The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-09-03

The last number 81 rp,aams Magazine
calls attention b the fac, that this gentle
man. now an inmate VI the Pennsylvania
State Hospital, h the author u the far
famed song. Sparkling and Bright "---one
Of our eonntrymen's !ayorlte mel0,lies.~--
There is something 80 strikingly sorrowful
IN the throngbt that man Of such power
fg mind ~ Hoffman should filter out the
days Of hi. life among madmen, that the
heart can scarcely repres,s sigh when recol.
TX sr+ l-r4lr,- -.-sr i--s2r.>...-, SRI -s.s. W.,
love 10 call impressions Of him and his
works TO memry. Poor Holman The
iiqiits Of his pi, viii be read forever they
are among the sweetest gems Of American
literature.
We veil recoilec. when The poet vas
placed in hi, present situation. We were
Then an apprentice in the Office Of this pa
per, and had been engaged in reading one
o! ha thrilling productions. The day after
we had finished IL, our surprise and sorrow
may be Imagined when we heard thai the
man whose brilliant pen had pnyioably Civ
en- M 80 much pleasure. had been PLACED N
a Lunaiic Asylam This was about four
years ago i'hafoca co'umn Of tie Hsraid
vas then unier the charge of Mr.. Adam
Raun--a man who loved HolimRns works
"a, much M oars,f-- and on the day after his
Incarceration he publishej one OF the most
beautiful articles on the subject va hive ever
read from his peu. which was extensively
copied by other papers.
Since then we have seen Hoffman on two
or three dihoren. occasions at the Asylum.
The editor OF Putnam describes him ~ be-
ing once lnrgc, ruddy man; ho il not 80
now lila hoe is shrivelod up. and h,s
whole body shows the effects OF time md
disease IL dill retains that hoe military
bearing, however, which be gained in the
army, aud lor hours will pace up AID down
tn, lcug aislu Of his division. giving or
dcrs 10 his fellows which he imaglnes his
soldiers. and prepares them for the march"
Then again at times he will become IN aort
OF pensi,e mood, seeming to appreciate his
position and mourn over II but this is sci
dom lie il generally vigorous aud joyial---
IA he was Ia days gone by.
Every visitor of intelligence who enters
tho Asylum calls TO SEQ Hoffman He re
ccivca them 81 with hearty greeting, will
e * them 10 sup AMI drink with him, and
when they leave invite them TO call often.
GA the last occasion that wc saw him, after
sittng in biz eell and INDUCING in pleasant
chat TO, net pleasant, ior the falling OF his
condition prevented THIS $500 he ordered at
several times some Of his fellows TO fetch
wine aud glasscs. They world just stare Of
him. and he would seem 10 forget il, until
su,lJculy the order aoald lie npaalej and
again forgc',cn liz Generally labors under
,hc idp that bus place Of coniinemtn, "a a
garrison, Of which he is thu commander and
~ only prevented frum enjoying tie outside
by advice OF hw physicians. lie viii ,rs-
qucntiy cuioayor to prevail on the Sapcrin-
don't 10 grant him liberty to roam urorsh
Che coun,sy Ior whilc. and when this Is re
fused viii submit quietly. Holman wears
,rrca,1fi tat cvG,,iHlaifyi ,nsr as,,'s with :;
cane, Ills appearance bears the marx ct
ecgcntriciiy and genius ba, ihc former may
not have been the case before has insanity.
lis voice Is clear commanding, but still
ch,srlul Ne on, can see him without put
ting him down man 81 intellect, ignorant
though he might ho Of bis character --i!cr,
Ijry4tld