The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-25
Crime and Aut0matism.

Crlme anu AutOmatISm.
The author of "Elsie Venner'' is entitled
to hearing when the subjects of moral
alteration or of hereditary tendency TO
crime are brought under discussion. His
running comment on Prosper Despine's
work, and the predatory remarks thereto,
published in the current number Of the At
lantic Monthly, deserve an attentive consid-
Grafton from those who hesitate to believe
that the man who is guilty of the most hor
rible crimes, committed without sign Of
eompunction, and leaving not a shadow of
regret, Is endowed with the moral response
bility which attaches to the man who cannot
wrong his neighbor, even slightly. without
feeling a qualm of conscience. DIR. Holmes
holds that fellow creature at whose deeds
q whole community shudders, while he him
self locks at them with entire indifference
must have moral nature very unlike that of
ordinary human beings, and that the subject
OF crime needs to be studied Independently
of oil inherited prejudices. Savage instincts,
barbarous usages, ancient beliefs find them
selves confronted with a new order of facts
which has not yet been fully studied. 1t CALI
not well be questioned that there are certain
organic tendencies, often hereditarllY trans
mitted, which, If they reach certain ex-
trone degree, excuse human being from all
moral responsibility. In cases of patent in
sanity we all acknowledge this. But there
are other cases, where dementia or madness
10 not 20 distinctly marked, which are en-
Gossiug some of the best minds of the world.
70 these our attention is called.
In 1868 Prosper Despine published three
large volumes which may be called a collec-
tion Of clinical observations on criminals.
The mental and moral condition of criminals
Is studied, and certain theories framed as TO
the proper treatment to be pursued. M.
Despine had been struck with tine absence of
emotion which is so frequent a trait in Grim
psychological history. He found that in the
majority of cases they were devoid of the
ordinary moral instincts, and that they
had no struggles against the commission
Of crime and no remorse after it,
that 1t was as easy to them as eating, or
ukiuhiuS VI tuV odbicidCIiOA Vi OGuCl Ado-
ural desire; that they are in fact moral idiots.
Their crimes are without any moral charac-
ter whatever. The unfortunate men "are as
innocently acting out the tendencies they in
herit as the rattlesnake, which we hate by
instinct, but which is just as much poor,
dependent, not ill-meaning citizen of the uni
verse as the lamb and the dove, which are our
most sacred symbols" These criminals are
utterly wanting in the sense of effort by
which desire il overcome, and the sef-ap-
proval or self-reproach which follows right
or wrong action. In men gifted with NOR
al sense there is always struggle between
desire and the sense of duty, and one or the
other triumphs. But in many of these GRIM
inals there is absolutely no struggle, there is
no sense of duty, there is no attempt to re-
sist the impulse of desire. The selfish desire
is in monstrous preponderance, and the
mans faculties are grossly disproportioned,-
in fact the man is monstrosity, and not to
be judged as a sane human being. As NJ.
Despine says: "The sense of duty being a
necessary condition forsthe exercise of free
will, it becomes evident that one who does
not possess the moral sense is deprived of free
will, of moral liberty, ard is not morally re-
sponsible for his wrong-doings." The mon
trous criminal who kills wholesale, without
compunction and without remorse, is desti-
tute of moral instincts, is driven to the mis-
chief by hereditary predisposition or certain
organic tendencies, but is no more morally
responsible, N. Despine holds, than ia loco
motive which runs off the track is response
Bile for the destruction it works. We have
right to restrain him, but we have no right to
take vengeance on him.
We are all ready to admit, and the law
makes allowance in the case, that the moral
sense may be paraIyzed for moment, that
man may be blinded by passion and strike
and kill another. How much more consider
ate and careful should we be in cases where
that moral sense never existed, where the |
brute instinct has nothing to tocombatit, where |
the man is withheld from crime by no re-
straint. Instead of this we hang, ''a pun
ishment that is unjust applied to moral idiots,
immoral considered as revenge, useless as
means of intimidation, dangerous to society
by cheapening the value of life, and tending
to defeat its own end by causing juries to fas-
ten on some doubt so as to avoid its infic- |
tion."
The direction reform is taking is obvious.
The reformers are not fanatics. Their reas-
oning is based on facts that cannot be contra
dicted, on conclusions that are legitimately
drawn. 1t is not to be questioned that some
men are morally blind as some men are color
blind. In treating them we must divest our
selves of inherited and traditionary preuiices.
We must overcome the instinct that urges us
to swift and extreme measures; we must
amend the laws which take only the most
superficial views of crime we must disregard
the theology which abolisbes all terms of
comparison by measuring the finite by an in
finite standard. Moral idocy is the greatest
calamity man can inherit, and moral idiots.
suffering under misfortune the most terri
BILE that can be conceived, deserve deep pity
instead of harsh condemnation, watchful care
in place of vengeful punishment. In our
treatment of these unfortunates let us be
guided by the sublime spirit of the prayer.
'.Forgive them, for they know not what they
do.'
A LETTER written by John Mitchell two
weeks before his death appears in the New
York Herald. In it the statement is made
that he never expected TO make an appear
ance in the House of Commons. He wished