Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-14
ManCastrr fntclllgenrer.
SATURDAY EVENING, JAN. II, 1882.
The Insanitary Condition OF Guiteau.

nc luCSllOu VI SANITY Va AhooAAIy Ao
sometimes allied to the sanitary history
of a man far more than at first thought
would be conceived. Tho signet and es-
sencc of all that is sanitary is purity. A
want of this in body and in mind is too
often the initiative in those changes which
at length become known as eccentricity,
oddness, and abandon, and the end is
Yccl,lessness easily coupled with the sem
blances of insanity. Because there is such
thing as mental hygiene, there is also
such 4 thing as an unhygienic condition
mentally. The unlscmpt, disorderly brain
becomes receptacle and then manu-
factory Of filth, Of which some of the out
come is wickedness or insane-like violence.
The man who has given over his
will tD this kind of influence, until wilfu,-
ness. instead Of will, has taken fast hold
apDn him, must not imagine himself to
iiav: ceased to be accountable for his acts.
III, responsibility in part consists in the
fact that his cultivated waywarlnass has
,iin rampant. His doing insane things
docs not then constitute either excuse or
insanity. The cnragcd man or the drunken
lGan who commits a crime is not often iD
l.Is right mind but as he is none the less
accountable for the act as well as for the
condition which thus becomes the occasion
Of the exercise OF the efficient and fatal
causc. Causation is not to be Obscurcd
by this condition Or accountabiy va
Caicl because Of the cultivated i'll.
4 distinguished thcolOgian, in speaking
o! the teaching OF the Spirit, says " 1t
mi -ht he easy TO lead men to the conciu
:,:>n tlat they are responsible only for
their voluntary acts, if the appca! is made
solely TO the understanding but, if the
appeal be made TO every mans inward cx-
ic:;cu"c. the opposite conclusion IS
reached. Ne ;iIc convinced of the sinful
m,.,s: ":' states OF mind, as we'll IS OF vulun-
l3ry ac:a<. even when those States are not
tie effect of our own agency and arc not
subject to the power OF the will.
Nc are conscious of being sold under
&i:, OF ling its slaves. Of being possessed
10y it - . power Or law imminent, ill
natc, ana beyond our control. Such is
.he doctrine OF the Bible, ami such is the
icachin. OF our religious consciousness
yiicn Um.lcl the influence Of The Spirit. Of
Go,i.'' Il is, then, to be borne in mind that
when a map has continuously given him
self ov;r;o hG posScssc! oi evil the imp,s-
&ibil:lcs Of his will or his inability to nc
.;i$t are i!n, even If granted. valid argu-
:n"ito against his guilt. Prof Barker
te,t;.i. ii better than he knew when he thus
,yrH he distinction between an &c: l,l;v
done cpnsi5tGHt with il mans liie-iol:
sujmi,; i,n ty evil and that done by tn,
iather and mother, when under Il
dalusi III, they slew their child. This
trial is Of very great interest to the
n.;r:ii;s;, and to the physician, and 10 :, |
,:init3ri,,'l&. because it and the discussion
EpJn IL b.!n1 out SO many opinions that
,ln moi generally find so public an express
sion. The history Of this life is very
4 4 L.,
eats. it goes very far to decide the IucS-
ti"n " accountability. IL nun-s.,its the
iSiiiity defense far more than is at first
cnmcciIt,l. 1t shows cultivation Of char
actcr which accounts fcT moral obtun,lity
%u.i caSonabicness Ilpan more pAu>-
ib:u croilit: than that OF insanity. 1t shows
there are explanations for this vagraIcy
which involve guilt, and. while admitting
IA. type oi irrcgularity, does not call it
ra:hnitT iii ANY innocent sense. 1t is ln
iSaait;Iy rather than an insane life Il
lie cultivated and developed III disregard
ri moral law, aid o! physical law, and o..
:.tental law Il shows that H0h compos
,4'n,i& will ~: cover ali this q: hut that,
with the series Of collateral facts. elected
enough responsibility for this condition
and enough of disccrnment is manifest 10
establish the guilt. 1t shows tllat thcrc
must be al explicit classification of dc
iarturc' from the exact line of sanity as
describing a perfect state OF sound
ness, and that there are a great many
departures therofrom, owing to Grim:
nal in'luigCnccS of wilfnlncss and to
other disabilities, that do not constitute Il
defence of insanity in case OF crime. On
tllo part of the experts there have been,
1t least, three views. That Of DR.. Sp;tzlsa
is the sincere view that there is depart
IRE enough from the standard of SANITY i"
constitute that degree Of insanity which
excuses The man from the full conse-
Guenccs al his act. While We differ from
DR.. S;,itZi.", We pronOUucc his testimony
al;n; 9 the most scientific ana complete
uf al the experts. The counsel mad:
sport wi.cn, like Nirchow. he attached
Importance to the asymmctry Of the
Siiull. and, like Huxley, showed himself
q close student of the meaning Of
Il defective anatomy. The treatment he
received in court wa; characteristic of ti.c
handling whic:. y learned scientist often
receives from a lawyer who his II, c ,ncnp-
ti"n of the. force Of the expert point
mni', "r VIII" ii:!ds it to his interest to
sport with the abstrlSencss which he
knows I Jury cannot comprehend. We
are inclined 10 agree with the minority
=" :ltn other experts VIII" do not
think Guiteau's insanity 4 dcrcnse
but yet who do not holl that the
defense is Oil his part q sham. lie
seems 20 us rs one Whose conscience and
character are intensely perverted, am;l
who, in breathing ont thrcttci.inss AMI
SEau u9i,tcr, might have an adequate con
cept;nn Of the cnormity of his guilt
Certain uttcranccs made by i.m reveal
his moral obliqu;ty and eSpIan how he
miGnt have conceived his own will 10 be
suspended, when rcall his own willful-
ness was his deity. This view is not cast
aside 10y the fact that somctm IS he may.
in the mmicry Of real condition,
intensity his condition and belief! and so.
unc,nsciousiy to himself, add slight dia
matte effect. In his body, mind and soul
hr is in an insanitary, rather than an in
sane condition. Like most persons who
are III filth until they themselves become
filthy. i.c has no real conception of his
degradation or uf his moral relationship
tl,rr:tn and his moral accountability
thclcf,r.ss hen ali the test inony is in, and
%''a!yz.'i by lawyers, by physicians, by
Sin5irl,ns, by psychologists and alienists,
We hope there will be some clearing up of
dctini' ions, some arranging Of species
uulcr t;lc genus abnormal" such lis
shall ciss,ify the various states and more
closely 'ciinc those which suparsade &c
SrDisipiIity and those i'm which the greater
inju1i =, wbuid b.. done il tho law wara
ID, permitted to take its course.