Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-22

that case and this For lamar had brother
Absalom, and Amnon fell beneath that bro
theirs hand. And what was the conduct Of
David when hbsalon bowed his head before
the king, He did not kill Absalon, but he
raised him UP and kissed him.
do no, say Singleton Mercer was absolute
" insane, but do soy that he was in that
state ot mind, ,ha, he did not know ,ha, he was
committing a crime against the laws OF God
and nature. caro- not for the opinions Of
doctors, when they ate contrary to the dictates
OF common sense. Doctors learn TO look calm
ly on the woes Of others. Their dogmas arc
the cheats which they put in other mems minds
and on their own,
The Lord has said vengeance is mine.
and what the Lord says he performs. The very
victims become tho instruments of His ven-
geance! Here was the ruin Of the sister and
| the disgrace Of the whole family pressing on his
brain, and yet these doctors come here and talk
to us about reason and insanity, as if human ma.
ture c,nnot feel. They tell you that 10 consti.
tute insanity there must be delirium but will
it be believed here that an imaginary evil will
sooner drive man mad than real wrong.
When these cunning doctors come here and
tell you that no one can Judge on this subject
but themselves, it shews you the extent Of their
presumption, and the amount o. their ignorance.
Take not the opinion Of doctors who come here
to swear away mems lives. Every thing in the
conduct Of this defendant is stamped with the
impress Of insanity.
We have bsen called on for the opinions Of
! physicians. Have We not given you .he O.
pinions Of one who stood by him in his difficult
ties and who tells you TINT when ho first
visited him in prison. the symptoms were pre-
ciso'y those cfa pcrson recovering from tempo
ra-y unacy.
Tel me- 70, that the law requires blood for
! 0lc0l-'el! ne not that the man who has driven
this poor boy mad, is not dealt with by an a.
venging Providence, when he falls by tho
hands Of his victim.
- '''''' - 49, e'e'S
than that he should not have done this deed.
speak as a man, and not as a lawyer. But
when we feel that he has done right, why.
hand him over to that clemency from others,
which you al feel, and which may come or may
not.
The attempt Of Lawrence TO shoot General
Jackson was referred TO, as case Of delusion,
end the symptoms there compared with those in
this c1se See the casa Of Ann Brolerck, too,
as in this young Mercer, the delusion was in
fcrred from the act committed.
If this young man, in the opinion of the jury
has been driven to temporary insanity, leave
him in the hands ofhis God. Ifyour minds are
balanced on this question Of insanity, need not
, tell you that your doubts in such case should
be allowed to preponderate in fcvor Of the de-
l. fendan,. thrust you will be enabled to arrive
/ at such conclusion that this young man shall
again be restored TO that society from which
e he has been torn. and Of which he may vel
II hecomc an ornament. And when you shall re-
) lease him to the arms OF his gray-huircd father
l. the thanksgiving OF that family circle will as
Z cend to Heaven, that tranquility, fno. hoppi
l. ness. has been restored, OF which you have beer
. made the instruments.