THE PENITENTIARY SYSTEM.

483

secret of their power. The one, by coercion, suspends theoperation of vicious influences upon their minds, and holds themin a favorable posture to be acted upon by moral motives ; whilethe other pours in upon them the light of truth, and brings tobear the great and commanding motives of the Gospel, whichnever fail, when once they gain access, to affect and amend theheart.”

Still again ; “ It is extremely interesting and gratifying, to wit-ness their power, when brought into united operation, in subdu-ing some of the most obdurate and desperate of men. Many aman who enters the prison with a brow of brass, protesting hisinnocence, swearing revenge, and bracing himself up to gothrough his term with unflinching obstinacy, is soon found weep-ing in solitude over his folly, confessing his guilt, voluntarilydisclosing his secret crimes, professing gratitude for his arrest,yielding quietly and cheerfully to a rigid course of discipline, and,on leaving the prison, acknowledging with tears, that his impris-onment has been his greatest blessing. Something like this isthe evident effect upon the minds of the convicts, in a greatmajority of instances. The number of those who pass throughtheir term of imprisonment unaffected, without any similarchanges of feeling and purpose, is comparatively small.” Heconcludes thus ; “ Such,” I repeat, “ are the apparent effects ofthe system here ; and we have all the evidence of their reality,that the circumstances of the case will possibly admit.”

These statements are sustained by the most convincing evi-dence, of which the nature of the case admits, and to which noexception can well be taken, to wit, letters written by gentlemenof respectability and intelligence, testifying to the habits andcharacters of the discharged convicts. The chaplain states, thathe has received 449 such letters, and that he has examined them all.He classes the convicts thus,— unreformed, 78, — deranged, 3,— somewhat improved, 63,—much improved 76, — decidedlyreformed, and sustaining good characters, 229, — total, 449 .*

The only plan of penitentiary discipline, which at presentrivals the Auburn plan, is the one adopted by the State of Penn-

See Tenth Annual Report of the Boston Prison Discipline Society, pp. 16,17.