Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-10-18

marble to shape and fashion. The
hands that are yet crimson with the
blood Of the unoffending, are made
to ply the mallet and chisel, as did
Socrates, the Grecian philosopher and
statesman-perhaps, too, in the
course Of his servitude, with the same
guilty hand TO engrave upon the tomb
of the departed and illustrious dead
the lines which are intended to sindi-
cate to the inquiring living their ma
ny virtues and exalted worth. And
so, also, with all the other depart
ments that are carried on in this In
stitution: there might be similar il
Illustrations made in reference to tai
lors, shoemakers, hatters, blacksmiths,
wagonmakers, &c, &c.
'The State, by the establishment of
this institution, and the passage of
laws to sustain it, gathers from every
county in the State all the incorrigi-
BILE offenders who are known to the
law, and after collecting them within
the walls of the penitentiary, embarks
in all the branches of mechanism, and
openly enters the field of competi-
ton with the mechanics of the coun-
try. The mechanics outside of the
penitentiary are required, by all the
obligations of good citizens, in peace
as well as in war, to submit to taxa
ton to sustain the government under
which they may live, and at the same
time compete with the State in their
own branches of business. This poll
cy of the State, in carrying on the
branches of mechanism, and the en-
Iployment of all the felons of the coun-
try at them, has a direct tendency to
degrade the mechanics of the coun-
try as a body. Felon and mechanic,
crime and mechanism, from their close
association, become corresponding
terms in the public mind. The fel-
ons, after having served out their
time, are turned loose upon the coun-
try to mix with the mechanics as best
they may, and perch ance to become
inmates of their families and compan-
ions in their shops. Is it right that
this description of our population
should be thrown upon, and associa-
ted with, the honest and industrious
mechanics of the State, either in per-
son orprofession? There is an instinct
i've repugnance in the bosoms of all
honorable men, and it is reduced to
practice by nearly all those who have
charge of our eemetries, by excluding
the felon from being associated with
us even in the grave. If it is degra-
ding to be associated with felon al
ter We are dead, it must be much
more so to be associated with him
while we are living.
"In conclusion upon this subject, /
must be permitted to make one ear
nest appeal, and that is, for the Leg
islature to so direct the future man.
agement of the affairs of the peniten-
tiary, by their legislation, as to pro
|tect this large and respectable portion
of our fellow-citizens from this degra-
ding association and competition, by
excluding, as far as possible, all the
branches of mechanism from the pen
Iitentiary."
Since the sitting of the last Legs
lature, the penitentiary has met with
a serious accident, and a very heavy
loss by fire. On the 29th of March
last, about 8 o'clock in the morning,
the prison was discovered to be on fire
in the northeast corner of the build
ings; the flames spread with great
rapidity in both directions, until all
the inside buildings were nearly con-
sumed, embracing the eastern and
the main front building, which con-
tanned one-half of the cells for the
confinement of convicts at night
The most energetic efforts, as / am re-
liably advised, were made by the
keeper and other officers connected
with the prison, as well as some of the
fire-companies of this city to arrest
the devouring element, but, from the
great scarcity of water, and other
means necessary in such an emergen-
cy, we're found to be wholly unayail-
ing. The prison was set on fire by
meansof a slow match, which had been
constructed by two of the convicts the
day before, and deposited by them in
the northeast corner of the building,
a short time before they were taken
by their manager to their cells for
confinement in the evening. The fire
which proceeded from this slow match,