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"The unfortunate men whose crimes
have reduced them to the unhappy
condition of convicts, are in a great
measure cut off, necessarily, from the
common sympathies and charities of
humanity. They may, perhaps, behond
all others, take up the lamentation, "No
man cared for our souls." They have
no opportunity of hearing the owrd of
God read, to remind them of the solemn
accountability which awaits them after
a life of crime has terminated in death.
Many of them, besides being young,
and therefore, affording just grounds
of expectation to hope for reformation
in their care, cannot even read, and the
privilege of uniting in Christian worship,
and in the case of the penitent
of participating in the ordinances of
the Christian religion, is beyond their
reach, unless it be furnished, through
the instrumentality of individual zeal
and private charity. Ministers of the
Gospel have, occasionally, from time to
time, at the suggestion and some times
at the request of the Governors of the
State, visited the penitentiary, and
there performed religious services. Such
is the only religious instruction and
comfort which they have received in
the dark day of their calamity.

"Evidence is not wanting to prove
that these services, performed, as they
have been, under every disadvantage,
to make good impressions, are highly
valued by the convicts themselves. And
this was particularly true during the
prevalence of the Asiatic cholera when
some ministers of the gospel adventured
their lives, voluntarily, to administer to
the wants and consolation of the sick
and dying.

"It must be obvious, however, to
reflection, that such services to be
beneficial, as an instrument of moral
reform, should be performed regularly
and statedly. Your memorialist has too
much respect for the wisdom of the
Legislature to enter upon the task of
constructing a formal argument to
show how efficient and agent religious
instruction may be made in the work
of reclaiming offenders against good
morals and the laws of the land.

"It is a subject which requires only
thought to commend itself, at once, to
the grave and serious consideration of
every patriot and statesman wherever
the employment of such an agency has
been restored to, in the State prisons
of other commonwealths and in some
instances provision has been made by
legislative enactment to that end, it
has been attended by the most marked
and decided evidences of benefit to
the unfortunate victims of the law,
and to the order, efficiency and safety
of the institutions themselves. And
surely we may reasonably hope that if
men may be deterred from the perpetration
of crime, by the sanction of
human laws, much more may they be
reclaimed, from a course of iniquity,
and be brought to form good resolutions
of amendment when under the
endurance of legal penalties, they are
reminded of the solemn reckonings that
await all offenders, at a tribunal which
is unerring in its decisions, and from
which there is no appeal.

"Your memorialist, in earnestly praying
the Legislature to give attention
to the interesting subject, ventures,
most respectfully, to suggest that provision
be made by law for the employment
of some minister of the gospel,
as chaplain for the penitentiary,
whose duty it shall be to perform
religious services and offices for the convicts
therein, at such times and under
such regulations as the wisdom of your
honorable body shall prescribe. And
your memorialist as in duty bound will
every pray 'that all things may be so
ordered and settled by your endeavors
upon the best and surest foundations,
that peace and happiness, truth and
justice, religion and piety may be
established among us for all generations.'"