New-York tribune., 1867-06-18
PRISON DISCIPLINE md SOLDIER CON
VTCTg

If a man of benevolent aims and good ad-
ministrativo ability had tho leisure and tho
inclination 20 spend his life in efforts 60 benefit
his kind, it ia doubtful whether ho could attain
his object moro eGfectually than by following
in the footsteps of Howard. tho philanthropist.
It il the sick who need physician and this
is as true in a moral and intellectual ssuse M
in physical one. There arc patients in our
penitentaries as surely rs in our hospitals.
The old idea of prison IL chat it is q place
first OF punishment in rcqui,al for wrong
doing, and next of restraint 70 prevent wicked
men and women from roaming at large III
society. Under such view OF the case, all
that is necessary Is that tho walls should DO
strong and tho locks Of the best patterns
that there should bo plenty of handouts; o
fair supply of straight-jackets; good stout
iron staples In some Of the cells, with reliable
chains attached cato -nine-tails, or some
other equally persuasive weapon, always OF
hand, and stout gang of hands fitted to
manipulate these various 0ppliances-men who
won't take any nonsense, and have no weak
scruples about compelling order and quiet by
the convenient shortcut Of force. The ideal
of Tailor, under this old system, is a burly
official, with revolver on one side Of his belt
and bunch Of keys dangling from the other.
This is in accordance with the old Jewish
doctrine of retalatOry justice, An eye for an
"eyo, tooth for q tootho It's supporters talk
about the offended dignity Of the law; human
holocaust they think, must be offered up In OK
piation. Sin is 10 be punished they believe.
eternaly by God In the next world why
ell nOf fru 10 In Ia IA.
rection, in thisf Their idea Is that prisons
should be made terror TO eyil-dOers the moro
uncomfortable the moro efficient They do not
usually carry their ideas as far as the Venetian
InquistOrs who, in. that celebrated prison
which was reached by tho Bridge OF Sighs"
thrust the culpnts in tho depth of Winter into
subterTanean dungeons, dripping with wet, and
removed them SUI pionlbi (that is, TO low-roofed
garrets under He leadsl when the fierce sun Of
July beat on the metal close above their heads.
But the principle is the Same. If the prisoners
lie on straw nevor changed till it ia filthy, if
tho ventilation be bad, if the fare be mlsera-
BILE, If tho confinement be excessive, producing
disease, what matteri The moro forciblo is
the example to deter others from crime.
All that was in character during pagan
tines 1t suited pagan ideas. But wo are, or
profess to be, Christians We live under
system of which the Author substituted the
agency of love for tho rule of fear; mercy for
vengeance. We go to churches where we hear
such texts az this; "There is moro joy in
Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than
over ninety and nine just persons" If We are
to act in the spirit of that text, it is not
enough to have Christian churches; we must
have Christian prisons also
In the old fundamental idea touching the best
mode OF preventing or diminishing crime, there
is o radical error. A prison should not be a
mere place OF Incarceration, still less place
of suffering it should be place ofretormGtion.
is that commonplace ideaf 1t is not found
in our dictionaries; scarcely in our encyclope-
dias. What is Noah Webster's conception
of a prison. "a building for the conhne-
"ment and safe custody of debtors and Grim
"inals committed by process of law; place
"of safe custody, q place of confinement or