The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-13

/ ed, and 283, 759 convicted. There are certain
circumstances presented in these reports which
are worthy of serious consideration. Il is sac
to notice the proneness to crime in the young
! OF the total number of offences very large
proportion was committed by persons under
the age OF 81. Between the ages of 16,a
81 the number was about equal 10 the whole
number after 40 years Of aye, This is not diff
6cult Of explanation. Youth is the season .
heady passion and strong temptation-it is the
period when the destinations and allurements 0
4 vice are most potent because more congenia
10 the vigorous development of the animal pro
pensties, while the powers Of resistance are
most feeble, because reason and religious prin
ciples have not yet obtained the mastery. The
criminal statistics Of Great Britain are, we doub
not, those Of most countries. Whenever the
hot blood and innate seishness of youth are
unchecked by those constant and habitua safe
guards which secular instruction, home infu-
ence and pious teachings supply, they are alb
solutely certain TO eliminate in crime the mo
ment propitious opportunity is presented
These truths are further illustrated by the
comparison between the educated and unedu-
Gated portion Of criminals. OF 1874 600 often
ders, A 900 could neither read nor write:
10000 could read, or read and write imper-
fectly, while only 600 were well yersed in both
arts Ia other words more than 80 per cent
were uneducatedl
We find then that youth and ignorance are
the most frequent attendant circumstances up
on crme-the first less generally than the sec
ond. A bad man may be young or old, but in
nine cases out Of ten he is sure to be uneduca
ted. The sole reason why in youth vice and
error break forth more frequently than in ma
turer age, is that the passions are more violent
self,conlrol less powerful, and prudence little
known
1t is to be regretted that we have no means
Of arriving at the same precise statistical re-
suits in matters Of crime as are furnished in the
carefully prepared tabular statements Of Great
Britain. Wemay, however, feel tolerabIy sure
that though they might exhibit a smaller pro-
portion 70 the aggregate population, the points
Of comparison would be the same. Every
where is ignorance the fruitful mother Of evil
And By ignorance we do not mean exclusively
the lack OF the rudments of education. ALTHOUGH
these are OF the utmost importance as an intro
ductlon 70 truths of more sacred and exalted
character, The ignorance 10 which we refer
is the dense and almost impenetrable darkness
10 which the minds Of thousands are left with
respect TO the paramount doctrines of life and
religious faith. How are men to be preserved
pure from vice and crime unless they are TAUGHT
hrst 70 know what evil is. and then how to shun
il? Here is the field, broad, spacious and All
uncultlvated, which demands the earnest skill
and diligence Of the phianhropist. Take one
hundred boys Promiscuously. Let one half of
hem grow up without moral care and atten-
ion, while the other half are seduously train F.!
ID and disciplined from their earliet wears, OIL
he first large majority will in due time be-
come inmates of our prisons and penitentiaries.
or az least Of our hospitals and aims houses; Of
he latter similar proportion will live in the
esteem of their fellow men, and with the an.
'roval Of their consciencts
There is no royal road to virtue. On the
contrary, the path is tedious, narrow. and to Be
rod patiently. perscveringly, and enduringly.
Those who attempt to pursue it without preyi-
US instruction, and gradual knowledge Of the
Dad, are apt to wander from the highway. and
weary oftheir slow and painful progress
hose only who with accomplishing fortitude
nd humble reliance on their Divine Teacher
ave diligently continued in the beaten track
lrnlng neither to the right nor to the left, find
neIr reward in the comfort and happiness
hlch await them at the end 70 drop the
letaphor II we wish to restore the golden age
humanity, 70 break down prison walls, and
polish crime, We must begin by securing to
'ery member Of society The priceless blessings
educatlon-that education which, while it g,
ipands the intellect, cultivaes and enlarges
L affections.
We learn from the Houma (Terrebonne :
'rlsh) Ceres Of recent date, that the meet
: OF The American party held in that town .
tely' were attended BY about 800 persons, Z
any q whom were old democrats, Who ex- ).
essed their determination to support the r
rlsh ticket as well as the State and congress 7
NAL nominations Of the Americans to be
'de' IN opposition to the regular nominees :
the democratic party. The utmost harmony /,
q enthusiasm prevailed, and the multiplied ! !
feats their party has met with seem in no re-
sct to have chilled the ardor and devotion ii
the unconquerable Americans Of Terre-
nne The proceedings Of the meeting will 10
found in another column Terrebonne is !.
OF the strongest parishes Of the State-the "
abitants mostly French creoes; this move
ut on their part, will have considerable in tlt
ence on the citizens of New Orleans. We - -
slider "the ball fairly set in notion In t.
days, we expect to be fully informed on
subject. tn