlel52
i6. Can read and write we'll. ....!Sp
~ a9@Gmsa Slit Ife --- ll20
Ofthe 1929 unfortunate beings (
SIG we're quite ignorant Of the simplest
4Altrufhs. gQi293 Pn
995 could repeat the Lords Prayer.
Z 81 were occasionally readers Of the
Bible. 9aj io 1915 9fl.fitR oliay FL .t
is lowas familiar with tie Scriptures.
1876 ofihe SIG persons entirely ignorant,
were incapable of repeating the Lords
Prayer @oJ se Ri N PHI afoi
Fi Sir Richard Phillips, Sheriff'of London
says, that on the memorial addressed to
the sheriffs, by 152 criminals in Newgate,
IS only sighed their names in fair hand,
90 in an illegible scrawl, l0l we're marks
men, signinc with a cross. Few Of the
prisoners could read with facility, more
than half could not read at all, most ol
them thought books useless, and were
totally ignorant Of the nature, object and
end Of religion.
In Auburn Prison, New York, Of 22S
convicts received in one year-3 had all
aeademicaf education; So could read,
write, and cypher; Sc could read and
write only; SO could read only, and so
could not read.s . n
In the Penetentiary in Philadelphi, Of
GIT persons, 63 could neither read or
write; SO could read only, and IS could
read and write, but most Of them indif,
emily. Mi
"a former Chaplain ofthe Ohio Peniten-
tiary remarked "not only in our prison,
bntiin others, depraved appetites and cor
rupt habits, which have led to the com
mission ofcrime, are usually found with
the ignorant, uniformed and duller part
of mankind. OF the 376, nearly all are
below mediocrity, IT'S are grossly igno-
rant, and, in point of education, scarcely
capable ot transacting the ordinary busi-
ness loflife." u 5asso
b In Connecticut, no convict was ever
sen, to the State Prison previous 10 the |
year rlS40, who had liberal education,
or belonged to either Of the learned pro-
fessions.l One-half were unable to write.
and onessixth to read. OF 68 conyicts
in one Year, the crimes Of only four re-
1