Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-02-03

mean eye expressive only ofanxiety and disi-ss
ana without utiering syllable, by a sipniiica,
gesture, directed my attention to the chain upo
: MS ankle. Finding him any thing else than
i"' turned 10 The Keeper, with surprize, an
enquifed why 1t was he had him thus ftttered 4
: Nor was this establishment alay,d by the rcpl,
''at was IN consequence of his tearing hi
ciotnes and destroying his furniiure-ror if N
had been as poorly provided with either when free
as IN ms then condition, he could surely hay,
'"ou'Seo his Obstructive propensi,ies to the u,
most, without any serious daunaue resultinp AZ
ter learning from the keeper, that he was neve
dangerous or violent, endeavorcd to prevail I'M
on MN To be satisfied with merely confninu his
hahus; and proposed to direct him how to make ;
mum, which would eIlec,ualy prevent his doing
.'scn'et' whilst he could be permitted to weaI
his clothes and walk about his room, I'm, tho iJ
man seemed welded To his chain. and M nrr,r,.
sion could induce him to abandon il. 1, Of course.
ieit tho apartment, deeply panied at the sDecia.
Gle presented, and regreting most sincerely. ,bo,
the poor sufferer could not he admitted into this
asylum where discomfort would have been So
cured, and the disease, which was fast becor;no
more firmly rivetted than the chain which hnn,i
hini, could almost certainly have been removed.
| ne next cell to which / was conducted con-
taihed AN object the most Corbiddinp that il b,d
been my lot to behold in human form. I.iks
uepoor German above described his long and
Pto'"Se hair ana beard seemed not TO have been
1
cu WIN n',hy rags, and the heavy chain which
fastened him TO the floor, was only Iona epouub
TO admit OF his lying down on his comIor,loss heJ
OF boards and blankets. The Appearance If rho
poor creature Indicated that he had drunk ,wo.
,oiu portion oil the cup fatllict;on-sufernr the
horrors oil mental disease, aggravated by nbyscoI
neglect and tcrture--and the eiiluvia vb;.h ssmoJ
from his hithy abode. alike operated IN nr.uo,,
my tarrying long with him. On r,iirinrJ wac
shockeh sun i"rtler to learn that he had been i'm
ihIs condition, chained to the floor, for more Than
three years This individual has since been adj
s n mo our asylum, nor was surprized to
ma that'irom his long confinement to 4 particul,r
poSltion his lower eNtremities had brcona on
trely paralysed. He is now, from tbis c,rol
treatment, a helpless cripple-nnable to walk or
stann-and wiiIin all probability SO continue dur
ing life. 'D'-
"a third apartment. which opened into mar
row passa"". was. il possible still moro rnvol,-
ing Than either of the former-not because !, an
peareu more uncomfortable or cheerless for such
could notwel have been the case. but because Il
was the abode otJive insane females three Of whom
were white and two black. One Of each color
was c''a'heu IN opposite corners of the room,
whist the remaining three were permitted durnr
the day to exercise or labor in the ADJOINING nasS
age. iurther description of their appearance
ana circumstances, horrible as il mght be. could
not surely ageravate the deep loathinp which
must be produced in the mind of every humane
anu Ihteiii@'h! Individual, by this simple state
ment as TO their mum her, sex, color and condition
There was one other male confined elsewhere
nough of the degradation and sHfferinus Of INV
'.ilow neihgs, did not Impose upon the goodness
OF the old man TO conduct me farther.
inns JaiIor received annually from the nublic
treasury within traction of two thousand dollars
Tor the manner in which he thus treated these nm
iorthnates "a sum. which, had there been apart-
mehts mere Tor their reception, would have sup.
hsrf.T lnall.
nod, these seven, and six others, maxine in all
thirteen.
"As before remarked, is there not too much rea
son to fear, as this exhibition has occurred in one
OF the most wealthy, intelligent, and populous
counties OF the State, that it but represen,s The
condition OF many others tn roughou our couutrvi
And does II not call with a loud voice upou Tie
christian, Tie Phllanthropist and the Statesman
10 De up and dong, not only TO alleviate the pri-
vatons and sutf;rings Of this Inflated class of fell
low immorials-but to erase this bumiliatinr
s'",h rom tne escutc!eon of our beloved Virgin
Ia surely the apathy which has existed i'm re-
gard 10 THIS subject, thus far must have resulted
from the TACT that both Legislators and their con-
sutoeh'S nave been ignogant of the hapless condi-
tlon To- which 50 many Of this class Of our unior-
tunae ieiiow-cltizens are consigned and hence
IL is a-lnpoTtant that these, and similar facts (of
which 1t Is 10 ''a regrett d there are such a nu>n
oer') Should be made public. The Press. that
n''gnty engine OF veal woe to the d, stin;es nj
our stale and the welfare Of her citizens should
ne maze To TEEN with the shreks and groans of
the lated lunatics, until the comfort Of every
domestic hreslde IN the commonwealth is disturb
! ea' ana the now dormant sympathies of whole
| people be aroused TO just appreciation of their
suiierlngs ana degradation. The humane and a.,
Tented editGr of the Charlcstown (Va) Free Press
mas iaeiy spoken with emphasis and power mon
| this subject, and we will doubtless be pardoned
'cr quoting here his eloquent and touching re-
marks 1t is our fate" SAYS he, .to be located
| opposite the county prison, in which are now con.
hned iour miserable creatures, berelt oil the God.
like attribute Of reason--two of them females
and our feelings are daily excited by sounds oil
woe t!iat would harrow up the fiuest soul in
creation. Oh, ii IS horrible, that for the sake oil
lew thousand dollars, the waiiincs of the
wreched should be suffered to issue from tho
gloomy walls OF our prisons, without pity ant
without reiief! Would that oar Lawmakers wer,
doomed to listen but for single hour each la,
To the c'ankIng chains and the piercing shriekt
oi THESE ior!orn wretches Relief would sureI,
follow, ana lie character of Onr Stale be rescue,
from the foul blot which now dishomors it, LIE
inc press echo and re-echo the cries Of the suffer
Ing unaic, until the hearts of the hardest ar
melted and let no public man be trusted VIII
listens not to tie demands OF humanity and 80
on this score
Inc Report then proceeds 10 speak or the man
agHment OF the Asylum, and the means employ
cd In the treatment of the Insane
The first head introduced is MpDlcArros
which OF course forms an important part Of IN
; system Of cure, but which is usually howeve
combined with MORAL MEANS. Several yerv If
teTes'ing cases are related und this head lror