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    is not only crime in the tyrant but causes crime irk the oppressed . Temporal hardship perpetuates ignorance ; and ignorance causes crime . Thus it appears that every one who moves in society with more or less of influence , does something for or against the improvement in principle and practice of our penal systetn *

    Every one does something towards sending some other one to prison or helping him out ,- —and towards determining his condi * - tion when there . Every one is , consciously or unconsciously , enlisted with the Prison Discipline Society or against it . The alms-giver , the land-proprietor , the merchant , the manufacturer , the elector , the head of a family ,, school committees , charitable , literary , commercial associations of every kind are all concerned

    in aiding or injuring the interests of that most pitiable , the criminal , class of society ; and it is for these to look to it that they act not only with a benevolent intention , but with a wise benevolence . Whoever gives to street beggars helps to fill our prisons , and therefore to corrupt their inmates . Whoever votes for the continuance of the Corn Laws , or the East India Charter , helps to fill our prisons , though he may be a member of the Society for the

    Suppression of Vice . On the other hand , every man , woman , or child , who helps to uphold schools , to ascertain the true nature and workings of our institutions and customs , who encourages industry , discountenances waste , and assists intercourse between different classes of the community , does much , very much for which the advocates of the prisoner will be grateful . They , however , are the best benefactors , who unite direct with indirect

    efforts : who petition and petition till they obtain a partial abolition of the punishment of death ; who , animated instead of satisfied by this success , go on till they shall have obtained its total abolition-, and an equalization of the penal system altogether ; who , meanwhile , visit the prisons , and advocate the rights of their inmates in and out of doors ; who do what in them lies to lighten the temporal burdens of the poorer classes , and above all , give

    them moral light and strength to discern and pursue their best interests . Many of the best men in France are using their new liberties with a view to these objects . Germany has set about the same work with the wisdom , and is pursuing it with the vigour and perseverance , which might be expected from the usual character of her enterprises . America is still so far before all other countries in this branch of her legislation as well as her executive ,

    that we must long consider it a sufficient praise to be seen to follow in her steps . She is not unwilling , we believe , to have her penal system made the test of her political state . Great Britain must make haste to get rid of fhe shame which would arise from having a similar test applied in her case . Since we cannot allow it to be a fair one , let us frankly admit our penal system to be an ano-I maly ; and by a diligent and perpetual renovation , bring it at r length into an accordance with the best of our social institutions .

    Untitled Article

    586 Prison Discipline .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1832, page 586, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1820/page/10/