Daily national Democrat., 1859-01-30
The Brett Question.


By our correspondence from the Capitol,
in another column, it will be seen that the
Resolution of Mr.. DeLong, in reference to
inquiring into the charges of neglect and
wrong doing in the Insane Asylum in the
case of Mr. Brett, was referred to the Hos
pital Committee which is the same thing as
giving it its death blow We confess we ex-
pected no better of Legislative majority
which has shown itself as unscrupulous in its
partizanship as it is incompetent in all the
essential requisites of craftsmanship. Wear
not disappointed in the least, and, further
more, if the parties impeached in the alleged
transaction, which the Lecompton majority
refuse to inquire into, are satisfied to rest
under a shadow, and, by the apparent fear Of
their friends to have the matter Investigated,
are willing to be believed guilty, rather than
take the risk Of having the transaction in
quired into, we think ps might afford to be
satisfied We made no charges of our own
knowledge. We gave publicity to the com
plant of an honest and respectable citizen,
who had declared that his brother had been
shamefully mistreated and neglected in an
institution which the State has established
for the care and keeping of the unfortunate,
and which, if it does not properly care for
them. fails OF the object for which it was
established. We had no personal feeling in
reference to it, whatever, but stated what we
had heard, believing it to be our duty to lav
the charge before the Legislature of the
country, which was presumed to be, however
enormously, in favor of right and justice.
An inquiry into the matter would do no man
any injury who was innocent, and he who
was not innocent deserved no consideration.
The Legislature has seen fit to refer the whole
question (as may be seen by our correspond
enee from the Capito) to committee com
posed of the personal friends of the Principal
Physician of the Insane Asylum, for the pur.
pose, as it would seem, of having the matter
patched up and smoothed over. That Hos
pital Committee is not the proper Committee
to refer it to 1t is true they were down
there at or about the time the affair happen
ed, but they know nothing about it, from
examination. and are wholly unable to re.
port whether the charges of Mr.. John r.
Brett be true or not That gentleman in
forms us, that he was anxious to have the
Committee. while they were down at Stock
ton, enquire into the case, but his request
was not conveyed to them until about an
hour and half before they were ready to
take their departure, when it was tco late,
and consequently the affair was not investi-
gated in any manner whatever
Mr. Young, of Nevada, gentleman who
seems to think that Lecompton majority in
the Legislature is in power for the purpose
of paying no attention to anything except
the partizan interests of Lecomptonism, "a
very exalted idea of the duties of legisla-
tori had something to say, Friday, about the
NATIONAL Democrat. We find him reported
in the Union as follows
yesterday we were informed that Mr. Brett
had been lily treated at the Asylum, and his |
brother instituted SUIT for damages. Our sympa- |
thies were awakened, and we appointed com
mittee to look into the matter. But we find there
has been slight mistake made The man has
not lost his legs yet No SUIT has been institut-
ed. The greatest portion of the report then is
false. and that is very good reason for suppos-
ing the whole story is false The notice of the
case in the NATIONAL DEMocRAT, of Marysville, |
is all there is known about it.
Mr.. Young, of Nevada, is sapient indi
vidual! The only correction of the original
statement was this-that no suit had been
instituted (Which made no difference with
the merits Of the case) and that the legs had
not been amputated, but in all probability
would be, because the attending physicians
employed by Mr.. Brett, were only waiting
to see .he frozen part of the feet or legs de-
fined with distinctness. in order the better to
undertake the amputation. "The greatest
portion of the report then" says Mr.. Young,
"is false" The greatest portion of the re-
port"-we suppose Mr.. Young means, by
this loose, awkward manner of expression,
to signify the main features of the reports,
in his estimation proven false, because the
mans legs have not been amputated and no
suit been instituted. Now, we consider "the
greater portion of the report" to consist in
this, that the unfortunate man was put in a
mad CELL wiM his feet frozen, and there per-
mtted to remain for six or seven days in sue
cession, without medical attendance That
is what zee should called the greatest por-
tion of the report"
But. we have no desire to spend words on
this subject We have no feeling of a per
sonal or political nature to crafty. We have
simply done our duty. We have laid before
the Legislature of the State the complaints
of private citizen, whose integrity is not to
be impeaehed and if that body do not choose
to pay any heed to it, let the dominant ma
jority in it reconcile the matter to their own
consciences and answer for it to the people.
HUEsToN, HASTINGS & Co.-These gentle
men advertise in to-day's DEMocRT list of
the most alaOant articles of cloth;ng ,;aoa