Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1872-10-05

there now. Are the christian people
of this town and county in no way res
ponsiblc for their being there. Has
christianity been allowed to do all il
could for them? Arc they there in
spite of careful christian training
Why my brethren | doubt whether
there is a single one of the twelve, who
knows what christianity really is
Christianity, or rather its representa-
tivcs have allowed them to grow up in
that brutal ignorance, which makes
the commission of crime as natural to
them as to breathe. Christianity has
taught society no higher wisdom than
to punish for what it has never striven
to prevent, and to make use of punish
ment as an end, rather than as means
to an end, and that end the formation
of the criminal. The christian church
has controlling influence in this
country, and therefore is responsible
to God for the moral condition of
these men. 1t has made no single ef-
fort to save them from that brutal ig-
norance, which inevitably leads to
crime, and the highest wisdom it has
taught society is to punish for that,
which it has never striven to prevent,
and the only tendency of its modes of
punishment, is still farther to degrade
and brutalize. These men have all
been raised up in what are nominally
christian communities; yet what has
christianity done for them, beyond al
loving them to receive course of
training, directly calculated to bring
them to the very place, they now occu-
py, and therefore | say the christian
church is responsible to God for their
being where they are, and as in a
measure she is responsible for their
being there, she is doubly responsible
for their treatment there.
Then let us examine the truth of
my statement, that the treatment they
receive there, is such as is calculated
still further to degrade and senualize
them. And that you may understand
the question, let me describe the place
where these prisoners are confined,
that you may judge for yourselves
whether it is fit residence for any be-
ing made in the likeness and image of
God, or whether a long confinement
there is calulated to humanizc, elevate
and improve the prisoners.
In the first place, let me tell you
that your Jail was long ago pronounced
a public nuisance by the grand jury of
the county. . for the pen of a Dick
ems that | might paint you picture of
this foul blot upon civilization, this
foul reproach upon christianity. OF
one thing | am certain, that if | fail
to excite your indignation, the fault
will be mine, for could you see what
have seen there, there is not a man or
woman here that would not be ready
to tear that vile structure down. Now
that part of the Jail building, appro-
priated to the prisoners use, consists
of an upper room, large and we'll ven
tilated. This is the parlor chamber of
the prison, and there would be nothing
to complain of as far as this room is
concerned, could those confined there
have the use of it all. But no, in this
room there is an iron cage, about ten
feet long, eight feet high, just about as
large as the cage of lion and tiger.
In this cage are five men, some of them
naked, and some Of them partially
clad, and if these men were TO lie
down side by side, their bodies would
nearly cover the space allotted to them
80 much for the parlor chamber OF
your Jail Now let us go down to the
cells, there are two of them; but |
cannot give you their dimensions; be-
cause they are too dark to see anything
beyond little space by the door when
it is open. They have positively nc
ventilation at all, and no light except
what comes from a small door opening
on a dark passage. In these caves
these dens Of wild beasts, | have seen
nineteen men confined at once. In
winter, budding close, as you have
seen hogs piled one upon another, to
get little warmth from each other
(for there is no means of supplying ar.
tifcial heat), and in summer lying
about naked on the floor of their den
with their tongues lollug out like dogs
painting for breath. Lying there
through all the nights and days of the
hot summer, no breath of air, no ray
of light; but darkness, stencil and YER
min for their only comforters.
My brethren, want you to realize
if possible, the simple facts of tn,
case. Suppose, we'll say a dozen men
shut up together in a small room
that has no fire place, no windows, nj
single opening of any sort, but small
door, not opening out into the fresl
air, bat into 4 narrow passage. Sup
pose these twelve men, never leaving
this small, close, unventilated room
day or night; but eating, drinking
sleeping there, amid the stencil Of rot
ting clothing that drops off by piece
meal and is not replaced. Think o
a room being occupied in this way fo
fifteen or twenty years, till every cracl
and crevice or being, becomes a breed
ing place for swarming ycrmin. Thinl
of these men lying there in darkness
stencil and vermin, through all tn
fierce heat of summer, and through
all the bitter cold of winter, and tel
me what Of torture there is lacking I,
make the the Jail of Clarksville hel
upon earth. And this is the place tn
christian people of Montgomery coun
ty, have provided for men, who may b
as innocent of any offence, against tn
laws as you or l, There is the mos
horrible part of it my brethren, 70
you must remember that the Jail is no
place of punishment at all, it wa
only intended as a place of safe keep
ing for those, who have been charge,
with crime, until they have been fair
ly tried Now it il not for momen
to be supposed that every one charge,
ed with an offense against the law i
guilty, and, yet, however, innocent h
may be, a man may be kept in that de-
of ofdarkness for six months or more, be
fore he is allowed chance to estab
lish his innocence. There is one ma
there now, who has been there TO
three years, aud whether guilty or in