Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-06-12
rho Penisentiaty and It'd Discipline.

NPD
hns engngedtlle attention ofthe benevolent
has invoked societies into existence. is nm
exceeding difficult problem, ~p,izzeliilg the
statesman, and placing mans attempts
propsfly to adjust then, at defiance. The
mode Of their ~dispensu.ion by the autlioi
Of oil life, has caused conflicting views
among the sagesl ~tileologians and organic.
Cd religious seets. That we shall oil bow
before the justice Of that administration,
when the light of another world shall be
let Ia upon liz, with a full view Of its OPP.
erations, whether the avenging sword oI
exact justice shall chase the criminal. OF
whether mercy shall temper It's edge, Or
universal 81 giveness blot out oil stain for
ever, no Que can doubt, however varied
views may now checker the circle Of our
limited perception. Ha# aia
But when man occupies the throne,
and undertakes TO reward merit or punish
crime, his administration Is subject to the
imperfection natural to his path. ny Oh
servation, thought aud experience he may
approach, but never reacl, the standard Of
perfection. As dispensed by man, the
system Of rewards are social, rather than
administrative ; virtue, merit, integrity,
moral and intellectual excellence in some
sense receive their reward by the volutta-
ny contributions Of men. We leave out
Of view, as belonging to d system Of tho
Almighty thu consideration that these
qualities are their W reward beyond
aud aside from this, they appropriate still
another I ewatd in The confidence they win,
the willing tribute paid them, the good
opinion. Tho high regard of The colnnuni.
ty to which they they are known. This
system takes caro- Of i:self 1t requires 10
law, 1t 10 above tho legislature, it elects
the legislature, iio sheriff Is necessary to
enforce it, it places OF displaces The Sheriff,
no institution IL required within which The
recipients of this bounty are compelled to
reside. but wherever they are, the great
stream Of public and private rewards Is
constantly flowing towards them. An In.
ducement sufficient one would think
without looking at the other side of the
picture, 70 Danish evil from tho abode of
meme But there are many Of our race
upon whom these considerations awaken
no tlirob Of effort aud induce no guard
against evil motive.
For these. man has lived to devise an-
other systeln---auother picture must be
drawn tpon' tile reverse OF the canvass -
For these, the lnsigitIy aud llideous form
OF the gallows is presented. the high aud
thick walls OF the Peniten,iary are built
The system Of punishment presents itself.
we oailiiot escape It II IL a necessity OF
our social life, there Ia no quarantine
where approaching crime may DO stopped
and subject to inspection, it stalks where
It chooses and only when It has struck Ito
blow can human justice seize 1t. A sys.
terra of effeetual prevention would be an
incalcnlable boon to us, but we can only
aim at that through punishment.
Prevention is theoretically The object OF
punishment, exalnple--iot revenge by
retaining the ipdiviual TO prevent his re-
petition OF crime, aud by the charasier Of
his punishment to deter others from fol-
Iii his career. So far the coast 10
comparatively clear, but the grea. Difficult.
" consists In ascertaining what shall be
punishment to wticll the criminal
be subjected and what authority shall
DO vested In the executors OF the law.
The great punishment, deprivation Of
lie, should obviously be reserved, if con.
iinued at all, for the most lieiaous offences,
whether this punishment should not be
abolished, has awakened much dis.
3Ef##a t=H@8 s#@fE : /
and has many advocates. But
or the large majority Of Offences it seems
that compulsory confinement In
he only feasible alternative presented, and
o narrow the subject down still nearer to
he point which suggests this article
authority shall BE- lodged ia the
lands Of those to whose custody the
aw eftrusts the possession Of tile persons
It those who have violated social order,
become the subjects Of legal punish.
In other words. what shall be the
ystem Of the discipline III the P~eDitenlia.
y, within which the infractors Of the law
re compelled to work out a compensation !
the injury they have wrought? Shall !
c~ustodiasis Of the criminal be vested !.
With arbitrary authority TO establish rules, !,
nd 70 secure obedience to them by the in 3
lotion Of such punishment as they choose? {
he pubic punish for the public wrong
y confinement in the penitentiary; shall ,
officers Of The PelIiteutiary also pun !
q as they visit, forl tile violation actual /,
: imaginary Of their arbitrary rules p !.
punishment Dithis q punishment and i
nth no judge to measure its extent
hat q system Of internal discipline is
ecessary no que doubts, the tenants of Y
lese establishments are not Of the most 6
'rrigible stuff. they are not composed Of :;