New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-19

we prOullseO Inc Otntr cay, al the cLu Ol ul5-
QUESTION to the proper mode Of dealing with the
convicted class of our fellow citizens, that we
would follow up the subject at An early day. The
activity lately displayed in the garrote market
the improvement we have had occasion to no.
tice in our quotations of that fancy stock, and
the consequent increase Of operations in this line,
giving US reason to expect (peihaps We should
rather cay, to hope) large addition to that i'm
poitant department of society, not TO mention the
recent opportunities for the cultivation of the taste
for the Fine Art of Murder, we feel ourselves
compelled to resume the subject and finish what we
had TO say upoo it. We said in that article, what we
are certain the statistics of crime will make good,
that offeDses against the person Of an aggravated
nature are net more numerous, considering the in-
crease Of population, either in England or in this
country, than they were century or halt century
$50. The crimes which come Of that reading and
writing which our Southern philosophers aud
statesmen hate rs much as Jack Cade did, have
increased and multiplied no doubt. Where the youth
of realm are traitOrOusly corrupted BY the cree
ton of grammar schools ard generally are go well
brought up, like the Clerk Of Chatham, as to write
their own names, one cannot be surprised at their
occasionally writing the names Of other people; and
if they are taught to cast account, they will
unquestiOnably sometimes cast il wrong. We
attributed the diminufOn of crimes of violence in
a good measure to the practical wisdom which has
been directed though imperfectly enough yet, to
the treatment of the criminal classes and the at
tempts to approximate to the true philosophy Of
punition.
Let US consider little what this is. Pope tells
US that I" true sef,ove and social is the same" 50
that course of proceeding in regard to the criminal
classes which is really the best for them must be
the best also for society. If we can find one side
of the equation we shall be sure to find the other
standing over against it, as q matter Of course. AZ
one element Of better state of Prison Discipline,
we affirm again the necessity of putting all places Of
detention and of punishment under the charge Of a
different class of men from those that now control
them. The delicacy and importance Of this fupc-
ton demands men every whit the equals, the supe-
riors if they can be found, of the gentlemen who
direct the sylums for unfortunstes aboring under
specific disabilities, such as Insanity, Blindness,
Deafmuteness or Idiocy. This is the essential
preliminary of any material reformation of our penal
establishments, and Of any important improvement
in their results. 1t should be the duty of these ,u
perintendents, thus carefully chosen, to study the
case Of every subject submitted to his care-as, in
the institutions above mentioned the director Is
bound to make himself acquainted with the mental
idiosyncrasiss and special bodily condition Of he
patients intrustei 10 his charge. They should do
this with the double object Of separating the durable
from the ncorr gble and Of deyisipg the best meth
DDS of restoring the one to society and Of protecting
society against the ether.
In order to enable them to do this, $ thorough
change must be made in the present modes Of ap-
portionipg punishment and of termnatiugt. Moth
ing can well be more clumsy and more unPhi.Osopb.
ics than the present way Of doing both these nee.
essary things. The Legislature undertakes to fix
the maIimum and the min,mnn Of Imprisonment at
hard labor, or otherwise, that may be inflicted as
the penalty of particular oherse. Then the
| Judge before whom the offender Is cenTcted Is to
consider all the circumstances Of his Gaze aud 70
| regulate the amount of punishment according to
his view Of its excavations and its exterustious
How much this depends on persoral character and
temperament how often it is affected By transient
states Of mind and variations Of temper. svsry one
who 10 in tbs habit Of watohins the course Of Grin
ina Courts - perfectly vel aws.s II - 2a.. Of