Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-04-21
rho insanity o. Cain.

The following ars the cloalng paragraphs Of a
remarkable article in 1cRIBNKR's for May, on
"Ths Insanity Of Cain !"
In judging Of Cam, look at the situation. On
the one hand, terrible family mystery. no schools
no churches, no lectures no society, no amuse-
ments, no apples On the other hand, the whole
burden Of humanity borne for the hrst time pa
.ernal discipline; undue chronological develop
ments;l monotonous employment; antedIluvian
monsters; antsdiluviau parents, aud an anledilu-
Wan good brother in whose mouth butter would
have remained intact for ages.
Undoubtedly that brother had an exasperating
smile. He was happy because he was Virtuous.-
He had q way OF f0rgrving and forgetting that for
time would deprive the offender Of reason itself
above all, he had a cool. collected manner Of his
own, added to chronic desiie 10 b an angel
His oferings always fulfilled the conditions. His
fires needed only to be lighted, and tho smoke
i far into the sky.
Gains, on the contrary, refused to burn. We
| can see It all The smoke struQgled and Topped.
It creps along the ground, and clnging to his feet
wound about him hike serpent. IL grew black
and angry, shot sideways in his eyes, binding and
struggling HIM 2
And there stood Abel beside his pile, radiant,
saished, wanting to be an ANGEL
1t was but the work Of moment. The pent-u up
Idiaogaanizing influences ef hfe-tims found vent
was no more '3
Why dwell upon the tragedy? The woEld il
familiar with its siekening details. We shall moi
repeat them here, nor shalt we question the jus
tice OF the punishment that came to Can-the re
morse, the desolatOn, the sense Of being fugitIV
and vagabond on the iaca OF the earth. He hat
killed his brother, and the penalty must be paid
; Sane or insane, terrible retributiou must hav
: overtaken him. But how about his guilt P
Would It have been the same in either case Ar
hereditary organism, temperamented excitability
emotional phrensy not TO be eonsidered2 No,
thousand times no What competent Juror
would acquiesce in such propositionl
Friends, the time has come when this case muI
\ be taken up. Its mighty issues can no longer b
. set aside. IL Cain was not sane nt the moment
the killing, the stain Of murder must be wipe
from his brow now aud forever. This tardy justiC
may at least be done him. Our children and OF
4 Ichildren's children must be taught to speak
4 Cain the man-slau9hterer Cain the mentally O.
"a excilablei Cain the pssuliarly-circu
y Bat Cain the murdeferP Never stftiA
a Aman's own testimony shall not convict or a
n quit him. But are we not to take into aecouI
As indicative OF his state of mind, actions and d
n clarations Co1ncident with the commission Of I
crime alleged ag 1inst him 2 IT at or about d
time Of the fatal deed, there was positive eviden
V OF inQoherence-what than2 Witness the last
corded words Of Cain ~, 4sst
EVERY ONE THAT PnlDRTH NE SHALL 81.
MRI ,,..,ss4.
ps Is this the utteranoe Of a sane mindY Ere
one that Rndeth me shall stay me GsntIeme
y Cain, at this point was not only era1y--he was
- eraziest man thate existad I No ordinary
natc, however pfspostarous his tslrors, expeots
y, be killed more than once. But 70 this poor or
- ture EotEibutiOn suddenly assumed hydFa-head
~ form. Ills diatTaotsd brain, unconscious q
u AdBm was the only other man in the wide VOL
n instantly created an immense population.
q saw himself falling again and ain by the stFo
- - of successive assissin5, even as Abel had fal
-. - under his hand. His tirst dazsd glimpse OF de
" expanded and intensified into horror never oil
"a conceived by mind Of man. His happiness oV
thrown; his reason . Wrock = prey to Tears {
stretched hsfore him iOrsveF, with 10 possible h
~ of final destruction-the only consolation is I
he could not ioFeknow the mereilsss verdict
postspty. He did not recognize in himself
or hrst Murderer. Rather than dream OF such is
Of miny as u o. was it not better that be should
ute in his rawlings Every one that hndeth me s
TO slay mel
md We leave the question to the intelligence
ore the justice Of this faithful ana enlightened cel
rl ry rfp#