powerful without being cruel. Most criminals have become such from thoughtlessness: make them reflective, and you have gained a very great point. 3. It prevents the convict from being known by his fellow prisoners, and thus gives him a far greater chance of living honestly after the expiration of his imprisonment than any other system. 4. It affords a kind of punishment which, though of a stern character, as it ought to be, avoids all excitement in the criminal, and does not irritate anew him who considers himself already at war with society. Instead of generating in him additional hatred, it forms rather a transition from a life of crime and vice to that of sobriety and honesty. In short, it is no infliction of punishment, but rather a privation of comforts. 5. It does not deaden the moral feelings of the convict still more, either by his finding himself in a degraded company, or by the infliction of corporal punishment, without which our system can do. II. Labor is necessary, with regard to the convict, for three reasons: 1. It calms the mind of a convict-it assuages. The wonderful effect of labor and activity, so great with all men, is not less so with a convict. The testimony of a French prison keeper, given in my introduction, men tioned above, is very interesting and correct. 2. It makes solitary confinement physically and morally possible. Without it, solitude is cruelty, and would lead to brooding instead of reflecting; would drive the convict to a bitter feeling of revenge, not to reconciliation with society. 3. It gives to the convict the means of living honestly after liberty has been restored to him, and prevents him in many cases from recommencing that life which is so injurious to society. 279 allow ourselves to be guided by minor interests, when the question is whether an individual shall return to society with the means of providing for an honest life, or as the old obnoxious being of prey. The consideration lately stated by a gentleman in very high authority, that, perhaps it is wrong to make of the convicts me. chanics, and thus to send them all on their leaving the penitentiary, to one class, and thereby to endanger the morals of this class, seems to me unfounded. First, what class do the mechanics form? I do not know the mechanics as a separate class; they are citizens as the farmers are, and have morally no interest of their own. Is it desirable that a criminal should, if possible, change his life, or not? If not, then let us abandon all punishment; if however it is desirable that the convict should reform, then let us give the means of being honest to him, to whom they have been denied but too often, not by his own guilt. But wherever the released convict may turn, the same objection can be made; if we do not teach him a trade, he must become porter, day laborer, work on a farm, &c., should he, which is not probable, resolve to live honestly without having learned some trade. It is, therefore, in my opinion not wise when some writers have praised this excitement, as showing a lively moral sensibility in the Mechanics, who do not wish to see their trade degraded, by the instruction of criminals in it. As if honesty itselt were degraded, because the convicts are taught to be honest; or is the Bible of the honest part of the community insulted, because the same Bible is given into the hands of con victs? The convicts breathe, eat, sleep; are all these actions henceforth degraded? V. Since solitude is so essential a feature in our penitentiary system, it would be well perhaps to define more clearly what "solitary confinement at labor, in a cell or work-yard” is meant to be. Is a convict who works as baker alone at his oven, within the prison walls, in solitary confinement or not? As a general rule solitude within the cell and yard, ought certainly to be as little as possible interrupted. But economical considerations may sometimes be very powerful; and it might be permitted in such cases, to put one or two convicts to work out of their cells, yet they never ought to see each other, nor ought they to be placed together with other people, or where they can be seen by any one except the prison officers. I would always advise to keep solitude uninterrupted as much as pos III. Without labor, it would be impossible for a convict to give any degree of steadiness to his thoughts; imagination would invariably overpower reflection, and a wild state of the mind, whether consisting in actual insanity, medically so called, or not, must be the natural and unavoidable consequence, according to the organization of the human mind. Man was not made to be without labor, especially not in solitude. Vice and vicious desires are the necessary consequence of idleness, and particularly of absolute idleness with a convict. Even those who have no practical knowledge of criminals, can easily imagine to what state of mind, and how great a demoralization with most convicts, absolute soli-sible. tude without labor must lead. What shall a convict do? Read? He who has not been imprisoned, does not know how difficult it is, even for a cultivated mind, to read the whole day: how much more difficult, then, must it not be with convicts, who generally belong to the least educated classes? I repeat it, labor is, both in a moral and physical view, (not to speak of the economical,) as necessary as solitude; and the latter without the former, (except by way of additional punishment for trespasses within the prison walls,) would be both cruelty and the most injudicious plan, because it would return the convict upon society as an incensed felon, panting for revenge. IV. A great excitement exists at present in various parts of our Union, against labor in the prisons. I do not consider this the place to investigate the matter thoroughly; I only will state that all arguments which have as yet been brought forward against it, seem to be futile, that more or less labor has always existed in prisons, and that a penitentiary system without labor is a contradiction in itself. I allow that care ought to be taken that the prisons, or in other words, the State does not sell the goods manufactured in the penitentiaries for less than a fair market price. In discussions of this kind the immense expense which a criminal causes to the community is hardly ever taken into consideration. Not only that the courts, police, &c., must be paid for him, but the actual loss of property caused by all crimes against property is incalculable; and we ought not to VL. The whip is unknown in our penitentiary; it would little accord with our system which strives to avoid every degrading punishment, as well as every exciting one. How then is obedience to be exacted? for no penitentiary system can exist without the power of exacting obedience, as also the reform of a convict must begin with obedience to the laws. In the Auburn system, the whip is the final means of exacting instant obedience. Our system does not acknowledge it; what other adequate means have we? I know of none which is so just and humane as privation of food until the convict has complied with what is expected from him. He has it in his power instantly to remove the pain, and nothing but what the mildest laws command is expected from him. In these cases it ought to be clearly understood that the removal of the pain cannot be effected by any other means but by compliance with the rules. "It is the first of all things," said an experienced superintendant of a penitentiary in the State of New York to me, "to impress the mind of the convict with the conviction that he must obey the rules.' It cannot be objected that in cases of extreme obstinacy, when privation of food for a certain time has had no effect, another means should be tried, because I speak of extreme cases only when no other means have effect. VII. To give an instance. Labor is almost universally liked by the convicts in solitary confinement, so much so, that nothing is more common than their asking and begging for light, when the days begin to be short, and lamps are not yet given to the prisoners, in order to work by candle light. But sometimes it will happen that convicts refuse to labor, and cannot be brought to do it by protracted solitude without labor, who would prefer indolence, however long it might last. If in such a case a piece of work is given to the refractory convict, which it is known he possesses the ability to perform, and on condition that no food will be given to him until the task is performed, I can see no objection against the measure. If other means equally effective and mild can be proposed, let them be examined, but let it distinctly be understood, that compliance with the laws will and must be exacted. I believe there is no danger that a convict would carry his obstinacy to an extent, which would become really dangerous to him. VIII. There are others willing to work, but not as much as can be fairly expected from the most moderate ability, or as much as they have previously performed; short allowance seems in such cases a judicious means; all convicts like their meals, particularly those in solitary confinement. tion that he would be left in his place as long as he fulfils faithfully all his duties? Rotation is practicable and may be beneficial in various branches; it is against the nature of the subject itself, wherever a moral plan of education, training, &c., is to be pursued. If rotation of teachers in schools would inevitably bring their ruin, it would still more counteract all the beneficial results expected from the penitentiary system. We ought never to forget that we necessarily defeat the end of any institution by subjecting it to influence entirely foreign to it. On the other hand, a politician would be a poor warden of a penitentiary; more than even a minister he ought to consider himself a servant of mankind for whom no parties exist. I should therefore consider the appointment of inspectors by the Legislature as nugatory; I think the Judges of the Supreme Court proper persons for this purpose. 2. That it is of the greatest importance that persons should be appointed as inspectors who are acquainted with prison discipline or for so long a time, that this knowledge may be obtained, and the fruits of it may yet be reaped during the term of the same inspectors. Prison discipline is not like a number of other subjects, easily understood by a clear minded individual and according to sound, general principles which guide us That part of the act, which authorizes the inspectors "to make such rules for the internal government of said prison, &c," ought to be amended, and the inspec-in other respects. Criminals form a community of men, tors ought to be enjoined to define the disciplinary means, by which the warden may punish infringements of the rules and regulations, such as disturbance of silence, insolence, improper language, &c. IX. It sometimes happens that a convict will disturb the harmony of the prison, to use a phrase borrowed from sea language. Silence is necessary in any penitentiary system, and though the convicts cannot converse with each other from cell to cell, a violent noise would be heard. The refractory convict, therefore, ought to be removed to a dark and distant cell; but as he would disturb the necessary silence of the penitentiary, and excite the curiosity of his fellow convicts, while being led along the corridores, it would perhaps be well to use a gag for the short time that he passes the cells of others; this would not last longer than two or three minutes; it ought always to be done so that the convict cannot see any thing while he is led along, in the same way as when he is first led to his cell; he may then be left to himself in the dark cell, until he becomes silent. X. The appointment of the inspectors is an important subject; the general principles to be followed with regard to it seem to me: in some respects much more like the honest portion of tors. XI. Official visiters are necessary. Those whom the law appoints, (act of April 23, 1829, art. VII.) ought to be official visiters, but public opinion calls, perhaps, have an assurance, that the system established by law for official visiters of another kind; so that the public is faithfully executed. To find out a way of appointing a body of men for this purpoue, is more difficult than would appear at first glance; for, send a man who does not know any thing about a penitentiary system, into a penitentiary to inquire into its management, what will he do? He goes to the convicts, and asks them how they are treated, whether they have to complain of anything, &c.-a mode of proceeding by which very little is gained. The convicts often will lie; often, perhaps unwillingly, exaggerate; make themselves the objects of pity; sometimes they will praise the keepers in the hope of gaining something by it, &c. In short, if the testimony of the criminal is worth any thing, that of the warden, a virtu us man, is worth at least as much I do not mean to say the convicts ought never to be heard, but the law provides already most humanely for this point, and enjoins the inspectors to visit the cell without the warden, and to question the convicts. 1. That their appointment be as far removed from political vacillations as possible, and proceed from as stable an authority as it can be conveniently done. A penitentiary has nothing whatever to do with parties; whoever may be in or out, the laws according to which the criminal has been sentenced, and which stamps a crime as such, remain immutable, while on the other hand no possible good can be expected from a penitentiary system which is subject to continual changes; for, though the system rests on general and firm principles, its being put into practice depends nevertheless considerably upon the individuality of the warden. The moral and religious effect, expected from the system, depends in a great degree upon a treatment of the prisoners which can be only gradually developed, and requires time; moreover, there is not all the good, which our system can effect, to be expected, if the warden is not animated by that philanthropic zeal which prompts him to act and assist the prisoners beyond the prescribed duty; which makes him consider the convicts as unfortunate men placed for a time under his charge. Whatever rules the Legislature may prescribe, that zeal cannot be reduced to rules nor be included under any prescribed responsibility of the warden. But what man, animated by such a noble and rare zeal would be willing to be appointed as warden, had he no expecta-rently. On the other hand, it is very important that silence and solitude be disturbed as little as possible; and weighing the demands of all parties, I would propose, perhaps, that the grand jury elect from among themselves a body of three, to be a grand jury for the pur pose of inquiring into the penitentiary affairs. small number, moreover, would be much more able to examine with any kind of accuracy than a body of twelve or twenty men. A XII. The law (art. VII. of the act of April 23, 1829) gives the sole right of appointing the under keepers to the warden, and the power of discharging them, to the warden and the board of Inspectors coneur An establishment, the success of which depends so much upon the faithful and zealous performance of a number of duties which cannot be defined nor even demanded by law, and upon the unanimous co-operation of all the official, as well as the ready assistance of the under keepers, requires also, in my opinion, that the warden should be the sole person who should select his assistants, because, in a penitentiary, this choice ought to be made partially according to the individuali- | ty of the warden. 281 my remarks-that one of the most experienced wardens of a large penitentiary, declared to me, that he had carefully read my observations on the pardoning pow er, and that he fully agreed with every word, both as to the effect of pardoning in general, and on the convict in the prison in particular. On February 6, 1818, an ordinance was issued in France, according to which, good behaviour entitles a convict to a pardon, by shortening the time of imprisonment. It was Mr. de la Ville de Mirmont, Inspector General of prisons, who inducA & B may be two equally virtuous, intelligent, in-ed the keeper of the seals to cause this law to be passed. dustrious and kind-hearted men, and yet, A may be In a work containing observations on the work of unfit to be under-keeper under a certain warden, while Messrs. de Beaumont and de Tocqueville,(Paris, 1833,) B may be the very individual who ought to be selected. | Mr. de Mirmont, after having made a number of sound If you entrust to a warden several hundred beings, you reflections on subjects of pardon, says: "It was I who may easily entrust him with the power of appointing persuaded the minister to cause this ordinance of 1818, his under-keepers; yet, it might be fair that he should and often have I since regretted it." A strange kind exercise this power with the consent of the inspectors; of compassion shows itself often with those who judge but on no condition whatever, ought the inspectors to of this matter by mere momentary impressions; it leans have the power of forcing an under-keeper upon him. all on one side-toward the criminal; and compassion The power of discharge ought, perhaps, to remain as with the community, upon whom an unpunished and now defined by law. The warden has to live with his unreformed criminal is returned, is altogether forgotten. overseers, as in a family, and it would be of little advan-Yet it is but a poor compassion even with the convict. tage, were he forced to retain an overseer though their It is hardening him in vice and crime still more. individualities do not suit each other. have no doubt whatever, that the frequent and irregu lar applications of pardoning, have essentially lessened the moral awe which was formerly, and always ought to be attached to the idea of crime, and are one of the causes of the deplorable frequency of crimes of an atrocious character in our country. Could nothing be done to regulate somewhat the pardoning power? see XIII. The law ought not to demand duties which it is a bare impossibility to perform. Thus, the act of April 23, 1829, art. I, demands that the warden shhall every prisoner under his care, at least once in every day," and the act of March 28, 1831, sect. 1, orders four hundred more cells to be built. The penitentiary will contain, then, about six hundred cells.Now suppose that two minutes is the average time of the warden's visits. Sometimes more would not be requisite than looking into the cell and seeing that it is kept clean; but at others, the visits must extend to four, six, and ten minutes, if they shall be of any use. Six hundred visits of two minutes each, would require twelve hundred minutes, or twenty hours! or take the average time but one minute, which is certainly the shortest, it would require ten hours, alone for these visits. XIV. It has always appeared to me, that the Pennsylvania penitentiary system, to be perfect, would require a school master, appointed to teach the convicts reading and give them moral lessons, under the direc tion of the warden and the surperintendence of the inspectors. He ought to be required by law, to keep a journal of what he has daily done, the progress of the convicts, and of any uncommon occurrence. XV. Books are indispensable for a penitentiary system on our plan: they are now collected by donations; the law might do something for this important point. All my experience has shown me, that it is not advisable to give the whole Bible into the hands of convicts. The Bible contains a number of passages which the perverted mind of a convict turns to had account; he will often delight in examples held up in the Old Testamant for abhorrence, as being congenial to him. 1 speak here from facts which have come to my own knowledge. It would be highly desirable if there could be made for the prisoners: 1. Extracts of the Bible. I These are briefly my views on some important points belonging to penitentiary discipline and management, upon which we touched when I had the pleasure of seeing you. I am with great respect, Dear Sir, Your obedient servant, To the honorable CHARLES B. PENROSE, PHILADELPHIA, January 28, 1835. My Dear Sir,-Permit me to send you a few additional remarks to what I had the pleasure of stating to you in my last. I. I forgot to mention a fact very important in regard to the number of Inspectors. Formerly, there were five inspectors in the New York State prison, and it was found necessary to reduce even this number to three. You see that our five inspectors are not too small a number. II. I ought to have said, that a law might be passed that the grand jury of Oyer and Terminer, should elect a committee of three to visit the penitentiary. The law of 1829, permitted the grand juries of the courts of the city and county to visit the penitentiary. There are in one year, four Quarter Sessions, four Mayor's Courts, and one Oyer and Terminer held. Each grand jury is composed of twenty-three indi 2. A catechism of civil duties, laws and government.viduals, so that the nine grand juries of one year are A history of the United States, drawn up for schools, would always form an excellent work for convicts, together with some popular works on natural history. The latter are much liked by the convicts, and they give wholesome food to the mind. I cannot dismiss the subject, without drawing your attention to the pardoning power as now used, though the subject does not fall, perhaps, within the immediate circle of your inquiry. I have given my views on his alarming evil, in my introduction to the mentioned vork, on page 29 and seque. Let me add-for it is nportant to me to bring high authority in support of VOL. XV. 35 composed of two hundred and seven persons. The average term of imprisonment is three years; hence each prisoner was allowed to be visited by six hundred and twenty-one persons by way of grand jury visits, during his term! You see how just it was to abolish a law which so directly counteracted a system, the basis of which is solitude. III. If you read my translation of the work of Messrs. Beaumont and Tocqueville, you will find the monstrous abuse of the pardoning power shown by statistical tables, how utterly every true effort of penal justice and legislation is defeated by pardons. You find these ta It APPRENTICES' LIBRARY COMPANY. Annual Report of The Managers of the Apprentices' The Board of Managers respectfully report: bles, calculations, &c. respecting pardon, on page 233, and seque. By farther inquiry, I have found that those who possess this privilege of pardoning, would wish for nothing more than a limitation of it, could this be effected without a change of the constitution. It is a painful prerogative, which as long as it exists constitutionally, cannot be but misapplied in many cases. is impossible that an individual so accessible to every citizen as a Governor of one of our states, can with stand the continued and pressing applications for par-year, to realise the expectations, and promote the im dons. The interest of the Governors therefore, as well as that of the community, calls for a regulation of this arbitrary, obnoxious and ruinous prerogative, for if pardons continue to be so frequently and arbitrarily ap. plied, if criminals continue to be restored to the level of honest citizens, by a mere arbitrary act, if in future, convicts, who have not suffered the whole punishment which the law awards, shall have a great advantage over those convicts who have suffered the whole penalty, and be restored to their honor, which the latter are not, as is now the case, the moral sense of the community must severely sutler, because arbitrary measures take the place of those which the community ought to consider as the necessary and infallible consequence of crime. There is no doubt but that the general moral sense of a community must suffer, if a murderer is restored to all rights and privileges after a few years imprisonment, and if even his deed was not capable of arresting the arbitrary or casual deciding of the gravest question -whether a man shall continue to be imprisoned or not. portant objects of its founders, six bundred and thirtyfive new applicants having been admitted to participate in its benefits, and the general good deportment of the boys, confirming the belief, that the use of the Library has a salutary influence in forming orderly and indus trious habits. The number of boys now receiving books is 904, and an average of 844 have resorted hither for instruction throughout the year. One hundred and sixty-six volumes have been added to the Library since last report; of these 30 were selected from donations, and 136 purchased; and 290 volumes have been re-bound. Our collection now consists of about 9000 volumes, and presents all the facilities for the acquisition of useful and ornamental knowledge, which are usually afforded in well regulated libraries. The additions to our list of members have not been so numerous, as in many previous years, only 32 persons having been elected since the last annual meeting The Treasurer's account, herewith presented, exhibits the financial transactions of the year, and the present fiscal condition of the Company. To this department of the Institution we earnestly invite the attention of the Contributors, assuring them that a strong personal co-operation, on their part, is necessary, to preserve the Library in the high rank which it has acquired by years of ardent devotion to the cause of education.The embarrassing difficulties in the affairs of the Ches apeake and Delaware Canal Company have deprived us of a large portion of our regular income, and although the investment in their loans is considered safe, the deficiency which has thus been made in our re sources, must be met either by sacrificing a portion of the permanent fund of the Institution, or by reviving a wholesome interest in its affairs in the hearts of our citizens. Fifteen years of active usefulness, and ten thousand individuals who have here had the great book of knowledge thrown open for their perusal, assert its claims for healthy, vigorous and enduring life; and the Board of Managers have the fullest confidence, that those claims, properly enforced by the Contributors, will be met by our community with liberality and promptitude. It is due to that important class of the community, for whose special benefit the Apprentices' Library was founded, that the means for giving instruc tion, commensurate with the claims of society, and of our free and equal institutions, should be not only suf ficient but ample, presenting to its pupils the literary treasures of the present as well as the past age. In its volumes may be fourd the corrective teachings of pa There is one way, it seems to me, which might be attended with great use, though, I willingly admit that it is by no means all I should like to see done. But it is perhaps that which for the present can be done. Pass a law which obliges the Governor to advertise, in the county where a man has been convicted, that he intends to pardon such a person, six weeks before he can grant the pardon. At present the law is extremely unjust. A man is convicted; the community has to pay for his trial, imprisonment, &c, and has suffered by his crimes. He is imprisoned. During his trial the community was represented, but as soon as he is imprisoned all is darkness; some person is bribed, he gets signatures for a petition for pardon-Often, very often given, merely to get rid of pestering applications; the signatures are carried to the Governor, and he again often grants the pardon to get rid of never ceasing applications, and the first thing the community-highly interested in the case-knows, is that a felon has been returned to them. Many criminals indeed, and particularly some of the worst would never be pardoned, were the Governor obliged to make known, in a suitable way, his intention of pardoning a person, six weeks before it is to take place; the poor and rich would stand much more on a par, while now the convict with respectable and wealthy relations stands a much better chance, than the poor or homeless convict, and, generally speaking, the former deserves far less his pardon than the latter. The pardoning privilege as now used, is one of the most un-rental love for those who are comparatively friendless, just things in existence, from whatever side you may view it, and at the same time so entirely opposed to all our political and social principles, so heterogenous to our whole system, that it is surprizing how it can continue. You would deserve the warmest thanks of the community if you were to bring this matter before the legislature; a law as I have proposed would soon be imitated by other states, and a new period for penal justice would begin in our country. This law demands nothing than bare justice, and indeed, not even all that bare justice can demand. Your obedient servant, FRANCIS LIEBER. To the Honorable CHARLES B. PENROSE, Harrisburg. and a salutary antidote for the seductive and dangerous approaches of sensual pleasure. Here the faculties of the mind may be extensively cultivated; the examples of History be made available, for the active perform ance of all the duties of private and public life; the vast discoveries in science, and the arts seized upon for new triumphs in the physical world, and man be fitted for the important ends of his creation. Charged by you with the prosecution of the designs of such an institution, and about to surrender our delegated trust, we have felt it incumbent upon us to endeavour to awaken the public mind from the lethargy into which it has fallen in regard to our Association. To a vast proportion of the pupils of our public schools, the benefits of elementary education would be lost, without the sustaining agency of well-conducted libraries and reading rooms, easily accessible to apprentices and other 1835.] GENERAL EDUCATION-REMARKS OF MR. STEVENS. P. M. 283 young persons. Since the foundation of the Appren- | from half past six to half past nine, P. M., and from 1st tices Library, several other valuable institutions, la of September to 1st March, from six to nine, P. M., bouring with us in the good cause, have been establish- and on every Saturday, from four to half past nine, ed, and are now well conducted and prosperous.Giving them the full meed of praise, for their honorable efforts, and cheering them onward, we invite a share of the public favour to their pioneer and most valuable auxiliary, assured that it is only necessary to direct that munificent liberality for which this city is proverbial, towards our Institution, to secure its continuance on an enlarged and enduring capacity for usefulness. By direction and on behalf of the Board of Mana gers. HENRY TROTH, Chairman. FREDERICK FRALEY, Sec'y. Philadelphia, March 9, 1835. "The Apprentices' Library Company of Philadelphia," To Balance, DR. To Cash paid sundry orders of Board of For Rent of Library Room, Salaries of Librarians, Binding Books, Room Committee, Sundries, including Distributing Notices and Report, Book Committee, Printing, Insurance and Stationary, oil for Lamps, To Balance due to Company carried down, From From the Pennsylvania Reporter. GENERAL EDUCATION-REMARKS OF MR. Mr. Speaker, I will briefly give you the reasons 23 75 It would seem to be humiliating to be under the ne 73 04 cessity, in the nineteenth century, of entering into a More formal argument to prove the utility, and to free go$1,029 27 | vernments, the absolute necessity of education. than two thousand years ago the Deity who presided over intellectual endowments, ranked highest for dignity, chastity and virtue, among the goddesses worship$544 10 ped by cultivated pagans. And I will not insult this House or our constituents by supposing any course of reasoning necessary to convince them of its high impor tance. Such necessity would be degrading to a Christian age and a free republic! 162 00 12 13 100 from sundry donations, 62 49 60 Sale one share Farmer's and Me- By Balance, brought down, 4 00 2400 75 00 70 00 $1,029 27 $73 04 Treasurer. SAMUEL SELLERS, Philadelphia, March 9, 1835. The subscribers have examined the above account of the Treasurer, compared it with the vouchers, and found it correct. Balance due the Company as above, seventy-three dollars and four cents. HENRY TROTH. The Library is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from the 1st of March to 1st of September, If then, education be of admitted importance to the people under all forms of governments; and of unquestioned necessity when they govern themselves, it follows, of cousse, that its cultivation and diffusion is a matter of public concern; and a duty which every government owes to its people. In accordance with this principle, the ancient republics, who were most renowned for their wisdom and success, considered every child born subject to their control, as the property of the state, so far as its education was concerned, and during the proper period of instruction, they were withdrawn from the control of their parents, and placed under the guarThere all were indianship of the commonwealth. structed at the same school; all were placed on perfect equality, the rich and the poor man's sons, for all were deemed children of the same common parent-of the commonwealth. Indeed, where all have the means of knowledge placed within their reach, and meet at common schools on equal terms, the forms of government scem of less importance to the happiness of the people than is generally supposed; or rather, such a people are seldom in danger of having their rights invaded by their rulers. They would not long be invaded with impuni ty. Prussia, whose form of government is absolute monarchy extends the blessing of free schools into every corner of the kingdom,-to the lowest and poorest of the people. With a population equal to our whole Union, she has not more than 20,000 children who do not enjoy its advantages. And the consequence is, that Prussia, although governed by an absolute mon |