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Life of Thomas Eddy

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Mr. Eddy answered these inquiries, and others indifferent walks of life took up the pen. Among them was Cadwallader D. Colden, Esq., who wrote as a lawyer, and a man of philanthropy and experience, and his work is valuable to all who make the sub-ject a matter of inquiry. That bold and original thinker, Doctor Charles Caldwell, of Transylvania University, also wrote upon state prison discipline, and in a striking manner connected the subject with his favourite science, phrenology. Dr. Caldwell's book should be read to set people a thinking, for his singularity is not more striking than his bold and clear logic. We may differ from him in many things, but we feel indebted to a man who teaches us to reason. Mr. Eddy lived to see his state prison discipline carried into effect in several States of the Union, which was acknowledged to be the greatest improvement of the age. Since his death, this system has received the approbation of the enlightened philosopher, Dr. Lei- ber, in the Encyclopaedia Americana, under the arti-cle Prison Discipline, who says, referring to Allen, Tibbits, and Hopkins, The result of the wise la-bours of these excellent men was the perfecting of a scheme of prison discipline, which had been begun partially at Auburn, and which is substantially the model on which the reforms attempted in most of the other States have been conducted. It consists, prin-cipally, of the solitary confinement of the convicts during the night, and the time of taking their meals; of labour during the day; and of silence at all times, except for the purposes of communication with their keepers; they are never allowed to address each other, not even by signs or looks. The strictest supervision is, of course, necessary, to secure uninterrupted and industrious labour, and to prevent the evil communi-cations which would otherwise abound. The advan-tages of this system are, that it affords an opportunity alternately for silent and solitary reflection, for the