, 1865-02-02

E0Gl0l circle as JEFFERSON ClLy Anu IL was
most gratifying to sec it doing homagc to the
representative Of Freedom.
The first man Gov. Fletcher selected upon
his honorary staff WAS Ben. ". Lewis, Of
Glasgow, No., who was the victim OF tho
guerilla Bill Anderson last fall, being tor
tured for four hours with all the cruelties
that human Tor inhuman) ingenuity could In
vent, on account of his radicalisu:.
RADICAL.
THE STATE PENITENTIAIkY.
Should Contractors hnvs tho Govern.
mcnt of C0nVtctsa
Editors Chicago Tribune:
While the attention Of the people and lcgis-
]ature Of our State is directed to an inyestisa-
relations OF the renitcntiary contractors and
State officers, would It not be we'll also, to
examine into the ethical relations of the State
with the conyicts. Such an examination
might result In highly Important rcformatory
mcasurre. Nothing Is more apparent than
thnt the Kind and degree Of punishment nee
cssary and right to be inflicted upon assgrcss,
ors Of Law. for the protection Of society and
the reformation of the offender, is to be deter
mined by tho degree Of intelligence aud NOR
ality of the community. I'm semi.barbarous
countries, the penal code must be markcd
and physically severe In order to adequately
impress The mind with tic danger Of trans
enlightened countries where tia general mud
moral sensipillty is less ohtuse, punishment
Of diminished and corresponding degree OF
severity will be equally efficient. In word,
wise cxpediency should direct legislation in
the punishment Of crime.
There are those who believe aud insist upon
the application Of the principles of abstract
rectitude In dealing with the offender Of law
regardless Of tue present condition Of society.
These extremists although correct In their
metaphysical distractions, fail to apprehend
the present condition and relations OF man.
kind aud the best possible arrangements
for, Their government in those conditions
as philosophers have to take TIC
people as they are, and make such rules and
regulations as ara best adapted to their cir
cumstances and wants. But while this prin-
ciple Of exrediency Is theoretically aud prac-
tically sound, there are reasons to believe
that 1t is prolific souice Of incalculable mis-
chief IN philosophy and government. ALI
our idras Of tclauye right and justice grow
out of our conceptions Of righ: and Justice
abstractedly considered. The q pTiori moral
ity Is the standa~4-of al correct action and
expectancy In the moral relations Of men.
The man who is fundamentally deficient In
his perceptions and sanctions of absolute
because be has no standard b. which 10 res1,
n1ate his life, and although it Is impossible in
the present condition Of. society at once to at
tain perfection, still, in all our changes of
government, law, political and social life, we
should aim towards the absolute, SO TINT our
progress may be true dcrclopment Of an en-
lIghtcncd aud Christian people.
In q mere adaDtation nf laws tn n ofven
condition Of society, reference must con
stantly he had TO absolute rectltude as the
criterion, or else it would be Impossible for
actments, to ednal and cxact Justice. --N
We will not stop here to inquire whether
our State legislation, which is pre-eullncntly
one of expedienc7. has this hich staudinr. Or
on the contrary, whether it IS dictated by nm
expedIeucy, tho standard Of WHICH il uerson-
nj ambition and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, From what
tahtstsdy thst insE s5s manifest
cncy IN the punishment Of crime, regard be.
ing had to tie aecrcssor. society. and The in
teliectua1 and moral dcyc1onment of fhc cn,u,
nunity, should be the<basis upon which our
criminal code should Be established.
That the aggressor Of tho 1aW should make
restitution so far rs possible is M 7,]nin that
It needs no discussion: that be should be r.
strained sufficiently for the security Of .socIe.
t., and maintain himself duriue lis conflne-
ment. ate enually nnnarrnt. 1,nt M cons;tJ.r.
ations Of Justice or expediency viii for a mo.
mcnt admit Of c1atultous or reycurcful nen.
altlcs.
The Drfsoner fioes mt 1ose nil of his riohts
by his crime md Incarceration arc M ~ NJ M some @ nre. re-
tend. but only such as are neces:ary o for fh fthe
Of the otcner der and tn roh XIX Kin 1' ~ r'aht
which is not neccssarv for the ahoVe nnrnos.
cs. is rs faarantly wfonr "a to wrcst II from
an7 other membsr Of societv.
It is hardly necessary to Inform the intelli-
-.
pcna1fies are addressed to the intelfectnal and
nmn,oi sensihfiittes ~ the o1are.snr rathar
thcn +o fho cornnraaI arimo1 ;5st n ,bat m.
nortion t1,cv hrcome s,1ntarr Govcred witl,
ccrin,e ci and shame ~ thc convict IL stii1 he ;a
m with viz Int inte|!ssnee @ M and eenseenes to
anthr,,,;c u ,,,a,, r. 1890 a ~ asri.o 1rhn
horo had n.i % nnor,aupe ~ ~ 80 rafarTa,t;ou |u
i naa most experience stss sne On
~ p4N4n tI,e nns,.,ett1t S ~ at ~
das,;1,,. fa1 f,,1,+,ro ~ n9ga;5roE ~" s,mt;e
,;cs IT, msr he 1,resent ID from the m1st enfiehf.
! litfereut stafss ~ enr nun Ifn;o, "4 1'+or;nn
cnnc,nssraiv thia d stotamsn+ A' p10's
1a,n ~ Jis. n.its at.tEnent' .s!sa ,.t,.
eeor, ~ ~ ~ sniaoso1 - H.. ~ ~ ot9a.. ~
4ts;r Fino ~ f,oTn the Drfeou o11s and tha s,,r4
ro;,1.nao - eaar5e an5 ~ ,rt
ena a1ssc;a., f%a;r oedo ~ a. na1nhens ~ sol
csctv HoT imTnrisnt therefnre 70 H. Statc
snction o 81 the ecnmnonIs"ifh fnr ~ crimes com.
Tn;tts5 ~ s,,am,d haro hean 1,rner1v tra;neI
tttu, 1n.;s, nuo1.u na,,annt u uten a aSu ~
o,,ra sn 10. axemrI;snat;oI of ;am5amanesl
e,a;,,,1ia - atI,;es ~ rsa.ht - -
I;nts ~ ntbo,s w. rtoi,tr,ca1;r ,,,,o. n.y.
ga,oi ot"s1 ho,,1a IKE fdss oeIa H.
rsaa;.ea ~ Tim carc and dsc;n,na
Of prisoners; II Is not enough that . chap;
tan " Hr ozd ~ eay i, aa 4h an
e1pnan tus NotI asas1', ~ Ty, nu e!h ~. Snesa. M
e1,oh = esra 4a r. =, tbo a;1'car;tr
s9et - = esfnu +hn a,ca "A c' ond ~ lne
I'm H;chiv as We annrrciete t1,c hansfsta r.
~ chsr1,i1cv fn- dI.r @,a,f.snt;sr.. tbe.
e1,on1d Il a oert ofa sTisa ani har,';nonfa,;. fy
arsfem NJ fg6xnrnment and fra;n,n~ aanniad
IL The peon1r of thc State tbrot,~i, thc Een-
erai Assemhlv,
How inexcnsib,v vronr for tAc ntoud Stain
Of Illinnts- that h1nsts 0f her ciuc3tionoi nnj
1,ennfcent e fnst;tntiona oFhar mosa1e 1nd uau ~
i,ginn to ntter1v chanion " ihc cnnrict .,u w'n
cGme 3naer 1or care ~ 1nercen,rr mon Thoso
on1r ;ntrrcsf In thcn, fs nersonai r,;n Pm.
tic:IlV there Is no nerson ennioFsd hy II to
rar,resont ~ - stotp G 10 1ooE r. tho nersnnai
~ resS-,no +nrr IN ts1cst If ira convict IA 10
handsd nrar son1 onS hoI1v nv 1arisiat;ve acs
Hon - ti,n contractor Yin u aiaS marie war.
don Thia nnna~n31eied and TJtffn1 condi.
tion ofnnr conTFicfs ia arorayated h. the f,ct
hat hat # Ills isl t5nst Of lie eonfractor and warden
ia made assirnah1e to any bodv. rerariless of
ntness -. c15racterEnnd nnora tf,at ffIs az.
ntaee1 at soSt ~ nf"ss;onmsn+ hos heen .c,n,iIv
slnSas,n ~ ~ III not dre11 unon tha I'M,
asad T,,a es;r,n and ,1f"rnl;tT NJ shrse =.
a43ona nao and ,1ansact;ons f6ev Ara receiv;n-
th.t - consideTatIon I ~ n% That ihcir importance de-.
mands rom tine. determined, and skilled men