The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-26

HELP WANTED.
WE print to-day a report of the work Of
the Prison Discipline Society, in this city.
Every humane heart will be moved by the
account of the Penitentiary Sabbath school,
and what it is doing for the unfortunates,
whom the safety of society compels us to
restrain within prison walls. This good
work appeals powerfully to every intelli-
gent citizen, because it adds to the re-
straints of punishment, the safe guards Of
reformed characters. 1t is measure COM
mended by every consideration of policy,
as we'll as by the precepts of religion.
While unreformed criminals are turned
loose, neither life nor property is safe.
To confne man for crime without any
attempt to educate and make him better,
renders him more desperate and dangerous.
Government has no r,yM TO turn criminal
loose until he giues good evidence Of being
reformed. al criminals ought to be confined
for life, unless they sooner reform. But
they should be surrounded by every need
ed help and stimulus to virtue. 1t seems
surprising, that this should be left to pri-
waite charity that the State should ignore
the most essential means of securing the
citizen against crime, by neglecting the use
of reformatory agencies. But SO it is,
and we may well blush for such neglect.
All honor to the noble men and women
who, in the spirit of the Master have gone
down into these uninviting places, to seek
and save the lost sheep of the flock. If
our philanthropy is not all sham, and our
religion arrant and hypocracy and fashiona-
BILE make-beleve, they will be amply sus-
| tanned, and the means provided to give the
highest efficiency to their efforts. 1t is
quite time, that this matter of treating Grim
inals, land especially of providing for juvenile
offenders and Migrants, were seriously
considered by our people. The subject
must be treated in the light of those new
facts in human nature, which science and
the progressive spirit Of. the age now recog-
nize, in all civilized countries. Criminals
come mainly Of the neglected class. W.
must try to hare no neglected class Il
breed them. Ignorance is the prolific
mother of vice. We may well pay Q
large bounty for her destruction we may
well invoke the strong arm of the State
to diminish the number of her progeny
IF the State holds sword in one hand, lei
it bring education in the other. If il
has failed in the past to protect
its children by opening their young minds
to religion and knowledge, let it repair,
as far as possible, the wrong it has done,
by making every prison college and ar
asylum, for the blinded souls which its neg
ligence permitted to grow up in darkness
) and to be caught in snares, that it would
not stoop to remove. &
We thank good Jeremiah Willet and hi.
noble co-workers, for their self-sacrifcins
devotion to duty. Their Christian charity
: stands out in bright contrast with the sod
: den selfishness and cold indifference of tina
$ fashionable christianity, which devotes tn
! price of souls to build fine churches ant
to gaudy dress, and that brutal polite
: which legislates for property, while one
{ half its children grow up in ignorance
3 and mature criminals ask it in vain, for ;
7 spelling book and Bible. We trust tina
$ their appeal for aid will meet a generous re
Spouse. If our religion is not delusion
the time hastens when the list of thes
!; prison Sabbath school teachers, will be
: roll of honor more illustrious than an,
ever read before conquering battalions
Come up, good friends, lovers of God au'
man, and help make the dark dungeons o
a Richmond radiant each Sunday with tn
d light of Christian love. 1t may be, tina
: seeking to lead others into the sure way
!, you shall find new Heaven opened t
| Yourselves. H ass