Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1833, by BROWN, SHATTUCK, AND Co., in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

CAMBRIDGE:

PRINTED BY

CHARLES FOLSOM.

C

4849

F242jo

1833

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EDITOR'S PREFACE.

It was natural to begin the Lives of Philanthropists with memoirs of Howard; but it was not at first our intention that a whole volume should be devoted to them. It was found difficult, however, to compress the incidents of his important career into less space, without sacrificing something of the effect which ought to be produced. For we were desirous not only to inform our young readers who Howard was, when he lived, and what he did, but to interest them in his undertakings, and cause them, by the contemplation of his example, to catch something of his spirit. This could not be done without going somewhat minutely into particulars. General statements are unimpressive. We are affected by details. We need to see for ourselves the very scenes in which the philanthropist was engaged, the very persons whom he relieved, and the very minutiae of the evils, however dreadful, which he sought to remedy. Then only can we appreciate the

value and extent of his labors; and in order to this it is necessary to dwell with some particularity on the circumstances and progress of his enterprise.

But we had in view a still further object. Howard opened to the activity of Christian benevolence a new field of exertion. He penetrated into a region of suffering which had been before unobserved, and taught men to sympathize with a class of their fellowbeings who had been cast out with abhorrence and loathing from the pale of human regard. He did much to effect a change in the feelings of the community, and it was thought that he had commenced a reform which would go on until the evils in question should be wholly removed. But after his death the interest which had been excited, in a great measure died away; and although the British prisons never again became the depositories of oppression and wretchedness which they had formerly been, they by no means continued to improve. There was wanting the devoted action of some one disinterested mind to keep alive the languid attention of the community. Within a

few years the work has been resumed. Mrs. Fry has shown what wonderful things may be effected by the resolute and persuasive spirit of Christian love. Others have coöperated. The British Prison Discipline Society has labored well to maintain an oversight of the gaols, and to extend information, and to excite attention. Still, however, far less has been accomplished than might have been during the half-century since Howard began the reform; and there still needs that pains be taken to extend an interest in this important department of philanthropic exertion.

In our own country early attention was paid to this subject. The penitentiary at Philadelphia was for many years a model, and more recently those of Auburn, Weathersfield, Charlestown, &c., have been conducted on admirable principles and with gratifying success. It has come to be understood that, as the object of imprisonment is security to the community and the reformation of the offender, no hardship is to be inflicted beyond the confinement necessary to effect these ends; that, instead of oppression or neglect, the most

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scrupulous regard is to be had to the cleanliness and health of the wretched beings; and that the utmost is to be done to promote their reformation, by cutting them off from all corrupting influences from one another and from abroad, and by constant, affectionate, moral and religious instruction. It has thus been attempted, and in many cases with great success, to change the character of prisons from seminaries of corruption and crime, which they undoubtedly are when ill conducted, to schools of virtue and reform. Great praise is due to the exertions of the Prison Discipline Society, and to those individuals of both sexes who, as visitors, and Sundayschool teachers, and chaplains, have aided this benevolent work.

If it be true that "he who turns a sinner from the error of his ways, shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins," then this is a most praiseworthy and important enterprise. Yet it is far from having attracted all the attention which it deserves. It has received far too little of the patronage and coöperation of the friends of society and reli