The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-04-03
MISS DIX.

Inc IoAoWlnS is an interesting sketch OF Miss
Dorothea L. Dix, the lady who was instrumental
in having a Lunatic Asylum built in North Caro-
lima and many other States
For twenty years this noble christian lady has
been devOtlng her time and private means 10 i'm
prove and elevate the prisoner and the lunatic.
She has been their advocate before every Legsla-
ture in the STATED More than twenty States have
asylums erected through her eloquent appeals to
Legislatures! She has visited others, and had
| them enlarged and reformed! Those which she
has compelled q use the proper word) Legislatures
to erect, she has revisited. Every one she keeps
under her eye, and ealously watches against abuses
few years ago she induced Mississippi to build
an Asylum. "It is too SMALL" she said to me.
"They have to put beds the floor; I go to ask
an appropriation for its enlargement"
And not only does she make Legislatures erect
asyums in all States, but she makes them reform
their prisons! She has personally inspected every
penltentlary in the Union, and reported on them
to the Legislatures and recommended reforms and
ways and means for the moral and physical benefit
of the prisoners. She presents libraries to prisons
and asy lums! Last year at Natchez. she solicited
and obtained $4,000 from opulent citizens to
furnish pianos pictures, books, and other of
passing time, for the of female and male patti
ents of the State Asylum She said: "The State
provides buildings and officers and food, but veal
luxuries, to the unhappy inmates"
A few years since she visited England) France,
Italy, Russia, Austria. She was received with dis
tinction by Victoria, Louis Napoleon, the Emperor
of Russia, and by the Pope. Passes to prisons and
asylums were freely furnished her by the crowned
heads At first the Pope refused her applications
to visit his prisons! She then addressed him a
letter. 1t obtained for her an audience 1t lasted
for an hour and she left him with the keys of all
his prisons in her hand, in the form of general
order to their governors to admit her. He said to
her: "Report to ME what you see." At the end
of fortnight she made her report, rebuking GER
tain crueties and recommending reforms "es-
pecially the separation of lunaties from convcts."
His Holiness thanked her, and (what is more)
adopted to the letter all her suggestions! She
left a blessing on the prisons of Europe as if an
angel had visited them, and with large experience
returned to this country And now, one week in
Newfoundland and another on her way to Miss
isspp she till goes on her mission. Quiet, retir-
ing sefpossessed, full of courage and love for the
suffering, she traverses State after State doing
good.
'And where" do you ask, "does she obtain the
means?" They are from her own resources
She has never asked for dollar for herself or for
defraying her expenses in travel Now, indeed,
she is so well known that she goes free as air from
Maine to Texas all routes, Superintendent of
roads eagerly give her free tickets for year!
She is not rich native of Salem, Massachu-
setts she was born forty five years ago of an old
and arstocratc family. At the age oftwenty, with
party of ladies and gentlemen, she visited the
State Prison in Charlestown, Mass At that day
lunatics were always confined with criminals
There were no separate asylum for this unhappy
class The incongruity Of this struck her? There
were twenty mad men in the prison: "Nlisfortune,
disease, is no crime! Why are these here?" she
L.. e Al T yIo
of her party. "It is customary was the careless
reply. "You ought to appropriate money to erect
a separate institution for the insane!" she said.
"Draw upyour bill, Miss Dix he said pleasantly
''and / will introduce it !"
She took him at his world the bill was introduc-
ed. Much debate followed. She addressed letters
to it's bittercst opponents pleading for it! She
prevailed. 1t was carried, and the appropriation
of a large amount Of money was voted, and the
next year the walls ofan insane asylum began to
be upreared! This noble young woman did not
stop here She visited Rhode Island, Connecticut
and other States! She made it her mission to build
up asylums and to reform prisons She has trav-
eed on her own paternal income of two thousand
dollars or little more and out of it has borne all her
expenses, and done all that she has done!
God bless her Heaven reward her! On earth
tens of thousands of the happyless insane and Of
the unhappy prisoners lift up their hands and
voices in greatful benedctions upon her head!
Honor to her sex. Honor to her race. What
homage shall be withdrawn from her, that CRATE
full age can give! Long may she live to pour balm
upon the burning brain of the lunatic, and amel-
iorate the condition of the "prisoner and captive
Ten years ago met her at Nashville, where she
was trying to get the Legislature to appropriate
100000 to State Asylum and succeeded too!
She then very fair and interesting looking, but
constant travel over the Union and in Europe, had
told upon her face, which is strongly marked with
lines Of thought and ennrry