From: David Parker (cdickens@RMPLC.CO.UK)
Date: Mon Jan 18 1999 - 02:57:01 PST
My dear Forster, How glad I am to see you have mastered this electronic telegraph, and are ready to assist me with correspondence - welcome, to be sure, but copious for all that. We must discuss the matter some time, over a red-hot chop and glass of something, at Jack Straw's. Ever faithfully, CD ______________________________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: Mitsuharu Matsuoka <matsuoka@LANG.NAGOYA-U.AC.JP> To: BOZ@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <BOZ@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Date: 17 January 1999 00:55 Subject: Re: Visiting the United States, 1842 >Dear Jeffrey S. Farmer, > >I make bold to advise you to read my "Life of Charles Dickens - BOOK THIRD: >AMERICA" to know how what he saw and did met with his expectations. A >Japanese has digitised it for your perusal. The URL (not meaning >"un-requited love"!) is > >http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/CD-Forster-3.html > >John Forster > >PS >Let me cite his letter which refers to the Eastern Penitentiary near >Philadelphia. What is the difference between this Penitentiary and the >Cherry Hill Penitentiary? The same? I'm a little confused. > >"I went last Tuesday to the Eastern Penitentiary near Philadelphia, which is >the only prison in the >States, or I believe, in the world, on the principle of hopeless, strict, >and unrelaxed solitary >confinement, during the whole term of the sentence. It is wonderfully kept, >but a most dreadful, >fearful place. The inspectors, immediately on my arrival in Philadelphia, >invited me to pass the day >in the jail, and to dine with them when I had finished my inspection, that >they might hear my >opinion of the system. Accordingly I passed the whole day in going from cell >to cell, and conversing >with the prisoners. Every facility was given me, and no constraint whatever >imposed upon any >man's free speech. If I were to write you a letter of twenty sheets, I could >not tell you this one >day's work; so I will reserve it until that happy time when we shall sit >round the table at Jack >Straw's -- you, and I, and Mac -- and go over my diary. I never shall be >able to dismiss from my >mind the impressions of that day. Making notes of them, as I have done, is >an absurdity, for they are >written, beyond all power of erasure, in my brain. I saw men who had been >there, five years, six >years, eleven years, two years, two months, two days; some whose term was >nearly over, and some >whose term had only just begun. Women too, under the same variety of >circumstances. Every >prisoner who comes into the jail, comes at night; is put into a bath, and >dressed in the prison garb; >and then a black hood is drawn over his face and head, and he is led to the >cell from which he never >stirs again until his whole period of confinement has expired. I looked at >some of them with the >same awe as I should have looked at men who had been buried alive, and dug >up again. > >"We dined in the jail: and I told them after dinner how much the sight had >affected me, and what an >awful punishment it was. I dwelt upon this; for, although the inspectors are >extremely kind and >benevolent men, I question whether they are sufficiently acquainted with the >human mind to know >what it is they are doing. Indeed, I am sure they do not know. I bore >testimony, as every one who >sees it must, to the admirable government of the institution (Stanfield is >the keeper: grown a little >younger, that's all); and added that nothing could justify such a >punishment, but its working a >reformation in the prisoners. That for short terms -- say two years for the >maximum -- I >conceived, especially after what they had told me of its good effects in >certain cases, it might >perhaps be highly beneficial; but that, carried to so great an extent, I >thought it cruel and >unjustifiable; and further, that their sentences for small offences were >very rigorous, not to say >savage. All this, they took like men who were really anxious to have one's >free opinion, and to do >right. And we were very much pleased with each other, and parted in the >friendliest way." >