The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-08-24
Another Gard Grona ahe S1Pertm
tendent of the Lunatie
AsyImn.


As we do not intend to give ground for
the least suspicion of an intention to do
injustice TO DIR. Compton in the matter
of the scandalous reports with which his
name as Superintendent of the Lunatlc
Asylum, is associated, We have published
his second card in full.
1t will be seen that this publication in
so far as it relates to the matter OF public
complaint, is a verbatim repetition OF his
first card.
He admits the correctness of the opln-
ion of the Corinth News that when an
" officer, especially the chief officer of
q such an Institution as the Lunatic
" Asylum, is charged with grave
" offense, the public have right to de-
" mand that they be made fully acquain-
a. ted with all the circumstances connec'
81 ted with the investigation of the charges
Preferred but says that whether
sit is important for the public to know
"all the prurient what does he mean by
"' prurient details of the investiga-
" lion, was a matter for the Board of
+" Trustees to determine which implies
that the Board are responsible for the
concealment of the Report from the party
most interested, the public. This can
not be true for the reason that it passed
beyond the control of the Board when
they delivered it to the Governor, and it
is further contradicted by the statement
of the Superintendent himself that the
Governor has positively refused to submit
it to public inspection.
The Superintendent, though he takes
the absurd ground that the Report sis
the property" of the Governor, says that
he has repeatedly applied to the Govern
or for permission to publish it, and has
been emphatically refused. Nay, he
was "reproved by his imperial Emil
nency for "having noticed the matter in
a card at all. Only look at it Here
were scandalous rumors which according
to the Superintendent own statement
had gone out to every part of the State
which for months had enaged the close
attention of the Board of Trustees com
posed of gentlemen eminent for their
intelligence and impartiality-which
necessarily awakened the deepest concern
in the public mind, and involved the
gravest consequences to the Institution
itself And yet the Superintendent is
subjected to a "reprOof by the party
who ordered the investigation, for motto
ing it! The public, taking for granted
all that the Superintendent says in refer
ence to the difference between himself
and the Governor, and the decision of
the latter, will not hesitate to decide that
he is right, and his patron wrong. #
the Superintendent has been illuminated
and If the Report vindicates him, the
Governor has not only refused to give
him the benefit of it, but his course con-
veys the inference that the Report does
not acquit his appointee of having been
wrongfully accused. The only wonder
is that the latter has so readily acquiesced
in decision which not only outrages the
rights of the public, but which vitality
concerns him as a public officer, and
leaves him in worse condition than
before the investigation was instituted.
The Superintendent states that g if the
Board had failed to exonerate" him "from
=" the charges implied in the rumors, his
" unconditional resignation would have
q" gone into the hands of the Governor.
There was a rumor, which we do not
vouch for, that his resignation did ego
into the hBnds of the Governor" but
apart from this we will repeat what we
have before said, that though the report
may not have announced that the testi-
mony its authors were able to adduce in
trial in which they could exercise no
authority over witnesses, did
not furnish visible evidences of "crimi- |
nality" in SOME THINGS, it did in effect |
declare that the Superintendent ,CGs cen
surable for conduct highly, or grossly irreg-
aAar and improper. And this is the sum
and substance-the kernel Of the whole |
matter. If this judgment is not pro-
nounced by the Board, let their report be
produced and the reverse established. |
The CLARION will promptly recall the
statement if its injustice is shown by the
parties who hold the report and are claim
ing it as their exclusive property"
Otherwise, it will be maintained as true.
We reiterate, that what the public want,
Or what the public have right to de-
mand, is the report. The Asylum is
their Institution, supported by their char
ty. The report is their property"
They must and 1ciH hare 1t. Their de-
nand is neither to be evaded nor trifed !
With.
The impression sought to be smade as
% the course of The CLARION in this
grave matter by the parenthetical inter-
legation mark of the Superintendent, is
wholly unwarranted by the facts. If we
nave not extenuated, we have certainly
et down nothing in malice. The sub
ect has been treated with delicacy and
moderation which have amazed all par
les. But be this as it may, it is enough
o know that the charges were made with
efficient detail and specification to war
ant laborious investigation by the
Board, and the public have a right to in
ist upon inspecting their report and de-
ermining for themselves what is in it.
md, moreover, the Superintendent cam