Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-28

differed by officers of the institution,
and in various ways are made to feel
the dishOnor OF their position and
greater rigors OF prison life Il should
be noted that the three grades minQle
in the workshops and In the schools.
for they take places in them on other
standards than that of conduct.
This great industrial and education
oil establishment contains now a little
over six hundred prisoners. On SUM-
day they all assemble in the chapel in
the afternoon and evening for relig-
ious exercises; singing-a very good
| choir of hundred voices, and some
good soioists; generally a sermon in
the afternoon, and either a sermon or
lecture in the evening by volunteer
clergymen, the best that can be in
duced to come. Sometimes there is
lecture or extemporary talk or read
ing, in place of the sermon. For spe-
cial occasions the choir practices some
set piece; for Christmas one OF the
prisoners had composed very pretty
carol, which they were practising.
Sunday morning the casuistry or prac
tical morality class meets in the chapel.
This numbers about two hundred, and
is selected from all grades according
to intellectual brightness and attain
ments. 1t is for the discussion of
questions relating to morals and the
conduct of life. The men all take
notes, for they must pass written ex-
animation on what they bear. The
conductor reads or lectures, and free
but orderly discussion takes place.
The first Sunday the writer was pres
ent, they were concluding the reading
OF Socrates. Each man had printed
syllabus of the mornings reading, with
questions appended. The next Sunday
would be review preparatory to ex-
animation. Each man took notes rs
the reading went on. Questions were
asked and opinions given, the interlo-
cutor raising his hand and rising when
recognized by the lecturer. Such alb
sorbed attention have seldom seen in
classroom. They are obliged to be
alert These men are not merely go
ing through a process of training to
please their relatives or to crafty their
own tastes; they are putting all their
energies into the business in hand to
win marks to get out OF prison. And
this is true in all the classes. Never
was compulsory education so COM
pletely applied. But it must be con-
fessed, in this case, that the class has
got thoroughly interested in the sub
ject The expression of their faces was
that of aroused intelligence. Nothing
seemed lost on the majority of them;
the finest points made by Socrates, his
searching moral distinctions, his hui
NOR, You could see were taken in
stantly, by the expression of their
faces. The discussions and the essays
IN this class show most remarkable
grasp, subtlety, penetration and power
of drawing fine moral distinctions;
and the vigor and fitness of the Ian
guage in which they are cOuched are
not the least notable part of the dis
play. The previous Sunday there had
been lively discussion of the ques-
ton, as Honesty the Best Policy?"
The study OF the morality of Socrates
led the class naturally, and by their
request, to a study of the morality of
Jesus and the New Testament, though
not at all as religious inquiry; and
thus Il result was reached In moral in
vestigation that y clergyman, begin
ming at the other end, probably never
could have brought this mixed and alb
normal class to attempt willingly. For
these men are not only criminals,
warped and prejudiced against any re-
ligious teachings, but they are of all
sects by inheritance, perhaps half the
number Catholics, and fifty of them
Hebrews. Among men that have
abandoned all practice of religion it
would be perfectly easy to stir up a
bitter theological feeling. The lecture
on the second Sunday | was present
was Introductory on the development
of religions, preparatory to such a
study of the New Testament morality
rs had been given to that of Socrates.
Before quit this Sunday audience, |
ought to say that, when the six humid
red are assembled, it is one of the most
alert and quickly responsive | have
ever seen.