Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-06-03
Communicated. /
Giteau.

-
ted as true? Or did he feign it
On the hypothesis Of his sincerity-is
that an evidence of insanity to de
gree of responsibility? (Not simply
insanity, but alteration to degree OF
non-responsibility for crime
1t has been suggested perhaps thou
sands of times that it was evidence oil
insanity in the case of Giteau. But lei
us see how many people nigh: be
thought TO be insane for the same rea-
son L. e.. take the town Of Snow
Hill and SO judge of the whole country
1t is fact which cannot be controver-
ted that not less than dozen educated
men possibly two dozen or many
morc)-not TO speak of intelligent wo-
men and persons under the adult age
in Snow Hill or Snow Hill and vicin-
ity (who know less than Giteau of the
then animosity, if enmity existed at ALI
had the opinion that Arthur, Conkling,
and others would endeavor to, and
could, render assistance to Giteau either
by declaring him insane and irrespon-
sible, or in some perhaps more effective
way and some of them even up &c
this time entertain the galway to me un
reasonably idea that the persons above
named and others at first intended to
give that assistance.
Yet how few men in Snow Hill and
vicinity are insane to the extent of ir-
responsibility. A correct conclusion
will be attained by reference to well
known statistics. In most sections not
more than one of five hundred to seven
hundred persons is insane, and not in
any place more than about one in two
hundred and fifty to three hundred
and with large proportion of these
responsibility for crime is conceded.
In and around Snow Hill not more
than two or three persons-if one-are
insane to the degree above stated, and
not more than about a half dozen in.
sane at all, including both sexes.
have not alluded to monomania
specially-it's occurrence in some cases
is universally admitted ty experienced
practitioners Us well as writers on Law
and Medicine and authors in medico
legal inquiries. The proportion how.
ever is extremely small unless we in
Clude those deludsd persons who believe
that no church exists but their own.
" neither it be true in the case OF
Giteau or not, it certainly is generally
not true that mere opinion as TO Gen.
Grant and others such rs above refer
red to-is any evidence whatever of in
sanity. 1t is usually an error in judg-
ment and not proof of monomania or
general mania and certainly not of de-
mentia-2nd l have no reason for a
different view in regard to Giteau, since
he knew at least as much as other men,
of the alienation Of members of the
Republican party.
/ will here give the reader brief quo
tations from Blackstone and Greenleaf,
which, without allusion TO cases having
lucid intervals, will be perceived to
have no special reference 10 monoman-
ia, or to insanity on one, and response
bility upon another point. Blackstone,
in his Commentaries on the Laws Of
England, observes that " some lunatics
show consciousness of doing wrong
and discretion or discernment be-
tween good and evil"
Greenleaf on Evidence has equiva-
lent language as follows Though a
person ''may be laboring under par
tial insanity, if he still understands the
nature and character of his act and it's
consequences, if he has a knowledge
that 1t is wrong and criminal and a
mental power sufficient to apply that
knowledge to his own case =
such partial insanity is not sufficient to
exempt him from responsibility for
criminal acts"
think not many things would be
more easy than the task of refuting
Giteau's theory of belief in inspiration
in his own case-but my readers have
long ago had enough of the subject of
Giteau.
The lives of lunatics-unIess in case
of crime committed during lucid inter
val ought TO be preserved, and they
should be objects of our love and COM
miseration. Will the people of the
United States be disgraced or the Gov
eminent itself dishonored by permit
ting a man, insane to the degree of
non-responsibility, to be put TO death ?