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


tIeuan in question, or his family, or to the small
est degree blight the warm esteem IN which tney
ere held by so many, he must say, as lar as ma
fraiItv which all should humbly plead, ehaDies
him to Judge, that they again make a SIN gie -
characteristic mistake. A mistake preCiSSiy -
the line of that skretCdgsess with when the
minds of some persons certainly would alHloss
seem to have been inoculated from the 9lseaeSU
6unning of the subject of mental disorder tney
were contemplating, seeming to inspire mem
with an itching desire to convince ali tnat Htey
couId penetrate the motives, and see through
the illnesses and objects of parties, struggling 10
relieve themselves from an unhappy posluon ana
its consequences, and were by no means 10 DS
humbugged by them. There are some strange
things re- If the clear eye of heaven w0ulo
choose To reveal to men the entertainment OF d.
vine preseience regarding the dlseased cunning
of mOnOmaniees and the native cunning OF those
pursuing them, to a moral accountaDluty IOi
their conduct, things and analogles mtSlt DC Ie-
vealed, strangely startling if not Illuminating.
1t is not in the writer's motives, neither docs
it cOmport with the requirements OF his position
and objects, to lessen the standing and influence
of the gentleman and his family in question.
Nav. rather, were it in his power, he would IN
crease it a thousand fold, so that when 1t comes
to be known shat such persons, under such cir
cumstances. could yield to feelings betraylng
them into the sad errors alluded TO before, ~ may
tend all the more powerfully to give profound
pause to public sentiment; and arrest attention
to the real nature of the present state OF pro-
eeedings both social and legal, against persons
of doubtful sanity, whose conduct may nave rals-
ed a storm of ''public indignation ana WHOSE
enfeebled condition in certain elements OF cnAF-
aeter (nOt intellect, necessarily Tor lOhg 'ne
after their reason has recovered from Its DEVIL
deriug renders them peculiarly unnt lot breast
ing this storm, with that robustness OF ahlhal "
position so characteristic of the brassy cFlmlnai'
and which so promptly appeals to the senslpln
ties and reason of all. There is in those con-
stituent elements of humanity that unltes
~. L. 1wan-
man and speaks his kinshlp TO the lower ami
mails and thoroughly and habitually trained, TOO,
by the close struggles and contests Of life,
something that intuitiyely presses whenever
there is yielding and inclines to assam Wheh IN
erring instinct diVines weakness, ana at once
cOnfOunds a certain sort OF trembling Win TIC
timdity of that guilt which ''heeth when no man
pursueth." And if it perceive unconsclousIY, as
all do as we'll consciously, real truth OF TINS
nature, that clear, penetrating, unclouUed n
tellect remains and is perhaps looking ueeply ~
to their own natures and impulses, its posses
sors seem to be all the more maddened, ana
sneer all the sharply, that such an lnteleet'
especially if the least remains OF the peculiar
shrewdness Ofrecent disease, may appear to cling
to it, should plead IceakneSS, and earnestly ana
imploringly claim the tender sympathy ana nur-
sing care due to a little child when IN truth that
intellect lacks nothing but the support OF thoss
same animal impulses, restored TO heallh anu
strength that stand squarely loot TO 1901 10 those
of the same kind in others to promptly obtain
that equality of consideration and respectIul at
tention, that such an intellect, thus supported,
invariably secures. To the honest eVeryday-ob-
server of men, as well to the philosopher,
there is a key to be found somewhere here, that
unlOcks one chamber at least of that mystery
pertaining to the state of affairs IN the puDhe
mind, in regard to the HlORO-insane especially,
and TENDS to explain somewhat those sweeping
storms of prejudice that often annihlated their
Judgment and justice, and which is so singularly
inconsistent with that native magnanlmlty ana
chivalry otherwise characteristic OF American
public sentiment.
One word more. In consequence, probably,
of an inherent irregularity of thought common
| to those with his hereditary mental tendencies,
| the writer finds it hard to put ideas together
without presenting tangled or diJolnted Ell
| feet. 1t is just possible that many, unaware OF
possessing the native eccentricities alluded TO-
! may have experienced the same difficulty. Fur
| Their. He cannot speak tamely where his soul
! feels deeply, nor try to do so. Owing TO MS en-
tire inexperience in the use Of the pen, 1t is I'M
! possible always TO avoid under these clrcum-
/ stances the appearance of attempts at hne writ
| ing, he should abundantly despise himself, were
| he capable of, in such connections. For these
| and other similar things that may show IN what
/ he has already, or may hereafter submit to the
| public may he bespeak that generous indulgence
! that finished productions of men long aeoustom-
ed to put their thoughts into language, have no
need to claim. II. D. w hEE-LEh-