"The prisoners for better security against conversation shall have a canvas bag put over the head of each and tied around the neck, with a holes for proper breathing and eating, but not seeing"

This quote by Edwin M. Stanton, who worked as the United States Secretary of War under President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, sheds light on the rigid and perhaps harsh procedures taken to make sure security within prison environments. At its core, the excerpt recommends a technique to detainee management that focuses on security and the containment of details over the individual autonomy and convenience of the detainees.

The phrase "for better security versus conversation" suggests a main objective to prevent prisoners from communicating with each other. Throughout the Civil War period, the exchange of details among recorded soldiers could cause organized resistance or the planning of escape efforts, thus providing considerable challenges to jail authorities. By imposing such steps, Stanton looked for to reduce these risks.

The description of the "canvas bag put over the head of each and connected around the neck, with a holes for correct breathing and eating, however not seeing" paints a stark picture of the conditions troubled prisoners. The bags were developed to restrict visual perception, effectively separating detainees from their environments and from one another. This seclusion was meant to prevent any kind of visual communication, enhancing the difficulty of cooperation and conspiracies.

Yet, the inclusion of holes for "correct breathing and eating" acknowledges a very little factor to consider for the fundamental physiological requirements of the prisoners. This indicates a begrudging acceptance of the requirement to maintain standard gentle treatment, albeit while enforcing stringent restrictions on other flexibilities.

Stanton's instruction shows the broader tension between security and humanitarian considerations that frequently emerges in scenarios of dispute and incarceration. While such procedures may have been deemed essential from a security standpoint during wartime, they raise ethical questions concerning the balance between keeping order and appreciating specific self-respect and rights. This excerpt eventually highlights the extremes to which authorities might go to keep control and prevent interaction amongst detainees, at the expenditure of the prisoners' sensory experiences and personal flexibilities.