Daily national Democrat., 1859-02-01
The Brett Case.

where which are friendly to DR.. Aylette, are
much incensed at the charges which appear
ed in this paper in reference TO the treatment
Of an insane man named Brett. The Stock
ton Argus calls it cock and bull" story.
and thinks it must have originated with the
insane man himself. The remarks of the
Stockton Republican we have not seen in
full, but, from the extracts which other pa
pers have made from it, we perceive that it
assumes to say that the entire story about
Mr. Brett!was incorrect and without shad
ow Of foundation The Express of this city
remarks; The Republican confirms what we
were morally certain were the facts of the
case; that the inhuman neglect charged upon
the physicians Of the Asylum had no founda-
tion in fact or probability" Well. all this
does very well. but we would like to see The
authority on which these denials are made
We made our statement upon the authority
of Mr.. John R. Brett of this city, who was
ready to testify in the case whenever he
should be called upon to do so. The denial is
made, we suppose, upon the authority of the
physicians at the Asylum. Their word may
be very good, but we humbly opine that the
parties affected by the charge are hardly the
proper witnesses in the case. The true way
to get at the matter is to have the testimony
Of Mr.. John R. Brett and those whom he
chooses to summon as pel as the testimony
of the Asylum physicians and attaches of the
institution. The charge. we are willing to
Admit, amounts to nothing until it is proven,
but the denial, however absolute, does not
settle the question any more satisfactorily.
When we first mentioned the case, we took
the pains to say that we hoped the matter
would be explained, and were very particu-
lar not to make the charge an absolute and
unqualified one, expressing the opinion at the
same time that it should be officially inquired
into. Had we not done thus much, we should
not have done our duty as public journal
st But, it would seem that the motives of
editors in these degenerate days are never
attributed to anything like pure and dis
interested source, and we are looked upon
and particularly by that portion of the press
belonging to the same partisan faction as Dr.
Aylette, as either personally hostile to that
gentleman or anxious to rake up some sort of
accusation which might have a tendency to
injure the party Of which he is a MEMBER
The action of the Lecompton majority in the
Legislature would seem to an outsider as very
.trDpulx- in1 1;no4;,o &C. Il
Investigation of other matters embodied in
Mr. belongs Resolution, which ought to be
inquired into. This Brett matter is, as we
understand it, not the only cause of complaint
with regard to that Asylum.
However, we are not at all pressing about
| this business. If the Lecompton majority in
The Legislature are so well satisfied that
everythingin the Asylum is going on right
simply because Lecomptonite has charge of
it, Why it is their business to supervise the
concerns of the institution and not ours and
we have nothing more to say. But, where
there is such nm extraordinary amount of con.
hdence felt in a public officer, we think it de.
serves some special and striking demonstra
tion. Why would it not be a good idea for
the Lecompton Legislature (as they do not
seem to have much to do, this session, but
talk and act buncomhe) to go down to Stock
ton in body and there present Dr. Aylette
with a gold medal as a reward for his very
particular care of the patients generally, and
of the man Brett in particular? Further
more, while they are at it, and as they have
plenty of time on their hands. they might do
well TO signify their disapprobation of pub
lie journal that would disgrace itself so much
ms to give publicity to the complaints of
mere private citizen, when those complaints
were disagreeable to public officer. by com
ing all the way up here to Marysville, and
giving three groans for the NATIoNAL DEMO
GRAFT We should be pleased to see them, and
would give them very warm reception.
z S.-Since writing the above we are in
formed hy Mr.. John R. Brett, that he has re.
ceived telegraphic dispatches from Stockton
acquainting him with the fact that his broth
ers feet have both been amputated above the
ankles. One was taken off on Saturday and
the other on Sunday. Certain papers were
very quick to cry ''flse." when it was asser
ted that the feet of the unfortunate man
would have to be amputated. What have
they to say now? Probably they will grave
ly assert that man is better off without feet
than with them.