it goes immeasurably beyond my anticipations. I
really expected to find some regard for truthfulness in the statement of
facts. But, in my astonishment at reading, I would inquire, "Have I
fallen into a general confusion of names? Is black indeed white?"

Let us read, p. 13,--"He [the warden] ... spends his whole time in and
about the institution, not having been absent to the value of half a day
since he entered upon his duties."

Thus we have it. Sum up the time spent by the warden during the year in
going to the P. O., or in calls out on business, or errands, or
attending meeting on the Sabbath, or journeying to New York even, and
the whole does not amount to "the value of half a day." This prepares us
for any statement we may find. If we admit that, we can anything.

Let us, then, look at the food question.

On page 6. we have,--"The food furnished the prisoners has been
selected with more than ordinary care and great pains have been taken in
having it well cooked and served. We have a regular weight from which
the rations are made, and any man, wishing for more than the regular
allowance, is always furnished with an extra quantity." P. 13,--"The
warden is not only valuable as a disciplinarian but is economical in his
management of the affairs of the prison, at the same time allowing to
the prisoners liberal rations of food of the best quality, but none to
waste."

This can be admitted just as easily as the quotation preceding. How
rejoiced the prisoners would have been to realize the truthfulness of
this assertion one short week,--"Selected with more than ordinary care!"
"Regular weight!" "Liberal rations of food of the best quality!" That
will do,--decaying fish, potatoes "not fit to put into the human
stomach," and all.

But when the Report comes to the chaplain it uses a black wash with
quite as unsparing a hand, thus, (P. 13) "But the warden has not had
that sympathy and assistance from the chaplain, which should be mutually
rendered to each other by officers of the prison. The chaplain, for
reasons best known to himself, has not acted in harmony with the warden
in the discharge of his various duties, a matter very essential to the
discipline of a prison. He has on the other hand, manifested
peculiarities of his own which have been very detrimental to the
discipline, and, we have reason to believe, have caused some uneasiness
among the prisoners, which has made it more difficult for the warden,
and, in