The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-23
From the Albany Evening Journal.

The Insanity Of Gerrit Smith.
With those who have known Gerrit Smith
longest and most intimately. his present mel
ancholy condition is more a matter Of regret
than of SURPRISE His mind has hovered upon
the borders of insanity for more than o quar-
ter of century. His physical health was de-
stroyed many years ago by his peculiar habits
and views in regard to temperance and diet.
Gerrit Smith was by nature muni6eently en-
dowed. We knew him first in 1914, then
wooing and winning Wealthy Backus, his first
| wife, and neither before or since have we seen
nober specimen of manhood. To high in
telleetual gifts he added form and face of
surprising beauty,
| awhose red and white.
| Natures own sweet cunning hand laid on.
Then ardent, generous, and as ever impuls-
i've, he lived for several years in the quiet en-.
ioyment of refined social and domestic happi
ness. Though early bereaved OF an accom-
| plshed wife. he was subsequently restored to
all the eudearments of home by marriage
with daughter of the late Col Fitzhugh, an
equally estimable lady. ~.
| Some thirty years ago. then Young man OF
great promise, buoyant in spirits. and look
king at the bright side of all the scene
ry of life, he was an unsuccessful candidate
disturbed the heretofore even tenor OF his
way" and tinged the future of bis whole life
/ He became, as he believed. philanthropist,
but it was the philanthropy less of charity
| than of force. From an ardent Colizationist
he became an ultra Abolitionst and his per
suasive zeal for Temperance, changed to coer
Give measures in favor of Prohibition. Of his
ample fortune, he dispensed. in aid of Aboli
tionism and Temperance. with more hberality
than wisdom. Both his perverted talents and
his misappled money injured the objects he
sought to promote.
i Mr. Smith has lived for nearly thirty years
in o state of political ha lucination. The de
usion eliminated last year, when. greatly eX
Gifted, he devoted his time and money to a
/ canvass which he believed would result in his
election as Governor, while every other person
10 the State kneiU that he was wasting his
strength and his means. That disappointment
left him too well prepared, in body and mind,
for the shock which has overthrown his too
long unbalanced intellect. ed
4 The Harper's Ferry insurrection was an at
tempt to carry the teachings of prominent
Abolitionists into prsctical effect. 1t was
! foreshadowed in O letter from MIR. Smith to
the Jerry Rescuers" That he ever really in
tended slaves should rise, rob and murder. we
i do not believe but in speeches and letters be
INDUCED in language which bears no Other
construction. Unfortunately, "Ossawatomie
!, Brown" driven to madness by slavery oppres
sion and outrage, was too ready to carry into
practice the principles which others were only
reckless enough to teach
In the meantime, with knowledge. of the
noble and generous nature of Gerrit Smith, We
cannot but denlore the dispeusation which de
prives him of reason. His giant miad, evel
too active. wildly possessed by ONE IDEA, ha'
finally, by various "deciensions" fallen
II Into the madness wherein he
Il
o, what a noble mind is here o'erthrownl 8
The courer's, soldiers, scholars tongue sword;
| The expectancy and of the fair State,
The glass of ia hion and the mold of form, =,
The observed Of all observers; quite, quite down.