The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-16
THE REPUBLIC.


District, large number are free negroes. The
birth places of the whole follows. District OF
Columbia, nineteen; Virginia, fifteen; MARYLAND,
ten; North Carolina. one; Pennsylvania, two;
France, one; Switzerland, one; Germany, two;
England one; Ireland, hve--total fifty seven.
| The twelve females all employed at tailoring,
mending, shoe binding, washing, &c. The men
are employed as follows: Carpentering, three;
blacksmithing, one; cooking and baking, two; la
boring, four; shoemaking, thirty five. The last
| named occupation absorbs the greatest number,
chiefly because of the facility with which it may
be carried on; and persons destined for other pur-
suits are often employed at this until arrangements
can be made for their permanent employment.
OF the persons have enumerated, there are
who do little or no labor, being incapacitated
for its performance. There is but one man Of adj
vanced age, and three or four very young men,
The product of the labor Of these people exceeds
the cozt Of their maintenance by two or three hun
dred dollars per year The preservation of the
building and the compensation of the officers are
expenses betrayed by the Government. The off
consist of warden, three inspectors, a clerk,
physician, chaplain, two assistant keepers, four
guards, and one messenger, whose aggregate sal
airy is 81 1850.
The physician visits the establishment every day,
and oftener if requested by the warden. This de-
partment ID conducted in highly crcdtablc man
ner. The dispensary is under the charge of one
of the officers, who is apothccary by profession.
When prisoner is received he is Immediately Ia
ken to this office. An accurate description of his
person is written, including the condition of his
health; and if he ia afflicted with any conta gious
disease he is not permitted 10 endanger the other
prisoners. As this examination is com
plced, his hair is cut closely and he is required
~ b,th "A ~,
a necessary weekly duty in warm weather.
Being thus prepared, the prisoner enters his mar
row apartment, about five by twelve feet, and nine
or ten high 1t has a grated door, admitting some
thing more than twilight and is ventilated both
through the door and by means of air passage in
the ceiling. In these chambers the prisoners are
not permitted to suffer from cold in winter, while
in summer they are very comfortable. A mattrass
and a suftclency or covering are supplied. This
bed rests upon board, having hinges attached to
the wall, by means Of which it may be drawn close
to the wall to afford the prisoner room to walk to
and fro for exercise. Three volumes are in each of
these rooms-he Bible, and, we believe, hymn
book, and book Of prayer.
During the past year but one death occurred, and
that of man who had in Mexico contracted
the dysentery of which many have persisted
since their return to the States Many of the aban-
impure and diseased and often suffer from stub
born chronic affections yet few fail to experience
entire restoration under the discipline of the prison.
Obliquity of intellect as well as of moral perccp-
ton, is frequently the affection of the
wicked than courts of justice willing to be-
lieve We think there subjects here whom the
insane asylum might have received with justice.
The prisoners occupy their narrow chambers
from sunset to sunrise. The warden informed us
that in his annual report he had intinatcd the hope
that they might be permitted to have light enough
to read by until eight O'Clock at night We sim
eercly unite in the wish that this may receive the
sanction of the regulations.
In their cells the prisoners can ofcourse converse
with no one. In marching to their workshops it is
equally mpraccable as the eyes of the watchmen
are upon them, and the prescribed punishment is
sure TO follow. At their labor, also, sence is ri
gidly obeerved for, by wise arrangement, the
guards selected with reference 10 their prof
cheney in the business of the department which
they to preside. They at once guards and
foremen.
Silence and industry PREVAIL and the men look
healthy, and of course fair but none of them look
happy. II, however, we were required TO select
honest men by their faces, from promiscuous
crowd, there are some among them whom would
single out such: and in this the warden in
formed US we would probably not be mistaken; for
there are some of the prisoners whom he believes to
be suffering for actions out of keeping with the
whole tenor of their lives; while there others of
whose total reform he entertains not the shadow of
doubt Among these a few who have pro-
fessed conversion under the instruct ton of the chap
lain, and in whose sincerity he has entire conf
dcnce.
The workshops are spacious, light, comiorta-
bic, and well-furni:hed, and proficiency is
CURED under the teaching they receive
The whole establishment, except for its bars and
bolts, wears more the appearance of comfortable
military barrack than the prison of convicted
feions.
The bath house is adjacent 10 the kitchen, from
which a tube passes to supply warm water, and the
prisoners are permitted to battle daily if they wish
TO do so.
The arrangements of the kitchen are of course
simple; but dctetic establishment, having special
reference to the physical welfare Of its inmates,
could not better promote its objects. We saw the
dinner table Rations of boiled beef and brown
bread, fresh and wholesome, were served up in
clean tin-pans. In the morning rye coffee, and in
the evening tea, supply the place of the meat.
Boiled vegetables and soup are served up once a
week
When the bell rung for dinner the shop
doors were opened, and IN a few minutes the male
prisoners were formed in single file on the pave
ment OF the yard, the negroes in the rear. At the
signal the line of march was taken with military
precision As the colorcd men oppo-
site the dining room door, they turned to the right
and entered; while the whites COMMUNICATING,
entered at the same door, inside OF which the sepa-
ration was still preserved the coored men taking
the right and the white the left.
This line of march called nm inyoluntar ily n
feeling OF compassion for the unfortunate men
uniting in it; for their erect carriage and manly
form most forcibly suggested to the mind thoughts
of what they were and what they might have been;
some Of them, perhaps, good men, who fell in the
evil hour of blind infatuation others, bad men, be-
cause they had been born and reared in the midst
of evil influences, and had never been redeemed by
the light of knowledge or the incentives of self
respect ambition; while some, it may be,
wicked and hayward from choice, and without the
desire of acting well.