Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-03
o,r San Francisco Correspondence.
SAN FRANorsoo. Dec. l. 1858.

rr,roR DEMocRAT What II splendid field
e.n Francisco would afford to any person dis
.-.,od TO investigate thoroughly and scientifi-
ro,lv the subject of insanity In spite of the
otonton which has of late years been devo-
tod to it, by many able minds, both in the
medical profession and out of it, in England,
or the Continent and in this country, espe
oiallv in Massachusetts,, the philosophy of
insanity, its causes, its true nature and its
rroper treatment, still remain, to great ex
tent involved in mystery.
Yesterday attended an examination in
the County Court before Judge Blake and a
number of medical men, of four unhappy
,nbiects of this frightful malady of the mind ;
and although went away a sadder man,
was in no espect, that l am aware Of the
wiser, for what l had witnessed One of
these cases, was both singular and affecting
II was that of a man named Thompson
whom mistook for a spectator like myself
until IL came his turn to be examined. He
had an intelligent and strongly marked ply
siognomy, indicative Of energy, ability, and
force of character; firm square forehead
clear eye, fine aquiline nose, a mouth and
chin full of firmness and decision, a ruddv
completion, an abundant head of handsome
hair, and general appearance of health and
vigor, both physical and mental. When the
Others had been examined, he complained to
Lao +bo4 tba LoJ III l.
as a lunatic, merely because he had conceived
project for building a line of steamers to
run to Panama, which they considered i'm
practicable and eXtravagant. They were
not sufficiently intelligent, he said, to com.
prehend his project, which was nevertheless
perfectly feasible; and if he had not been ar
rested and detained in prison, he should al
ready have had one of his steamers compile
ted. This detention had seriously interfered
with his plans, and he sho1ld in consequence
be obliged TO put on more hands, pay a high
er rate Of wages, and greatly increase the
expense Of his enterprise " You perceive,
Judge he proceeded, "what folly it is to take
me for lunatic. My mind has, it is true,
been so much occupied in this steamer bus
iness, and have been so annoyed by being
arrested, in this manner, that may have ac-
ted strangely, but, in fact, [ am no more
crazy than you are" A very little farther
conversation however, sulhced to show that
the mans mind was disordered, on this sub
ieet at least, and the order t. transfer him to
Stockton was accordingly made. When in
formed that he could not go, (for, taking for
granted that he would be released at once
he had started for the door, saying that he
was ia hurry TO put his advertisement for
hands in the evening papers.) his astonish-
ment and despair were touching II strug-
gled fercely with the officers who took him
out, and the tremendous shouts and cries
which he uttered soon filled the corridors of
the City Hall with Jan excited crowd
The newspaper war; on the New Almaden
mine matter, instead of subsiding only
seems to wax hotter and more ferocious eve.
ry day After exhausting the argument
upon the merits of the case, the belligcrents
have resorted to assaults and recriminations
of an exceedingly spicy and personal eharac-
ter The defenders of the course of the
Government accuse those presses that have
deprecated its intervention, of being bought
up BY Bolton, Barron q Co., while the latter
class Of journals, with greater show of pro
bability, retort with the charge that their ad
versaries are Influenced in their course by
Government patronage. 1t is confidently al
legged, with what truth l will not undertake
to say, that one morning paper, at least,
which came out zealously at first in the in
terests of the mining population, and has
since ceased all allusions to the subject, has
been sileneed by an official threat to deprive
it of lucrative contract for Government
printing. However true this may be, it is
quite certain that the National, which retains
its principal hold on existence only by vir-
tue of official patronage, has been the most
loyal and longwinded defender of the pro
ceedings taken against the Almaden Compa-
ny.
Moulton, who was shot on Saturday night
by one of the ticket takers at the Lyceum
still fingers in a precarious condition. He
is the same person who some months since at
tackled and beat Sam Brannan, at the steam
boat landing.
l am just informed that James Griffin,
who was stabbed last night, in house on
jackson street. adjoining the fremont, has
expired Gage, the perpetrator of the deed,
was partially intoxicated at the time; he
says that Griffin was attempting to steal his
blankets.
Our present Chief of Police and District
Attorney seem to have united in grand on
slaught upon the gambling establishments
of the city; and the grand jury yesterday
brought in quite a number of indictments
against individuals concerned or Interested
in these institutions
find have been (unconsciousy) so pro-
fx and discursive, in the early part of this
epistle, that it is advisable to choke myself
of. As tits | suspect you Sill have to " ra-
zee" the present communication to prevent
Its "unpruned luxuriance" from trespassing
too much upon your space. At any rate,
snail not object to such an operation-Barkis
is willing SpEreLEp1np.
GILA GOLD MINEs-We have been shown,
fbo ID III