The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-02-05

ohN thOAOAOiO uAoCCOuuGdOlO 1OI ally dCU,
word, or thought, good or bad Surely
Dante or Milton. in their highest imagina-
tive flights, could not conceive chaos so
astounding, so profound. as this earth
would present, were this the case.
Now let us, for moment. demonstrate
this Free Agency of man by reference to
our daily life experiences. Take our young
three-year old brother, for instance. He
evinceS desire to accomplish certain OBJ
ject, or obtain certain thing. He has been
prohibited from attempting to realize that de-
sire. Though he knows it to be wrong, he per-
sists in his efforts; he tries to circumvent
those who are watching his actions and
eventuallyObtains his wish unless his craft is
overcome by superior skill and watchful-
ness. The same with the youth in school
life and the young man in the workshop.
The freedom of choice and the exercise of
will-pOwer is made apparent in every phase
of life-and sometimes so pronounced is the
determination to accomplish the desired
purpose that he will risk health, liberty and
even life to realize his desire.
Need we do more than refer to our own
life history and that of our fellow prisoners
for pertinent and unanSWerable illustrations
of this fact? IT we had but allowed full
play for the influence of our intellectual
faculties and moral forces over that indOm-
liable will-pO which so pre- eminentlY
characteriZeS many of us, we should not
now be inmates of this institution! TO at
tempt to shift the responsibility of our
words and actions on Fate and Destiny or
on our surroundings because the results
have been disastrous, is an act of moral
cOwardice and dishonesty of which every
thinking being should be ashamed. If we
sow the wind, we must reap the whirlwind.
fro lou
the penalty is inevitable and immediate.
We cannot escape it. The act of transgres-
sion is our own-our free choice in the face
of consequences. and those consequences
must follow. II we shelter ourselves be-
hind the doctrine of responsibility, we
abandon all claim to the attribute of true
manhood.
There is but single exception to the
Free Agency of man; and that is where the
unhappy individual is suffering from def
cheney of intellect, mental alteration of any
kind, or suspension of the exercise of his
mental and moral faculties from derange-
ment of physical functions. In such cases,
no one would hold the individual respon-
sible. Children, too, while under the direct
domination or cOercive influence of their
parents or guardians, are not accountable
for their actiOns-the persons so influencing
as well as moral point of view.
If we glance at the noble army of mar
tyrs for conscience's sake-patriOts. reform
ers and statesmen, whose names and deeds
have immOrtalized and honored the country
of their birth. we shall find they were all
men and women of Superabundant energy
and will-pOwer. who glOried in their free
agency as sentient beings; but who SubOr
dinated all their glorious talents, their
energy, and their will to those sterling and
pronounced moral principles by which they
were guided. We. though prisoners. have
now an ample and glorious opportunity to
assert our free agency as men by abandon
ing past errors, by bringing our will-pOwer
into active co operation with those fixed
moral principles and powerful intellectual
faculties with which God has endowed us.
By so doing, and sOlemnly resolving to pur-
sue an honorable and useful career in the
future we shall confer lastingshOnOr on our
selves and fellow citizens. and possibly yet
gain name and a place among the great and
useful men of the earth and merit the COM
mendatiOn and confidence of all who know
us.
Who gives the shadow of thought to
man without back bOne-a man who can
not say NO-characterless, pliable as putty
and unreliable in everything. The law
abiding will not trust him; the evilly-dis-
posed despise and deride him-and the COM
munity generally have greater sympathy
with and hope for the outspoken. fearless
offender than for this apology for humanity
the latter may possibly be reclaimed-the
former will ever be miserable failure.
CharlestOwn Prison. Mass. f. j. G..
Secrets of the Profession.
Stage Manager: Where is Afghan Lum-
bago, the tattOOed Zulu?
Property Boy: He got caught in the rain
coming from supper, and he is downstairs
h kbo f0noh him