APPENDIX, 361 



of the existing system are "to evil continually." Men would im- 

 prove under it, instead of becoming worse. And the administra- 

 tion of public justice would acquire a place among the Christian 

 agencies of our land : it is painful to think how far it is at present 

 removed in operation from any such character. 



But another view may be also taken of the question thus in- 

 volved, not less interesting. If we look abroad into ordinary life, 

 we cannot but be struck with the resemblance which our present 

 forms of secondary punishment bear to everything that is in this 

 most enfeebling and deteriorating, and how directly opposed they 

 are to those forms of adversity which, under the influence of 

 Providential wisdom, reform character and invigorate it. Slave- 

 ry deteriorates long seclusion deteriorates every condition, in 

 a word, more or less deteriorates, which leaves no choice of action, 

 requires no virtue but obedience, affords no stimulus to exertion 

 beyond this, supplies the want of nature without effort with a 

 view to them, and restores to prosperity, through lapse of time, 

 without evidence that such restoration is deserved. Yet this is 

 our present system of secondary punishment. What improves, 

 on the contrary, is a condition of adversity from which there is 

 no escape but by continuous effort which leaves the degree of 

 that effort much in the individual's own power, but if he relaxes, 

 his suffering is deepened and prolonged, and it is only alleviated 

 and shortened if he struggles manfully which makes exertion 

 necessary even to earn daily bread and something more, pru- 

 dence, self-command, voluntary economy and the like, to recover 

 prosperity. To this, as yet, secondary punishment bears no re- 

 semblance ; but were our sentences measured by labor instead of 

 time were they to the performance of certain tasks, not to the 

 occupation of a certain time in evading any the approximation 

 might be made indefinitely close. 



Labor being a vague term the system next proposes that it be 

 represented by marks the earning of so many thousands of 

 which, in a prison or penal settlement, as the case may be, to be 

 made the punishment of all offenses according to their degree. 

 A proportion of these marks to be credited to individuals daily, 

 according to the exertion made in whatever labor is allotted 

 them all supplies of food and clothing to be charged in them 

 all misconduct to be punished by fines in them and only the 

 clear balance to be carried to account towards liberation. By 

 this means both wages and savings' banks would be introduced 

 into prisons wages to stimulate labor, and give an interest in it, 



