The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-01-19
81 AN nor xAD.IAM NOT MAD.v
The Speech Which Guiteau Prepared For
The Jury.

publication to the New I OTk Associated
Press
Gentlemen: have the honor here.
with to transmit my speech. 1t is an
historical document, and desire it sent
broadcast to the American Nation. |
am not certain that Judge Cox will allow
me TO deliver it, but send i. TO my
countrymen, and they and the President
Of the United States, if necessary, will
finally adjudicatc this case. have an
encomium on Judge Cox at The close Of
the speech which allow to stand bat
do not think it possible on mature rcilec-
tion that he really intends to gag me
and prevent my delivering the speech.
If he does his name will 90 into history
blackened rs n gag law man. am sure
that the able Chief Justice and his asso-
ciatcs who represent the Washington
Court IN banc will spit with scorn upon
the position Of Judge Cox, and am
sure that the high ,oned men Of the na.
tion will do likewise, because am my
own counsel, and it is Infamous if am
not permitted 20 address the jury when
my life j. at stale. | would not trust
the best man in America 10 close my
case. take no stock in Mcssrs. Scoyille
and Reeds theory Of this defence. re-
moved the President and this speech
contains my defence, and it should be
read by cyc:.' American, and | desire
you to give it the widest publicity by
printing it in its entirety. have the
honor to be yours, &c.
CnAs. GUITEAU.
United States Jail, Washington u. c.,
January Is.
The speech which accompanies this
letter makes ten or twelve thousand
words, but contains very little which is
either new or important. The first part
Of it is mere repetition of Guiteau's
Christmas address which has already had
Il wide publication. OF the remainder
the following extracts give fair idea
After reviewing the history Of the con
fict between the Sta!war,s and the Half
breeds Guiteau says:
Soon after Robertson's appointment
the Republican party began to heat.
I his was about the middle Of May BY
the first Of June it was red hot By the
first Of July it WAS at white heat. If
this spirit had not been killed by the
Presidents removal, the nation would
soon have been in flame Of civil war.
Our late rebellion cost the nation nearly
a million OF men and billion Of money,
and it dcsUla,cd the hcarthstones Of the
Republic. TO prevent repetition of
this dcsulalion the removal Of the late
President was necessary. BY his reno
val the Republican party was ccmented
and the nation to-day is happy and pros
porous. To day suffer in bonds because
had the inspiration and nerve to re-
move the President that the Nation
might live, but expect you, gentlemen
of the jury, will remove these bonds to
the end that go forth free and vindi-
Gated man. That Is what you are here
for and ask you to liberatc me. Tell
the American people that you find no
evil in me and that my inspiration came
from the Deity, and that He and lie
alone is responsible for the President s
removal.
III now review this case since July .,
and call special attention to the acts of
the Deity wherein He has taken special
pains to protect me and confirm my in :
spiraton, to the end that all men may
see, and seeing may believe in my inspi-
ration"
After reviewing again the history of
the weeks which Immediately preceded
the assassination of the President and
the motives which impclled him to the
murder, Guitenu says: 81 never had the
slightest doubt as to ti.c Divine authority
for the act or the necessity for it. An
opportunity came and shot him on July
Cd. Not being marksman, he fingered
until September 10Th, when he passed
quietly and gently away. The Lord
thereby confirmed my inspiration. There
was special providence in his dying in
New Jersey I undertake to say that
the Deity allowed him to die there to
protect me from the possibility Of legal
liability for simply executing His will.
Should this Jury condemn mo to be hnnu
which is hardly possible in view of the
facts appearing in this trial, tho Deity
has probably fixed the law so that their
verdict cannot be legally enforced. 1t is
the opinion of some of the ablest mem
bers of this bar That this court has no
jurisdiction to try this case This point
will be pressed if necessary in arrest of
Judgment. But expect you, gentlemen
of the jury, to justify the act. You are
here to vindicato my inspiration, you
are here to say that never would have
shot the President on my personal nc
count. This is the literal truth, and
now propose to call your attention to
other acts Of the Deity confirming my
inspiration. | went to the Baltimore
and Potomac depot OH the I'd of July
and shot the President twice. Only one
ball took effect. 1 would not do it again
for one million of dollars. 1t was the
most insane, foolhardy act possible. No
one but mailman could have done it;
but would have done it any time after
Juno lst if had known was to be shot
the next moment. had no power to
prevent it. My free agency was entirely
destroyed Twas in duress In law any one
under duress is not responsible for his acts.
On this ground ask you to acquit ME.
How do we know ycu aere uhder du.
ress? My word for it. No one else can
know this fact but the Deity and me.
| know it, the Deity knows it, and the
Deity has taken special pains to thus far
protect me. If it be true absolutely that
Providence and l saved the Nation, why
should not be hero and the equal of
Washington aud Lincoln and Grant
Many people are beginning to sec that
have saved the Nation. Feeling was
against me, but this trial has developed
my motive and my inspiration, and to-
day the people consider mo patriot and
n great man. The prosecution have made
n great flourish with their insane experts.
The only insanity in this case is what
those experts call transitory mania, that
is the Abraham style of insanity. There
are thirty. eight cases of Abrahamic in
sanity in the Bible, that is of illegal
killing resulting from the possession of
mania by divine authority.
If single man on this jury has the
slightest doubt "a to whether fred that
shot on my own personal account, or as
tho agent Of the Deity, he is bound
under tho law TO give me the benefit of