Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-29
sympathetic Lunatics
Nelg OrLeans Democrat.

1t is rather novel to speak of sympa-
thy-one of the nOblest and tenderest at
tributes Of humanity-as being, at any
time, the OutgrOwth and evidence of a
diseased mind, but it is unquestionable
that there are many instances in which
the manifestation of this sentiment can
only be accounted for upon the theory
of insanity.
When men guilty of the most shock
ing and disgusting crimes-crimes for
which the penalty of death seems all too
lenient-are waited upon in their prisons
by women who are called ladies, and
who are in many cases persons of intel
ligence and refinement, and presented
with flowers and rare delicacies of the
season, it is most assuredly an evidence
of sympathy run mad, an indication of
an unsOund mental condition.
The spectacle of virtue wreathing
with bays the brows of vice, of pure and
beautiful women spending their time in
making acceptable presents for depraved
wretches who have murdered women IN
the most horrible manner and Of the
Governors of States being besieged by
sympathetic ladies to pardon such
scoundrels, is revolving to all those who
nave not been infected by sympathetic
madness.
The maudlin and disgusting sympathy
expressed by numbers of women in New
York city for the woman murderer,
Chastine Cox, whose guilt was beyond
doubt, and whose crime was utterly
without excuse or palliation, shocked
the right thinking people of the whole
an1 fnvricha1 ct arzfIorao
of the unbalanced minds of those who
poured out their pity and sympathy for
the merciiess wretch who was deaf to
the pleadings of mis- poor, weak and de-
fenseless victim.
1t is to be hoped for the sake of com
mon decency that the maudlin and SER
timental lunatics who seem to dote upon
vile criminals, and who love to labor in
their behalf, will be kept away from the
would be assassin, Guiteau.
He has by his own act placed himself
outside the pale of sympathy; he has
communicated himself from his kind
he stands alone, and should be permit
ted to stand alone in his infamy. Even
as a criminal, who deserves the execra-
ton of every human being, he has his
rights, and those rights he will, of
course, be permitted to enjoy he will be
treated humanely, will not be subjected
to harsh or unusual punishment, will he
tried by jury, defended by able cOun-
sci, and, if the President dies. will be
hanged with great promptitude, pro-
vided he be not saved by the plea of in
sanity. q
These rights are guaranteed to him. a
viOlaior of law, by the law which he has
outraged and these are The only ones that
should be accorded him. Any attempt
to make him martyr or a hero should
be sternly repressed, and women who so
far forget what is due to themselves and
decency; women afflicted with sympa-
thetic mania, should be restrained from
wasting upon this precious scoundrel
their delicate offerings of flowers, bon
bons, etc. Only one woman so far has
been moved to an act of mistaken kind
ness in Guiteau's behalf, and she wore
veil and excused herself by saying that
she had son in prison and felt a sympa-
thy for all prisoners Her basket of
delicacies for the culprit was very prop
erly rejected, and he was not permitted
to know of the circumstance.