The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-07
SUICIDE.

denly burst forth in voice so strong and tn
that it startled u.s.
eve talk Of human life IS journey, bu
how variously is it performed. There ar
some who come forth girt, and shod an,
mantlec, to walk on velvet lawns and smoot]
terraces where every gale is arrested ant
every beam tempered. There are others VIII,
walk on the Alpine paths of life, against driv
ing misery, and through stormy sorrows, owe
sharp Affections: walk with bare feet ant
naked breast, jaded mangled and chilled.
AS he lay on his death-bed the thoughts O
the dying man, whose latter years had beer
bathed IN sunshine, turned to those early
years when the bleak winds had play ed
roughly about him, and this passage from his
| admirable sermon on 'Riches' required to
| his memory. 1t is a striking expression Of
| what most OF us must repeatedly have thought
and felt, but the very career of its author is in
itself well calculated to induce men to refrain
rom permitting these reflections to make
them gloomy. The witty, popular repaadu,
prosperous sydney Smith, had known very
hard times, aud his prosperity only came at an
advanced period of life; but his healthy spirit
enabled him to bear up bravely against ad-
versity, and when tariy prosperity came it
found him able thoroughly to enjoy it.
The terrible struggles and privations to
which men are exposed in this journey OF life
were once more forced upon the attention of
the public by the suicide OF a German literary
man referred to in our columns few DAYS
ago. In an article on public health and NOR
tality, published more than thirty years ago
IN the Quarterly Reuie,o, it is stated that there
is in France l suicide annually to 18, 600 in
habitants; in Prussia in IA, 404; in Austria l
in 20, 900; Russia in 40, 1872 in the State of
New York l in 1897. It is to be feared that
the rate has not much diminished in this CITY
since this account was published. The ex-
element of life has not lessened, nor has
1t ceased to be a Cave of Adullam for all
nations.
Those who pay attention to the subject can
not have failed to notice how large a number
Of suicides here of late have been committed
by Germans, oftentimes men of education,
who have once occupied respectable, and in
some cases more than respectable, social posi-
ton. We would venture to suggest to our
fellow-citizens of that nationality whether
they could not associate to devise some more
efficient system of relief, which should hold
out in the most private manner a helping
hand in case of such a sufferer as the unfor-
tunate Mr.. Meritz Goetz.
For a long time Mr.. Goetz had been
among that rather motley group who assemble
IN the Aston Library, and who not seldom, it
may be feared, are keeping up that struggle
with the wolf, under which this poor gentle
man at last succumbed There day after day
he pursued his favorite study of metaphysics,
and was at the library so lately as Thursday, |
when he inquired whetherit would be open on
Saturday. But it knew him no more after
that afternoon. The Germans are Christ !
people, and it is likely enough |
that the return of this festival had something |
TO do with the time of his self-destructon. |
When his room was entered on the morning |
after Christmas there was found on the table |
IN old pocket-book, containing several photo
yraphs, and on piece of paper wrapt around |
t was written, "Please have this buried with
ne.
1t is easy to imagine how the return of the |
,reat festival had rushed to him as he sat
,enniless and desolate in the garnet of the
where he remained only
through the benevolent forbearance to his
lonor be it spoken, of landlord who highly
especed him-the contrast between what he
vas and what he had once hoped to have
een. Gay voices long since SILENT bright
yes long since closed in dust" haunted the
'oor travel-worn pilgrim along the Alpire
aths of life, and maddened by despair he re-
olved that in this world at least he would be
burden to himself and to others no longer.
ucide is subject which has painful in
crest to all.
One Of the very ablest of modern divines,
hose sermons are probably more read than
ny other, was Of opinion that few reached
airty without the possibility of themselves
self-destruction crossing their
Kinds. There are not many who will be dis
osed to differ with him. Nor is it merely to
1e more thoughtful Of mankind that the idea
suicide chiefly occurs. Experience has
that there is scarcely class SO
luch addicted to it as one usually little
tod y,
le army.
In the English army this has been very
uch noticed and at one time the deaths by
licide in the dragons and Dragon guards
'se to five times the civilian rate, which led
surmise that the cause was in some de- o
zee to be found in the fact of men in these F
giments-who could not enter unless passed C
sound and healthy men after careful scruti- s.
being frequently those, who through reck- c
IS conduct had fallen into lower estate of e.
e, and experienced such bitter chagrin and
morse as led to suicide %
Probably few men were constitutionally
ore inclined to suicide than Samuel John 6,
q. The victim from infancy of dreadful
sease which impregnated his mind with
elancholy, aggravated until he was past =
iddle life by the trials incidental to scanty
d precarous income, there must again and -
ain have been moments when he longed for
e end, and felt sorely tempted to hasten the y
IT crush of darkness" There would be '"
wer suicides even amongst those SO hard az
set by trials as poor Mr. Goetz poverty liz
.icken and threatened with total blindness sa
he was-could more men in such circum-
noes follow the good doctors advice, and
shun gloomy thoughts.
Talking Of constitutional melancholy, Bos- =
IFS hero told him, "a man SO afflicted, sir,
lst divert distressing thoughts and not COM
t with them" May he not think them
wn, sirt'' "No, sir; to attempt to think
I'm down is madness. Let him contrive to
We as many retreats for his mind as he can;
have the management of the mind is great &C
:" So great an art is it that he who
oroughly has it would probably never COM
t suicide.
People who have reached that stage of mis-
in which the whole horizon appears as
g vast and black cloud-and how many IL
,usands have had this feeling and have
pped On the very verge of suicide, men can