The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-10-09


Before the candidate obtain admission to the
high privilege of being employed in this institution
at any one of the branches of business carried on
there, be must first commit the horid crime of MUIR
der, arson, larceny, rape or some other of the
offences 7ioative OF law. he must then stand
trial at some of courts Of justice and then re-
celve certificate from the presiding judge that
these facts all true and in addition to this he
must be accompanied by the high sheriff Of the
county aud his retinue to the State Mechanic Insti
ttae Having arrived, his credentials are presented
and such other evidence as may be required that
be is a ft and worthy candidate, having passed
through the ordeal necessary and proper to his
qualification for admission. He is then received by
the proprietor of the institute, and safely condu e.
ed to the stone mason's, sculptors or some other
department. and there begins his new vocation of
reducing the rough and unpublished marble to shape
and fashion The hands that are vet crimson with
the blood of the unoffending, made TO ply the
malet and chisel, did Socrates, the Greci2n phil
osopher and statesman-perhaps, too, in the course
CT his servtude with the guilty hand TO engrave
upon the tomb of the departed and ilustrious dead
the lines which intended to indicate to the in
curing living their many virtues and exalted worth
And so, also, with all the other departments that
sre carried on in this institution: there might be
similar illustrations made in reference to tailors
shoemakers matters, blacksmiths, wagonmakers,
&c, &c.
''The State by the establishment of this institu-
IT,,
from every county in the State all the incorgible
offenders who are known to the law, and after col
lecting them within the walls of the penitentiary
embarks in all the branches of mechanism, and
openly enters the field of competition with the
mechanics Of the country. The mechanics out.
side of the pententiary required, by all the OBJ
legations ct good citizens, in peace as well in
war, to submit to taxation to sustain the govern
ment under which they may live, and at the
time compete with the State in their own branches
of business. This policy Of the State, in carrying
on the branches of mechanism, and the employ
ment Of all the felons of the country at them has
a direct tendency TO degrade the mechanics of the
country as a body. Felon and mechanic crime
and mechanism from their close association, be-
come corresponding terms in the public mind
The felons after having served out their time
turned loose upon the country TO mix with the
mechanics as best they may, and perchance to be-
come inmates of their families ard companions in
their shops Is it right that this description Of our
population should be thrown upon, and associated
with the honest and industrious mechanics Of the
State, either in person professiong There is an
instructive repugnance in the bosOms OF all homo
rabe men, and il is reduced TO practice by nearly
all those who have charge of our cemeteries, by
excluding the felon from being associated with Us
even in the grave. If it is degrading to be asso
cated with a felou after dead, it must be
much more 80 to be associated with him while We
are living.
''In conclusion upon this subject, ] must be per
mitted TO make earnest appeal, and that Is, for
the legislature to SO direct the future management
of the affairs Of the penteutiary, by their legisa
ton as 20 protect this large and respectable portion
of our fellow citizens from this degrading associa
ton and competition. by excluding as far as posi-
bic, all the branches of mechanism from the
penitentiary."
Since the sitting of the last Legislature, the pen
itentiarv has met with serious accident, and
,,ary baavv loss nv fire On the gQth Of March
last about O'Clock in the morning, the prison was
discovered to be fire in the northeast corner OF
the buildings the flames spread with great rapidity
in both directions, until all the inside buildings were
nearly consumed, embracing the eastern and the
main front building which contained half Of the
cells for the confinement Of convicts at night The
most energetic efforts, as | am reliably advised,
were made by the keeper aud other officers con-
nected with the prison, as well as some OF the hre
companies Of this city to arrest the devouring ele-
ment but from the great scarcity of water, and
other means necessary in such an emergency, we're
found to be wholly unavailng. The prison was set
on fire by means Of a slow match, which had been
constructed by two of the convicts the day BEFORE
and deposited by them in the north east corner Of
the building 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 and which communicated to the build
ing was not discovered until O'Clock the next
moraing, as before stated. At an early hour after
tho buildings we're consumed aud living in pile
of smoking ruins the inspectors Of the penitentia
nv. together with the Governor, had a consultation
ia reference TO the most efficient steps necessary
TO he taken under the existing circumstances The
inside buildings were all burned down, or nearly
so half of the cells destroyed in the east end of
the main building; tools of every description con-
sumpd or so spoiled as 20 make them unfit for use.
The convicts two hundred and seventeen in num-
Der, we're divided into different companies, and
were marched and counter marched about in the
ward, for the purpose of preventing mutiny
outbreak all Of them without employment With
this state OF facts before them, the Inspectors and
the Governor at once determined that it would be
hest In view OF safety and economy, to proceed
without DELAY TO repair the buildings that the
convcts could be employed proftably and made
more secure at night. They, therefore, concluded
90 borrow a sufficient amount Of money from the
various banks of this city, upon their own credit
and responsibility, 10 ret and repair the prison in
such manner as might be considered absolutely ne.
cessary. This course was deemed by the Governor
the most efficient step that could be taken, because
IL dispensed with the necessity Of converting the
Legislature in extraordinary session, which would
cause great delay before anything practicable could
Doe done. leaving the whole institution IN chaotic
and unsafe condition The Inspectors, by taking
this course have done all that the Legislature could
have practically done in extra session, and by so
doing have saved the expense OF an extra session
OF the Legislature, when would nave been much
greater than the entire amount necessary TO repair
the penitentiary.
The amount OF money borrowed by the lnspec-
tors from the various banks in this city, upon their
own responsibility, and which has been applied to
the reftting and repairing OF the penitentary, Is
twenty thousand dollars. This sum, it is believed,
has been proftably and economically applied 10 the
purposes for which it was borrowed. A statemeot
of the entire expense giving all the items IN detail
will be furnished by the Inspectors for your exsmi-
nation. For a more minute and detailed account OF
g whole affair." refer you 10 the report OF the
Inspectors, which will be submitted TO both branches
of the Legislature in a few days.
This heavy responsibility has been incurred by
the Inspectors and 10y doing, there has been
saved to the State many thousands OF dollars II Is
therefore, expected that the Legislature will take
prompt aud efficient action upon this subject and
relieve the Inspectors from the heavy responsibility
which they have incurred for the reftting and re-