Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-23

Our readers remember the unfortunate cir
cumstances connected with the arrest of this
gentleman. He is a resident of West Ten
nessee. lawyer of high standing. and occu-
plying an unexceptionable social position.
He was arrested on suspicion Of being con-
nected with the forgery of Land Warrants.
by Col. l.. Peyton, an agent of the Bounty
Land Office at Washington. Mr.. Wright is
of that peculiar temperament which is not
calculated to Withstand shock such as an
arrest under such circumstances would carry
TO an innocant man. He was brought to
Nashville a maniac. and placed in the cheer
less and cold cell of common Jail, where he
suffered a thousand deaths. We saw him
there shivering with the cold of winter, his
clothes scattered about the room, his body
racked with disease, and his mind a wreck.
The humane Judge ordered Physicians to be
summoned to examine his case, who pro-
nounced his case insanity methodical. His
examination proceeded and was. we believe.
bound over But soon it became manifest
that his insanity was real, and he was convey
ed to the Asylum. where he now is. In the
mean time his stricken wife and family and
relations have suffered beyond conception on
account Of all these things. We have been
informed by the hest authority that facts
have come to light since the preliminary ex-
animation, which his friends believe will ex-
culpate him triumphantly from the charge,
in the final trial, and as soon as his health is
recuperated, he will doubtless be restored to
his family.
We desire to state briefly the circumstance
which has led us thus to refer to this case at
this time. Our attention was arrested yes
terday by an article in the last number of the
Quid NUnc, published at Grand Junction,
giving certain statements in regard to the
case of White of Chattanooga and Henry
Wright, upon the authority of Col. Peyton.
In relation to Mr.. Wright the paper states:
We fnrther learn,d from Mr.. Peyton that
the insanity of the lawyer, Wright Of Lrxing-
| ton. Tenn.-another forger of Land Warrants
was unquestionably pretended, and that his
guilt will be established beyond doubt. He
! is still at the Asylum for the Insane, near
| Nashville, whence he frequently writes Sin
sane' letters to his friends, which however
| have good deal of method in their madness.
| In our opinion Col. Peyton, if he has no
! feeling for the accused. and no respect for his
suffering wife and brothers and sisters. should
! have better conception of the duties of his
! official position than TO employ himself in
! forostaling the verdict of courts. and pro-
mitigating the guilt of an accused man be-
! fcre that guilt has been established. This
| publication is calculated to do great injury
not only to the defendant. who has been, I'M
| questionahly, insane, and who is still far from
being himself hut TO his family and friends.
| He has wife whose all of earth depends
upon bis restoration to her side. The future
of his child must be frightened or blackened
! by the final result of this arrest. And yet
with all these weighty considerations hang
ing upon the event Col. Peyton talks for pub
! LEGATION as glibly about his guilt, his feigning,
! and what tciH be the result of his trial as
| though he was possessed as well
with divine prescience ms with a com
mission 10 hunt out detaulters: and that. too.
when it was known to him that the u. 5.
! Court at Jackson had just deferred the trial
of the case on account of the absence of the
| defendant, who is confined in an Insane Asy-
lum. The bare possibility of the innocence
of the accused and the presumption OF law,
! even, is in his favor rs yet--should restrain
! any man, and especially a occupying
the relation to the case which Col. Z, yton
does. from going about making such state
mrnts as the above to newspaper editors.
! Under all the circumstances We have dermed
| it our duty, in justice to Mr.. Wright, TO make
this notice of the paragraph in the Qad Name.
! -BdqRer.