Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-04
Letter from a convict.

The following is the closing portion Of a
letter lately written by young man
eighteen years Of age, now confined i'll our
State prison:
Il am certain that You will agree with
me in saving that few men have done more
harm than those who have been thought
to be able to do the least; and there can
not lie a greafer error tlian TO believe man
whom We sec qualified witl tie heart 20 do
good, TO be therefore incapable of doing
hurt; there is 4 supply of malice, of pride,
of industry, and even of folly, in the meek
est, when he sets his heart upon it, that
makes a strange progress in wickedneSs.
Gas have informed YOU, will never at
tempt to escape from here, nor viii l aid
others in doing 50. When L make my exit
from these walls, twill be in legitimate
way; though, TO a certainty, there is no
man here who desires his liberty more
than / do. It's true, this place is con-
Quoted as well, if not better, than the most
of prisons; the leading officers are kind and
humane gentlemen, who look to the COM
fort of those under their charge; but place
Of confinement, let it be the very palace of
the sun, so magniticently constructed blythe
lofty Imagination of Ovid. or let it re par
The world says we have merited this pun
ishment, and that we ought to be content
ed and thankful that we are treated as well
as We are. My dear sir, YOU are aware that
there are many poor devils doomed 20 exc
out a miserable existence in institutions Of
this kind, who deserve a better fate-men
who are victims Of circumstances; who on
the impulse of the moment, or while under
. ,,,,IIor,s,,cr al - l.
committed tritiing Otfence-crime we will
say-that in his sober, sesisible moments
he would abhOr. Tie outraged laws of the
State must be ylndieated, and twelve ig-
norant men Loom him 10 be immured in a
living torlD to fret away the flOwery part of
ms life, ii he should, fortunately, be re-
reed, all his bOyhOOd's bright hopes and
inspirations are shattered and Trtlshed, and
henceforth he walks through the world with
the finger Of scorn pointing him out an er-
cOnrjCt. 1t is all nonsense about a convict
building himself up again; one out of an
hundred might do it. If there is any
senSitiveneSs in his nature, he imagines
every one knows of his disgrace, the d5grada-
ton he has undergone, and he generally
comes back to prison to end the remnant
OF his shattered life. If man isroused by
the voice Of conscience and extends a
helping hand to recover the fallen, he is
called weak fellow; but if he feels a con-
tempt for the wretch, because he is lOwer'd
IN social point of view, aud says, HE de
Serves to suffer, what care for his misery
MS title is O man Of hOaori And still we
cry out, how great is the immortality of the
times! But this is the rule of life-we
must curse, not pity the fellow. If we ex-
tend helping hand to those who have
erred, 1t imprints upon us a weakness of
character, and that weakness enfclds us in
nalo OF morality. Oh, sir, how vast my
experience has been, and how few, UeY7y felC
honest, true-hearted christian men have L
seen. How few there are who walk with
equity on their path through life with the
heavenly light of chr istian religion in their
hearts. How few here are who do unto
=. UllleIs as they wo aid have others do unto
tleln; IL Peep e would adopt that rule,
Now nov. lLe huInf ,er of fallen would diminish.
ou can TAX e the leaf on the marigold from
~ - S'eiii d ID immeFse it IN water without
&C. 80 oes vet in the sligh,' est degree, put
-" us are like tie mar. gold; anc lew
are the men who can endur, wealth and
poverty with equal purity of oul; ana the
i' e'son t1at great T.any of or iello#,De-
Ms are honest, is because their virtue mas
never Oeen very Ieavily tried"