Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-07-25

gone 10 bury his splendid accomplishments on a farm.
Is II not dreadful, gentlemen, to witness such a sacri.
flee? | offered him a share in my business, | pro2o.
sd to establish him in a splendid dislillery, but such
was the poor creatures arrangement of intsllect, that
even This brilliant offer could not draw him from the
obscnrity Of The coantry. Look at his dress, gentle.
men; If The court please, is not that prima fdcic evi.
dence Of his insanity 2"
The court thought ii was, but would not give a de.
clded opinion without first looking into somebody's re-
ports.
"Look at him., gentlemen, would any body believe
ne was The son ofa rich merchant? That disgraceful
blouse, like a common laborer's. That coarse straw
hat! o, gentlemen, pardon a fathers weakness! |
can say 20 more
The mother OF the insane man appeared next, but
her distress was too great 20 ADM, Of her giving her
evidence in a straight for ward manner.
She believed her son 10 be crazy. Had first sus.
peeled ii on his returr from Paris, On account Of his
plain clothes; he had left ofcohee and tea, and drank
nothing but cold water; he talked strangely about the
couniry; quite unlike her other children, who were
fond OF style. and lived respectable; insanity not pecu-
liar to the family; was not influenced by her husband;
had seen her son laugh with The coachman; had op.
posed his marriage; tho Ight it a decided proof of 10.
sanity to marry out Of ones own circle; had been the
first To propose sending her son to the insane retreat.
Alter the Witnesses delivered heir testimony. the
court told the mauiac that lie might address the jury.
81 have nathing to say in regard to the testimony"
said the youth, shut that it IS all true. prefer the
sweets OF a country life to the bitter tolls OF business
| have a wife whom | love; she brought me no fortune,
1t is true, but'she helps me daily to earn one. | have
a little farm which yields more than | need; have
good health, a quiet conscience, and two lovely chill
dren whose minds and bodies / am striving 10 rear 10
conformity with the dictates of nature. For these |
prefer a moderate fortune in the country TO an immod.
crate one in the city. Besides, | lcok upon the judy.
meni pronounced upon Adam 10 The light of a com
mand, and was never happy till the sweat ofmy own
brow seasoned my daily food"
The jury pronounced him mad without leaving their
seats.
"a righteous werdick u said the honorable court.
lie was led from The court room, and yet he still
stood there, such are The Inconsistencies Of dreams.
He was now dressed in rusty clothes; bis counte.
nance was subdued by thought; he was unhappy, bu,
not uneasy; his eyes were cast down, his lips were
more closely pressed together, and the vigorous look
ct youth was changed for a gravity Of demeanor that
sat upon him well, though it seemed loo grave for his
years. There was literally a cloud of Witnesses to
his insanity. He had been heard to pity a condemn
ed felon; he had said irreverent things ofthe law; he
had spoken against the clergy; he had abused physic;
he bad given his money to vagabonds; he laughed al
the fashions; he had cried at a wedding; he was op.
posed to war; he had been struck without returning The
blow; ne had pitied a Shareholder; he had--but
the jury would hear no more. They pronounced him
mad with one voice. AL BedIam seemed now broken
loose. No sooner was one maniac pronounced upon
than another occupied tho stand. The obscure little
court room began to look like the ante.room of the rev.
dictionary tribunal. To expedite business, a whole
lot OF manldcs were put up together and judged in a
lump.
One was a young girl of eighteen who had married
her fathers poor clerk whom she loved, when she
might have married her fathers rich partner, whose
money her friends loved; a Wall street broker who
who had refused usury on a note; a grocer who had
a customer not to buy his sugar be.
cause he could buy chea per elsewhere; a man who
corrected a postotlice error when his letter had been
pndercharged; a political orator who had refused an
office because he did not think himself entitled to one;
a lawyer who refused to advocate The cause of a rogue
on the pretence Of conscieDtious ~scruples; a critic
who douoled his own infdllibillty; a lieutenant of ma.
rlnes who gave up his commission and earned his
bread by his own labor; an editor of a newspaper
who had never called ma mes; an English traveller with
OUT national preludlces; a midshipman who had new
er damned the service; an artist who painted from ma.
ture; al author who was satisfied with a review of
his book; a young lady who was offended at being told
was pretty; a poet who considered himself in(e.
rior to Shakespeare. These we're all pronounced mad.
But The noise of their removal awoke me, and finding
that the other Jurors had gone over to The one who was
for rendering "a verdict of not insane, | too, instructed
by my dream, concluded TO coincide with them, lest
should establish a precedent by which | might at some
Iu!ure day be pronounced mad myself.
E-o,o H0f1tn,s WorL NJ, ,bo T,Jtoae |