Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-02-12
ABSENT.

EVIDENCE OF INSANITY a slightly
drol incident occurred on Thursday the l4th,
in the progress of the Smih trial at Philadel
phia. One Of the witnesses was upon the stand,
undergoing series Of questions relative to the
prisoners insanity. lie stated that, at his
las, interview with Smith, whi-h was just be-
fore the tragedy, Smith entered his place of
business in state OF great excitement, talk
ing incoherently, ard changing his subject with
bewlderIng frequency. He talked in one
breath about Virginia, cabinet ware aud mar
riage, aud wound up by soliloquising about
Kansas, aud damuing the Administration
Mr. David Paul Sruwp,thc counsel for the piis-
oner, then asked the witness 'sif he didn't think
from all 'lis that the prisoner was iasane -
The reply was-ssYes certainly; / could arrive
at 10 other conclusion Mr.. Brown--''Bnt
didn't you consider him insane because he
damned the present Administration :" ooh!
DO; he was quite rational there. All sensible
people, believe, do that" Had the occasion
been one of less sGleinuity than the trial ofa
murder case, the question and reply would have
"brought down the house," AS it was, num-
Der of Office seekers whe were leaning against
the walls, looked very much disconnected at the
fact that The only lucid demonstrations made
by madnan should take the shape OF inyec-
tive against the powers at washington.
Another witness offered the following ''ele-
ment'' Of the high minded aud honorable char
acter OF the prisoner.
81 cont rccollect anything he said that high
muded, honorable man would not have said he
been So deceived in a wife: the only expression
he used was, "come and take drink"
--~~~---
The LEcoMPToN MEssAGE.-The Lecomp-
ton Constitution, accompanied BY message
fron Mr. Buchanan was communicated to Con-
gtess, on Tuesday last. The President says
that great deluson seems to pervade the
public mind in regard to the state of parties in
Kansas--that the dividing line there is not be-
tween two political parties, both aoknowledg-
ing the lawful existence of the government, but
between those who are loyal to this govern
ment aud those who are attempting to destroy
it BY force and usuTpation, aud that their ef
forts would have been accomplished had it not
been for the troops Of the United Sta.es-that
large portion of the people of Kansas have
been in state of actual rebellion ever since
(
his Inauguration n, and that the Topeka gov
ernment is in direct opposition to the one pre-
sented and recognized by Congress. So far as
regards slavery in Kansas, the President as
serts that it exists in that Territory by virtue
of the constitution of the United States, and
that Kansas is as much slave State as Geor-
gia or South Carolina. He advocates the spec
dy admission Of Kansas as State, as the only
means of restoring tranquility to the Terrific
ry. We have no more space for an extended
synopsis of this remarkable message. 1t is
mass of special pleading, unworthy the great
ruler of free people, and must bring upon
Mr.. Buchanan the condemnation of all think
ing men. Its reception in both branches of
Congress was marked by an unusual degree of
confusion aud excitement.