Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-05

feelings be INDUCED in this connection. that,
sweeping like deadly simeon over whole com
munlties, demanding victim with such vehe-
mence for wild conduct or excuses that have
aroused this vengeance shall hold the man of
science responsible for rescuing hapless child
OF misfortune from its clutches; visiting upon
him anathemas and injuries to his reputation and
standing; subJecting him to pert insinuation as
to motive, with the sharpest battery of legal wit
and skill turned upon him during painful, super
clllious, impertinent cross examinations npon his
testimony, so trying to the feelings of man
however, and only pardonable as necessary
means of eliciting the truth from prejudiced, in
terested, or swift witnesses; who, if any such
exist against the victim, too often go Scott free
and escape the ordeal. Shall all this, so sorely
trying to the feelings of a sensitive gentleman,
be suffered to happen so often, that in an evil
hour, If he may have been tempted to forget those
whom just providence, in comforting upon
him the knowledge, apart from other me to
Judge correctly of their condition, has placed
under his protection. And under powerful So
cial, general or church Influences, possibly reach
ing him through private family ties, and
under the natural impression that his
temper and feelings were sufficiently tried,
and his full quota of individual dnty to
wards the insane discharged in their pro-
fesslonal care and treatment without being call
ed upon to leopard almost every interest himself
and family held dear by testifying for them and
mixing himself up with their narrowing domestic
and social difficulties, in which he could have no
personal interest; and having no knowledge per
haps, of particular case but that derived from
a single interview after recovery; naturally
feeling the unfaFness of being called to stand up
single and alone to defend one whose own rela-
tives, family and friends had cast off uncondi-
tOnally and forever; he should for one time al
low himself to be appropriated by the prosecutors
of the insane. Seeking that protection to his
feelings there, he had never found amongst their
defenders. That protection attempted to be
rendered by the prosecuting counsel repeatedly
jumping up and appealing to the court for pro
lection to the witnesses feeling against strictly
technical and professional questions from the de-
fence about matters as familiar and innocuOus to
his " feelings as the breath he drew. The wit
ness meanwhile, with not little manifestation
of restessness, honestly trying to carry his con-
science through the veXatiOus and trying ordeal
as safe and unscathed as he possibly could under
the new and hitherto untried circumstances in
which he found himself placed. All this
resulting in the severance of the most sacred
ties, and the defrauding Of the dearest rights,
know to human or divine laws.
Shall state of affairs that may hare given
rise to all this, and in regard to a class of per-
sons he is tempted to say, who have brains
enough to become dishonored, but he will say, are
endowed with that creative imagination, versatile
ty and intrusity of thought, and energy of
impulse that render them liable to mental dis
ease, be suffered any longer to disgrace the hui
name intelligence of an enlightened common
wealth.
Having suffered from all family indicated
above in his own person. with a thousand times
more of unbelievable results of the state Of feel
ing alluded to- and it having pleased his Maker
to awaken him to full consciousness that he be-
longs to the class of society inqueston, whatever
energy of body or mind he possesses shall be de-
voted to its healing and removal upon the public
mind. 1t is Just possible, such is the frailty of
humanity, that these duties to others, and the
cause of truth and humanity might be suffered
to languish but for the home necessity of per-
sonal vindicatiOD. But with these objects in
view, and believing sincerely that the history of
his case contains matters OF interest to almost
every family in the land, and that strangely tend
to throw not dim or obscure light upon ques-
tons of national interest (sneer not ye incredul-
Ous) which freeman have long desired to see
wisely adjusted and settled, he boldly and openly
throws his case into the last court of appeals
known to his country. That high Chancery,
where, in a land of liberty, not a king, but the
people themselves stand nearest the invisible
Throne; receiving its inspirations and guidance
for veal or woe, happiness or misery to the sin
gle collective individual according to his
righteous and unerring rule.
In the work before him, there are a few things
that strike him as indispensably preliminary. He
has yet matters and developments of a strange
and startling character to lay before the world.
Some of them, as he knows by bitter experience,
OF a nature to excite peculiar" prOclivities
And now if any portion of that public, and he is
pursuaded it will be a very small portion if any
of those whose earnest and impartial attention is
now invoked, should in view of considerations
already presented and the revelation of painful
family sorrows and secrets connected with mem
tai disease already detailed be disposed to
sneer, and talk about "preteXt" - fine spun
dreams,n and attempts to excite sympathy: -
then does he, an Outcast from his family, his
church, and from society, single and alone in the
face of the whole world, in the strength of all
that is worthy in man. in the majesty of truth and
the God of 1t, cry shame upon them, He does
need most cruelty, that moral Medicine Of the
soul in misfortune or disease, called sympathy.
But because of this necessity, because perhaps
this strong desire for the flow of those feelings
that restore him to the brotherhood Ofhumanity
is to be found amongst the motives impelling him
to his present course; does il therefore follow
that one who has always been found to be
man of truth " his enemies under oath being
Judges, was capable;- but enough, enough. He
claims To say to any who after the intimacy ef
years, unintiuenced, sincerely believe the insin-
uatiOn he scOrns to write; to any such who may
Relieve that recently, instead of the melancholy
pilgrimage that has occupied the latter portion
of his time and travels. He has been seen in the
streets of a neighboring city his feet have never
trod pretending " to act the crazy man, and
with slouched hat &c, trying to make people be-
lieve he was lunatic that those persons thus be
lieving, give evidence of peculiaTiian0eenee
that has charitable claims TO a kind Indulgence
in any sort of moral Judgment, or the free eXer-
else of any sort of gossippng procliyities with
In the investigation into the truth or falsity of
such peculiarly hapless and deien3eless plea as
mono mania, falsely and sometimes cunningly
COMPOUNDED with lunacy," aud throughout the
progress of such singular cOncOmitant affairs as
are now submitted to the public; there are GER
tain tendencies in frail humanity, sometimes
found in otherwise very good people, than, an
noying and excessively inimcal they are to
an impartial hearing OF any cause, and intrinsi-
cally insensible TO ordinary moral Influences re-
quire to be shamed into something like decent
sense of prOpriety; though always at liberty to
plead acauiessence, in view of more honorable
and praiseworthy considerations, that are album
dant if so desiring. He has an abiding conf
dence that until the word he has to speak, and
the case he has to present in the open light of
day before the world is thus spoken and present
ed, an honest and just public sentiment or pub
lie nd gnatiOn if need be, Will hush these pro-
pensities to silence. Even in those persons IN
whom a disposition to a particular kind Of witty
ridieule and innuendo so predOminates as to form
a large portion Of their pabulum of life. If any
think differently, let them try the exhibition OF
these impulses in any circle, social or otherwise
where their publications may be familiar, and see
If they find quite the same freedom OF exercise
or meet with quite the same reception as hereto
fore. When these communications are finished,
and the verdict on their importance and Justice
made up, they are welcome to resume their in
diligence upon any objects the especial appetite
may crave, least health should suffer from pro-
longed restraint.
II he may be allowed at all to speak, Tor that
most subtle and slippery essence, self, he has
truly no motive in calling attention 70 the follow
ing singular coincidence other than desire TO ex-
cite that pause and attention, and opening Of
heart 20 the equality, at least, II not equity Of
his cause. indispensable 10 fairness and justice
and which the coincidence Is strikiugiv calculaf-