Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-02-11


sentiments of the day. A wise forethought
should admonsh them, however, to provide
In time to avert those evils which they are
powerless to resist; and to f0rtify them
selves, by political alliance and enlargement
of territory, against the threatened encroach-
ments upon the equal rights and privileges
of the lesser members of the confcderacy.
State, such as the union of this Peninsula
would FORM containing an area OF about six
thousand square miles and a population suil-
cient to entitle her to three II not four Rep
resentatives in Congress, would rank well
in political estimation, thus, besides secur-
ing safe position, possessing population
and extent of territory which would justify
many ameliorations and much. desired I'M
| proveIlents.
The inconvenience of being so small n
State.is made painfully manifest to all who
have in any manncfengaged in the pnblic
affairs of the Commonwealth.
The system which the State has for the
punishment of criminals, guilty of felony
and other offences of a kindred grade, IS
caricatured and misrcpresented until equal
il not greater odium attaches to il thnn was
attached to the institution of negro slavery.
The sickly sentimenialty of the aye will
next insist upon the adjustment of hanging
for the blood guilty murderer because the
drop is supposed to hurt the geatienlans
neck. Nor will IL stop there, confinement,
tempered with roast beet and mince pies
gymnastic exercises and pslam singing pro-
vided for amusements light reading fur
Dished in the shape of tracts and Beecher's
sermons the finale to be prayer meetings
and revivals, when the most hardened Grim
inal VIII have been pronounced TO have
graduated from the moral school of the new
era, and diploma furnished him as q model
| of -
recommendation that as mercy and morality
have made him Il new man with n now soul,
he should go forth and not be naughty any
more. However much the present system may
be culoglzed as most effective for the preven-
tiOn of crime, and under other circumstances
IL might be proper 10 hesitate before conccd-
ing its replacement by the system so much
approved of by the purilans Of the East
which system is nothing more nor less than
legal slavery where the forced labor of the
criminal completes with and is made TO
cheaper the labor the free white mechanic
that the state may reap the profit thereof
by many of our best men II is considered
advisable to consent TO its abandonment To
avoid greater danger with which The State
is menaced. For the attacks upon this sys-
TEN are in reality only II part Of matured
plan oil assaults upon our State soy
ereigniy with the designs of forcing
upon us measures obnoxious to the political
sentiment Of our people. But when our leg
islntors conclude amongst themselves TO Try
the pcnitcnliary System, embarrassment
meets them nj tie very Threshold, whether
SO small State can afford the expense of
constructing The necessary building and there
after dciray the cost of maintenance, for with
the few criminals the system with us would
he expensive and not a source of profit as il
IL in Wi. -;
and criminals are more numerous.
Were the State thrice the extent and thrice
the population il is, the legislature would be
In II position TO consider the criminal system
solely with The view of providing that best
adapted to prevent the commission of crime,
as the financial question would be but sec
ondary.
That the public school system is defective
and inefficient for providing proper cduca-
ton for the youths of the state, is fact adj
mitted by all men who have given the sub
jcct the least attention. Dcmagogues dccry
it., partizans make of II q fund Of political
capital, and that is The end of it. We all
know what perfect system is-one which
will provide every community in the State
with II school kept for II At Leaf ten months
in the year, where the children of the pooi
as well as the rich may receive such an adl
cation as may be adapted TO all the ordinary
avocatiuns OF liie-ths TO be provided al
public expense, either by special taxation III
the people themselves and their property oi
BY the State providing II fund, the interest O
which viii deiiay all Tie expenses.
But the difficulty in the way of establish
ing such Il system, has been that the State
was was too small to provide SO ample q
fund, and the people Of the lower COUNTIES
were either too poor or if andholders, thcil
lands were not of sufficient productive valut
us to bear so great taxation us such II com
pete system would necessarily impose. s.
successive legislatures have periOrce beer
compelled to limit their action to occasiona
improvements adapted TO localities where
the people had accumulated sufficient CAPT
tai moi TO make the increased taxation oner
Gus or oppressive.
A State, embracing this whole Peninsula
; would be suiliciently'large, pupuluus ant
rich TO remedy this public grievance; AMI
II the union should be productive Of nothing
more than thar of providing a good system
of general education by means of public
schools,t rising generation would in latter
Times bless the men Of the present day wht
J may contribute to consummate this move
: mcnt of consolidation.
In truth, the State of Delaware nccupie.
, the position Of the inrnct who was The
} owner and occupant of II handsome and prn
NuhtifN HtAIN iNlIij VI OulN twenty IfltSt IL
n most desirable locality, convenient Il
schools, churches, mills, mines and markets
His neghbOrs were all rich men and farmCt
to advantage, from two hundred to five
hundred acres OF land. Their wealth ena
bcd them to purchase all the most appruvct
labor. saving machines, 10 make their lands ri
producIigeas Ant and Nature combined coult
make Them all give to their children thi
Z best and mostthorutGfh ofealuCations. lIcwa
Iii sEs 4.
productive II theirs and Of gyins IL lis Gill
tlren rs good au education rs any Of Ills neigh
bTs. Ills motives and his desires were baud
able. but What pr vnel he;r accomplish
mtnt was the fact that it took all the products
; OF his twenty acres TO provide food and cutl
: ing for himself and family. In the course
, time he inherited a joint interest in siXt,
acres of land adiOining,a aud thereafter his in
come enabled him 10 keep pace with hi
, ncighbors in all the essentials Of good socie
ty.
In the discussion Of This subject, varieu
olher considerations, III iugh Of minor i'm
l poi'ance.cr cross the mind, all tending To show
) the benefits and advantages to he dcriyct
nom The political union Of This Peninsula
Ii then the conclusions lie favorable to til,
proposed union,he question arscs,as to tht
action most proper 10 be had 10 inaugural,
! the movement. An Informal convention lu
: consultation and agreement upon the termi
, Off union such as would be agreeable aut
satisfactory to all the parties concerned, ha,
! been deemed TO be the best mode of proceed
ure to obtain an expression of the public sen
liment On the subject and that the invita-
ton should proceed from The Legislature q
the State of Delaware has been considered
most proper, as giving TO the movpmen
character and the weight OF official sanction
1t will take time, perhaps several years, fol
the project to pass through the several Stag
: es toward success in obtaining the assent aut
approval Of the different authorities interest
ed. II successful great good and II great WORK
will have been accomplished hut il il shouiC
be obstrucled and be temporari defeated
the State cannot lie charged with parlin.
/ with any of its dignity bul rather with gene
rosi'y IN countcrancing the desires often
times expressed by many Of the residents o
, The contiguous territory rs well us numer.
Gus Of her own citizens.
Concert of action is that which Is most de
sired, and by the Legislature of Delaware
asserting to Il resolution naming II day for
convention of those most Immediately inter
es,cd, the State is committed no further thar
that al hli0ruiug nm OuutittulitV for Tho npn