Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-11-01

House of Commons, because he did not
press claim against the Russian Gov
eminent, for an insult, with vigor cor
responding to his own sense Of his i'm
portance. The animal developements
of Hare, the accomplice of Burke, the
b,sksr, who killed victims for the dis
secting room, was immense. Another,
was that Of woman who pursued a
system Of slow poisoning for years, dur
ing which she murdered both her par
ents, two husbands, and three children,
besides number Of others, whom she
pretended to nurse. Her delight was
to see her victims sinking under her un-
seen hand, and thus was her destructive
propensity intensely gratified: In the
skull Of a malefactor, named Richards,
the organs Of Destructiveness and
Amativoness were extremely large, and
he first sednced a young woman, and
then murdered hert
We now come to instances whore, on
accoun, Of the preternatural develoPe-
ment ofthe organ of Destructiveness, or
its disc ases, men were actually insane,
and had an uncomfortable propensity to
commit homicide. In Scotland, one
thus afflicted, without tho least provoca-
tion, shot a farmer, in the road, and
afterwards proclaimed that he had shot
the devil, and could moi be made TO un-
dersiand that he had shot q man.
Another old man, while going by cot
tage door, entered and killed a woman,
sitting at her wheel, with a spade, and
walked of into another part of the coun-
try, bu, was finally overtaken, and put
OF trial for the murder. Some phre-
nologists, who examined his head, gave
it rs their opinion, from the relative cx-
traordinary size Of his organ OF Destruc-
tiveness, that he laborcd under homicidai
insanity neither the Solicitor General,
nor the jury, could understand this new
species Of defence, and he was convicted
and sentenced. After his sentence, he
called upon principal officer Of the jail,
and, in the coolest and apparently most
rational manner, recounted no less than
eight murders that he had committed,
and gave the dates and places, with
seemingly the utmost precision. Among
the murders thus conle ssed, was that of
two children in High-strcet in Edin-
burgh, OF certain occasion. The
super intcndcnt Of tho Edinburgh Police
was sent for, and assured the officer that
no such murder Of children had ever
taken place, and, upon further investiga-
tion, it was made equally certain, that
all his other confessed murders were
entirely fabuIous-tho fgmenis Of his
disordercd or unbalanced brain.
but the fact of his fatal insanity was
moi discovered ill il was too late to OBJ
tain respite, and the maniac was exc
cuted. So far as the individual himself
was concerned, said DIR. C., this result
was Of little conse Quence (; but il makes
n wide difference to the family and re-
laiives Of such an unfortunate man,
whether he be hung as IL willul muir
derer, or be confined in hospital, as
an unhappy maniac. The one is re-
garded AZ stain on family, while the
other is only looked upon az all aflliction
for all our pity and sympathy.
The last manifestation OF this organ,
which we have room TO notice, is its
operation, in connection with the intel
Iectual faculties. Lord Broaeh ham as
an orator, is pre-eminent for his powers
Of invective, which arc terrific, and so
CALLING, that, although using courtly
phrase, he once made Canning leap from
his seat in the House of Commons, and
say, in reply TO one Of his phillippics-
-" It's lie." Byron had also large
development of Dcstructivencss, and
hence derived the bitterness and fierce
ness Of his satire. The same was the
case with Burns, who was also remar ka-
BILE for his irrascIblo temper and vindic-
tivencss.
The influence Of tho organ on the
clergy was also observable-p eachers,
with large developement, naturally
dwelt more on the threatenings of the
Gospel, and the reason was that those
texts, which contained those threats
made the most vivid impressions on THEN
own minds. In taking for granted
however, that whatever affected theiI
own minds, would equally affect the
minds Of all their hearers, they fell into
a great error, and materially impaired
the effect Of their labors OIL their cOngrc-
cations.
Other preachers, having but mod
crate development, delighted chiefly to
expaiiate on The promises of the Gospel,
and the happiness Of a Christians life
and hopes.
Other divines, whom dcmolishing wha,
they supposed to be errors in doctrine
were in the habit Of bringing their fists
down upon their desks with a violent
thump-a sure indication Of the vigor
and activity Of their organs of Destruc-
tiveness. One divine had acknow led ge d
TO the Doctor, that when thus overturn-
ing an error, he felt As If he were ac.
tuaIIy knocking it down with blow.
DR.. Spurzheim, DR.. C.'s preccptor
had a large organ Of Destructive ne ss
but having also very full coronal re.
gion, supposed to bo the seat Of the
Moral Faculties, he was enabled tc
control his passions and resentments, al
though he was fully sensible Of tho i'm
pulses Of the organ.
Thus Ear have we given an outline O
DR. Combes lecture, without any inten
tion Of expressing any opinion for o
against The details Of his ny stem, although