New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-13


ciples of management, only their worst feel.
ings are called out, their association will be
corruntipe to the last degree. But il their
better impulses are brought into play-and
Capt Machonochie, in Norfolk Island, Count
w. Sollohab, in the House OF Correction and
Industry in Moscow, and Sir Walter CroftOn,
in the intermediate prisons or Ireland, nave
shown that it is quite easy to do this by
proper combinations without sacrificing any
portion of reasonable punishment-then pris-
oners will be found just like other men.
They are born social beings they are so
fashioned by the hand aud purpose OF
their Creator and, as Count Solo
hab has forcbly said. speaking on TINS
very point men have no right to undertake
TO repeal and annul the laws of God. 1t Is
in society, not in seclusion from it, in the
society of their equals not in an exclusive
contact with their superiOrs, that their most
valuable qualities will be called out.
In dealing with prisoners, we fall into va
riety of mistakes, to which, nevertheless, pro-
fessed disciplinarians are zeaiously welded.
We draw no proper distinction between moral
and conventional Offenses. We multiply the
number of these latter, and at the same Tune
exaggerate their Importance. We wear out the
spirits and blunt the sentiment of obedience
and submission in our men by incessant de-
mands on them for mere frivOlities. we scar
their consciences by familiarizing them In this
way with petty offeuses. We allow the higher
principles of human nature to lie dormant in
our prisoners; we make no appeal but TO IN
slant and unconditional submission; we give
no charge to men of their own destiny. is
this q school of virtue2 The real road to i'm
provement lies through self-help self-disclphne,
manly struggle against adversely, conquest
over opposing obstacles But we give our
prisoners no opportunity of fighting this battle {;
no chance of acquiring energy and independ-
ence of character
The evident defects or our present system OF
discipline are beginning to arouse attention,
and men are looking about for some better
way to manage the increasing host OF criml-
nails who are thrown upon the hands OF the
State The inquiry deserves thought whether
it will not be best to abolish the perempt0ry
character of sentences in other words, replace
time sentences by reformation sentences. We
might adopt a system which should place the
fate of the prisoner measurably In his own
hands. Punishment might put him at the
start in position of severe adversely, from
which he could emerge only by long-sustained
effort and self denial. Under such system,
wisely and vigorously administered, we
should have everything to hope, and not very
| much to fear. We believe that, while life and
sanity are spared, the cases are comparatively
rare in which recovery is impossible when
properly sought There is indefinite elasticity
| in the human mind. if its faculties are put
into healthful action, and neither diseased by
maltreatment nor locked up in the torpor OF a
living grave. Undue severity or perpetual
| isolation may intimidate those who are outside,
but either must, even in its best form, injure
the sufferer himself. And that morality seems
to us more than doubtful which would sacrifice
the known for the unknown, the actual patient
for the supposed looker-On. If we seek well
and wisely the reform of our criminals, we
must in1ict on them all the suffering really
needful for example; more than this is wantOn
| cruelty.