The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1859-10-15
THE NEW YORK SUN.
SATURDAY MORNING, OCT. IL, 1863.



Our prison philanthrcpists find, from lcag OBJ
ssrvstions and comparisons, that certain iscal
psculiarity marks nearly all persons who hive
suffered long impriscnments. This change IN
the eountsnance cen scarcely be described,
and those who have had no experience In
marking II for themselves would be abls to
detect II, but let some Of our sharp sight.
cd friends Of prisoners sre able to pick out
objects Of their philanthrophy from crowds Of
persons whom they have never before seen.
WILLIAM jar HAskKrr, Esq, who takes
much interest In prisoners and prison discipline,
attributes this peculiarity to mental prostration
brought on by the cessation Of mental culture
during the term Of imprisonment; and his view
Is, undoubtedly, a correct one. In a letter to a
prison discipline convention, at Philadelphia, he
says.
"t Is the deep conviction Of the humsns that In the
government Of offenders q sufficient regard hss nct
been had ~ their menta culture and employment
during their mprisonment,and that this neglect per-
pefrses uron society wrong almost equal to tha.
Ierstnt,d by the imprisoned offender. lie Ii
thrown back upon socitty, with his constitutional
dimnsh,d vgor q the moral and social power Of re-
dstaace which he p'sse~sed before his long mental
inactivity, and he readily falls . prey 10 the least
"fen.t,ted with tbe~e tr,its, aud with an esrpe,,
dese 10 fill up the hours Of their imprisonment MT
allotted 70 labor with the means o. ap.easant mental
activity, few persons, by contribution, commenced
this work by furnishing the prisoners In Sing Sing
with books, suitable n the peculiar condition u their
minds, and calculated TO create q taste for reading,
and thus gradually elevate their minds and soot6e
the anguish Of their wasting spirits. large num-
bor OF books, u every kind, In several Languages,
were sent to the Reverend Mr.. Lucxrr, chap.
lain Of sing Sing prison, and thus added 10
commenced. The friends Of the prisoner waited
with intense solicitude for hs report and when he
said tho Prisoners Library Is crowned with the
most glorious success his words sent thrill Of oy
to the hearts OF the prsoners friends He went one
step fuither lie SAID that books are an Important
ekmsnt In prison discipifne, and illustrated this
proposition by saying, formerly, when we had but
few OF no books ON Sunday aternoons the Off osrs on
the corridors were constantly annoyed by the proac
ribadry Of the restless prisoners In their celG; but
now all Is quiet and calm, because the prisoners ar
engaged earnestly In reading
" IL with these views and these facts that We
most respectfully approach this convention. We
come ~ ask you, Shall principle, - Important in
human government be permitted to depend upon
individual bsnevoenoe IL is true that some Of our
states have freely oryansed tho principle for which
quate appropriation for tho purchase Of books, but
they have fallen short of tho great work Of duty be-
fore them."
Tho subject, and the view Of II here given,
deserves the attention Of tie legislative suthori-
ties Of the State, and we trust II will DO taken
up at an early day, and such action taken as
II Iay be found to demand.