Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-07-06


ent powers of the unknown quantity.
But the brain regarded as composition
of matter can entertain no prediction
for mathematics. OF its own conscious
ness or knowledge, it can not tell wheth
er it is white or black, or whether it has
two lobes or one. True, intense study
may injure the brain, or in fact the
whole system, but the disease in the
cases mentioned, originate in the over
action of a principle employed in an in
vestigation with which cerebral matter
could have no affinity. And poor Car
lotta became insane, overwhelmed with
grief and sorrow, because the slaughter
of MAMMALIAN was ever present TO her
eyes; in her thoughts he was ever living
ever dying, ever suffering. Her indy
ing affection belongs to a principle
which no force of matter possesses. So
generally speaking it is idiocy that
springs from physical injury to the
brain. Insanity has its origin in the in
tellect or the affections.
Guiteau's brain, which the experts are
determined to examine, is probably UNI
affected. His mental condition is GER
tainly abnormal, and this condition it is
fair to concede, is the result of the I'M
diciplined, uncontrolled action of his
intellect and his affections. Nature
stamps upon all minds peculiar traits.
Guiteau from his cradle had an inor-
| dinate share of self esteem and conceit,
and the INDUCING and pampering of
this dangerous tendency instead of res
training and subduing it, has led him to
perpetrate, and to glory in the COM
mission of crime at which humanity
will shudder for ages to come, No one
can study Guiteau's character and con-
duct without reaching the conclusion
that he actually believed THAT he was
Gods man. The Deity always selects
| the best material; there is no other man
in the world that he could trust with the
removal of Garfield but myself" 1t
was but the climax of that Unborn, van
! ity-fed, unreasonable self conceit that
enthroned him with Jesus Christ, with
whom he had formed n partnership! 1t
was the same exaggerated, inflated idea
of his own Importance that induced him
to prophecy in his book called The
fruthl.published some years ago, that
he should become the President of the
United States that impelled him to
look for and to believe he should re-
ceive appointments and honor Garfield $
administration, where he had no more
chance of success than an inmate of
Bedlam. Assuming Guiteau's belief in
his own divinity, we have complete
key to his character and conduct He
was wholly destitute of gratitude.
Should President Arthur have pardoned
him, would Guiteau thanked him for it?
Not at all, the President had only per-
formed his duty, for Guiteau was God $
man-wash his feet, obey his command,
become his slave, will be be grateful?
Not at all, you are honored in serving a
a partner with Jesus Christ!
When the whole civilized world was
suffering and felt every pang, heard
every groan of the smitten victim. Gui-
teau was as impressive as stone. "Was
it the Deity or that removed Garfield,
that is the question" One of the wit
nesses hit the nail on the head when he
said that Guiteau's association with the
Deity had demoralized him. 1t is this
conceit that has Invested him of all
computations of conscience, all remorse
for murder, of all pity, of every moral
quality that merits the approval of
either God or man. He was living
example of unalloyed, petrilied selfish
ness. He was wholly stranger, a
dehumanized monster ignorant of his
position among intelligel beings and his
true relation to man and his Maker, and
a blasphemous libeller of the characters
of both. He has no correct ideas of the
actual world around and above him.
His idea was that the killing of Garfield
would meet with the universal approval
of his countrymen, and his name would
go laundering down the ages. He i'm
agined he had as valid claim upon the
liberality of the people as Mr.. Garfield
How hideously insane such an expec-
tation!
His estimate of the motive, of men
was measured by his own unmitigated
seliishness. He would terrify the nation
by prediction of the war and blood shed
that would follow should he be hung.
"May God have mercy on your SOUL he
said to the Judge that sentenced him.
"Corkhill viii go down below, while |
shall have flight to glory" Though
as diety he was not bound to be CRATE
full himself, he expects Arthur and all
his cabinet to adore him as a benefactor.
When the thought of numbering the
President first entered his mind, it found
nothing there to resist it; no mercy, no
pity, no horror of the crime Infamed
by the dream of glory, renown and per-
haps the possession of the Presidential
chair, the deadly purpose grew apace
and overstepped all other themes and
swallowed up all considerations conflict
ing with it, This is always the case
where ALTERATION is caused by perverted
mental action One grand design Oh
purpose assumes gigantic or grotesquc
proportions and dwarfs all facts and
reasons that ought to reminder it absurd.
ridiculous or criminal He fancied some
good would flow to the Republican party
and the country from the death of Gar
field for which he should reap the glory
but he could not see that the only GOOD
that could arise from such an act would
be the union of all parties and factions
in the universal condemnation of the
deed and the demand for the death Of
the perpetrator Sanity implies com.
mon sense knowledge and Judgment
with respect 10 me world around us.
This Judgment Guiteau certainly did
not possess. But who can say, consider.