The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-17
The late Suicide and the Writings OF An
drew j Davis.


The late Suicides and the Writings or AM
drew Davis.
The following letter. in reply that of the father
OF the young man who recently committed suicide,
az Braintree, Mass is published in the Hartford
Times OF the 18th inst =
Hartford, CONNECTICUT. March /, 1851 !
JoHr GxIKvr, Esq, zanesTiiie, swine Ohio. % !,
DEAR SIR am moved to write to you, prompted
~ letter which have this morning read in the
Hartford Coura~t, purporting to be the copy of
Quincy, Mass. The letter judges and condemns as
the writings Of Mr.. A. ]. Davis. and similar s. hum
bug works by Fowler and Wells, &c., and pro.
ceeds to say that John and Hannah Gneve were
"captivated," "deluded," and "murderedn by
such 'trash" It gives directions for the following
ePI,aph TO be inscribed on the tomb Of those un.
bsTpy victme'-
and Hannah Banks. his wife, aged Is years. Both OF
Zsnesville, Ohio. Deuded BY the writings o4 A. J.
| have thought that the letter might be forgery,
a thing got up by some ignorant persons with the
endeavor 10 cast dsrepute on that which they know
nothing about. Il has not the tone Of Christian
sorrow breathed from the pure heart of bereaved
father II is harsh and condemnatory. Had the
writer of IT ever read Mr.. Davs's works, he might
have learned therefroma spirit of religious gentle
nees, forbidding accusation and teaching charity.
And had the unfortunate victims of their own dis
eased ina aenations-John and Hannah Grieve-
had they ever read these works undersandingly,
they would have been led from the error of their
ways, and guided away from their weak contem-
plaiions. They would not have committed suicide,
because they would have learned that all violation
Of divine law is followed by inevitable puni ishment
We know that suicides are often com mtted by per-
cons under what is called high religious excite
ment. Our lunatic asyums are filled with such
''deluded" victims; and many grave stone covers
the mortal remains Of those so murdered" Bat
we do not see inscribed upon their tombs-
"Deluded by the writing Of Noses, John and Paul.
Ind hnuy l.
niacal from the contemplation of those doctrnes
but II 10 only the ignorant who will say that these
things have made them insane. Their insanity
takes that turn, but II originates either in ply
tary disease of the mind Perhaps you yourself
sir, or the mother Of your son, bequeathed to hlm
the germ of his delu sion ask yourself what nature
you gave yo,r child II that letter and that eptaph
was penned by you. It is evident thar you gave him
a msdiiected mind. In the twenty-five years of
his life here, could you not have taught him so to
walk uprighty, that he could have continued ia the
way you should have shown him Had you led
him In the path Of truth. he would have pursued il
onward up 10 God; and you may be sure, sir, that
Mr.. Davis would never have led him fromit Could
he have spoken to him, his language would have
been, go on, be just, be sure, be pure; obey the
laws of God, and heaven is yours" Mr. Davis
uses no other language.
] have p,ted, do pity your son, sir; his was a
harsh eplthets, but they are the worlds words TO
designate what your child was. | should call him
diseased and misdrected; the little prl whose
earthly life he took away, has called loudly upon
the sympaihies of my nature; she followed him
with woman's loye-was ready 10 go wherever
he should lead. Had his mind been nightly dl-
rectsd he could have led her TO the highest heights
of virtue here, and made her bright example on
the earth but he was weak, and so they fell to-
gether. But, SIR, MIR. Davis never told your son 10
take that innocent child by the hand, and lead her
oiih and sIay her, and then take his life; the
writings Of Mr.. Davis teach not such things; they
teach petfPCt and entire obedience n natursiz
laws. Yonr son violated those laws; but il il not
for us to Judge him; ! only pity hun. | wish he
hac rect ived different organization with his birth;
wish he had been better directed. Let his tomb
stone proclaim lie; II viii be consistent with what
has been his apparent tfainng il will be sstent
with his unhspiy end, the termination of his earthly
lie All those who have read Mr.. Davis's works,
who see that inscription, will know that IL is lie;
and few years hence, all will know that false.
hood ives inscribed on the grave Of the murderer
and the suicide.
When the lunatic in an insane asylum takes his
knife and plunses il into the heart of the victim
seated next 10 him, and declares that "God babe
bun 90 IT, do we believe that God thus COM
mandedi No, we know that the diseased inagi-
nation of the fanatic apokes 80 with your son, SIR
II erot since Mr.. Davis has written that our in-
sane hospitals have been but--it Is not only since
he has written that murders and suicides have been
committed On the esrih. Let the Instructions
which flow through him be obeyed, and these
thiDgs shall cease--let his teachings he rightly
understood end followed and we shall have no
murderers, no tuicdes--no insane hospitals, no
Trisons--no slanderers. no falsehoods-children
shall not be BON the heirs of crime, because of
germs implanted in their natures; they shall in
berit virtue, and the g)oi parent shall rejoice IN
the pure loyehness OF his offspring; and Gods
Kingdom she'll come on earh
would advise you, for the good Of others, 10
change the inscription on your sons grave, and let
this truth be there recorded:--
The victim OF deceased Imagination; the inheritor
Of an unhealthy intellect; one not guided and di-
rectsd from chiidhood unto good; the unhappy de-
stfoy.r Of his own earthly life and Of the life here Of
cn- who loved him.
And would respectfully recommend to you, sir, to
make youfsslf acquainted With the writings Of Mr..
Davis that may longer ignorantly suppose thst
they inoulcate crime II you can understand them,
ard vil discipline your mind thereby you may be-
come Christian, u DO not mean q Christian In the
abusive sense OF the verdi but true Christian one
Who judges not condemns not IL gcntle and full OF
loving hindpess BE such and you viii have within
yoprself that peace which the world gives not,
tales away. Such lave tight and Heaven within
u EN-. and they not deludsdn frem 10 by Mr.
Davis. Mr. Fowler, any other man.
May you sir and the mother of your II shs Is In
this world-slso the bereaved friends OF the young
nifsuided HsnLah receivs comfort from above, for
sreat must be your sorrow because Of the mis-.
directed course OF those u entrusted TO you to
guide. You have my pity and nv symoathy.
CATHERfSE DIV DAVIS