The Lincoln County herald., 1873-04-30
The Insanity OF Cain.
From Scribner's for MAY,

Tno INSANITY OF cam.
From soribners for May.
Whatever ia startling 10 the Fsct Of
questioning Gains sanity only goes to
prove the simple justice of the doubt.
For more than five thousand years
has been content to look upon
the First Born as q murderer. Each
new generation, couvicting him as it were
without hearing Of judge or jury, hos felt
far more concern that the conviction
should be understood as SO called relig.
ious fact than that their remote and de-
fenseless feliow.creature should have the
benefit OF human justice. One-tenth of
the zeal aud caudor with which our own
Froude hos eudeavored to make saint Of
Englaud's chronic widower might have
suficcd to lift worlds weight of oblo-
guy from tho shoulders of Cain. But
until to day, no philosopher has chosen
to assume the difficult and delicate task.
No jurisprudent has dared to invaatigate
. charge that has been sort of moral
stronghold for ages. So grand thing is
it to BE- able to point away, far back,
deeper and deeper into antiquity, to the
very First Families, and say Behold the
fountain head Of our murder record
Doggerel has much to answer for. II
has driven many monstrous wrong into
the heart Of its century. 1t has done its
worst with Cain, but not the worst.
C-is for Cain,
Who his brother had slain,
though winning in cadence, lacks sprit
as q charge. 1t is too non committal.
The feeble soul that contrived il was only
Ct for jury duty. 1t wants the snap OF
preconceived opinion. But Cain, tho First
Murderer, is grand, unique, statistical.
Hence it's vitality and power. Genera
ton after generation, taught to loathe his
very name, has accepted the statement on
general principles. There had to be a
FIRST murderer--and why not Cain ?
Again-why not Abel for the murderee !?
There was no miasma in that sweet,
fresh time no scope for contagious dis
ease; there werc no pastry shops, no
distilleries, no patent medicines, no blls.
tera, no lancets and no doctors. Conse
queutly, there was 20 way for man to
die unless somebody killed him. Cain
did this thing for Abel. That VIC do not
dispute nor that be did it gratis and
unsolicited. But was he o murderer ?
Setting aside the possibility that Abel's
time had not come, are we to judge Cain
by the face of his deed? May there not
have been palliutiug conditions, temper
amental causes? In word, was he
sane?
For centuries, ages, the world has
overlooked tho tremendous considera
tious involved in this question, placidly
branding 90 unfortunate man with deep
est ignouiny and taking it for granted
that his deed was delibsrate-the act of
a self POISED, calculating aud guilty mind.
Let US see.
In the first place, Cain, for time, was
the only child on earth That in itself
was enough to disturb the strongest ju
venie organism. All the pettiug, nurs'
ing, trotting, coddllug, and watching oi
the whole civilized world falling upon
one pair of baby shoulders Naturally
tue little fellow soon considered himself
person of consequence-all absorbing
consequence, in fact. Then came Abel
disturbing aud upsetting his dearest con
victi0ns. Another self! A new some
body ! A kicking counterfeit, held fondly
in his mothers arms, riding to Banbury
Cross on his fathers foot.
A Brother! What did it mean? There
we're no books to tell him; aud if there
had been, the poor child never knew I
letter. There were no philosophers Of
metaph ysicians 10 those days to explslr
the pheu omeuon. The earliest Beechel
Was not born; Darwin was still liugeriui
atom 10 some undreamed Of, unorganizec
pseudo protoplasm of q monkey. Th'
child had 20 friends, not even schoo
fellow. Adams time was taken up will
what modern conundrumists have calle'
his express company; Eve had the bsb.
to mind, and Cain was left alone 70 broot
over the unfathomabls. Think Of th'
influence thus brought to bear upon th
delicate, sensitive brain of that very selec
child. A mature intellect would hav
given way under far less strain.
But Cain survived it. He became ss
couciled, We will say, to the little Abel
They played and shouted together .
children do in our day, racing the field
at will, growing to be strong, brave ittl
animals, fierce impulsive, aud aggressiv
especially Cain. But how did the
fare aestbstically-uo academies, no Sun
day schools. no eymussiums, nothing Z
direct and balance their young minds
Their parents we're plain people, carln
little for society, wo imagine. and any
' thing but dressy in their tastes. Their
were 40 lectures in those days, remem
ber; no concerts, no Young Mems Chris
q tiau Associations to make life one soni
festisity- every thing was at . dead leVe
Probably the only exoitements Adau an
Eva had wara tn rashinR the children an