Year: 1860

l.


EFFECT FALSE REPORTS


| , "e[lit smith mas addressed long letter to Will


lam nc ooooeA edltor of a weekly paper called The


'"ctP'o' which is the first he has written since
| no 'eiease IRON the Lunatic Asylum at Utica He
uescrloes the long and severe labors. both in the
walks OF business and benevolepce. bv which his
oraln was exhausted; but the utter nrostration of
it, which led to his insanity he charges rnon tba
address of the Democratic Vigilance Committse of
New York. Mr.. Smith says:


| Forgetting that human powers have limits
forgot to think that could not do all that wish
ed to do. But in world where there is so much
to do that few are found willing to do, it is not al
ways easy to resist the temptation to overdo For
a dozen years before the last, had at times suf
tered from dyspepsia, though by no means as Sc
verely as had many persons of my Acquaintance
My suffering was mainly in quick and strong SYM
Pathy of my head with my dispeptic stomach
vertigo, and other most uncomfortable sensations
mHSW - 40 y as II my mead were made of lead, and now
as as II IL were made of cork-were among the pro-
ducts of this sympathy. Never did snf1er so
much IN this wise as when went tn Congrass


e BUT the dyspepsia, which began in the Fall
OF 1898, and continued year, was attended nv
none OF these sensations, and therefore, bv none of
the admonitions involved in them Palpitation of
the heart, of which have hitherto experienced
nothing, was its incessant companion and chief
signal. My head felt well and my brain worked
easy. DR.. Gray, the Superintendent of the Asy-
lum believes that in the first half of the year
1853 had come into that stage character of in
sanity called 'exaltation of the mind.' | never
read studied, nor wrote with more pleasure |
boasted that could do more than at the age of
40. This being the condition of my BRAIN it is not
at all strange that, although, as my nurse believes
slept but three hours night during most of that
year (less than an average of one hour night
during the last three weeks before was removed
TO the Asy lum it should not to me that so
serious an injury as the loss of my reason would
be the penalty for continuing the customary
use of my brain. s Why the dyspep-
sia, of 1858 and 1859 affected my heart.
and produced no uncomfortable sensations in nv
head, | am not capable of explaining. false
alarm one morning, while it did but disquiet
the other members of my family, quite overcame
me- The news, a lew weeks after, of the death of
my old and dear friend John Brown and his two
sons was great shock to me. 1t contributed not
a little to hasten my condition to its crisis. Only
three weeks after went down under a troop of
hallucnations. My family were reduced to power
ty; they were cast off by their friends and the
world. Those who had put their property into my
hands had lost it. was bound in honor and JUS
uce to go to Virginia and stand by and suffer with
my unfortunate friend. Indeed, it was only from
believing that was my way to Virginia that
went so willingly to Utica. The idea, however,
say my family, and my own memory saws il also
which most haunted and distressed me, was that nv
friends and relatives in the South believed that I
had plotted their murder No one now doubts that
got it from the terrible charges brought against
me in the manifesto of the New York Democratic
Vigilant Association For it turns out, though of



continued until within very few days of my going
to the Asylum, to look over the newspapers


Mr.. Smith proceeds to unfold the nature of the
attack made upon him by the Vigilance Committee,
and adds:


"Finally, look at the atrocity of this manifesto
lie. The frenzy of party politics has often driven
men to violate the principles of sound morality.
But, when before was it ever known to involve
company of 81 men of high standing in the enor-
nous crime of falling upon theirfeow citizen, and,
in the face Of their clear convictions of his in
nocence, fastening charges upon him which they
knew could not fail to nightly to blast his
regulations to expose him to the harassing and en-
dangering action of the Courts; to outlaw him, and
invite those whom these lying charges have filled
with rage to assassinate him? Perhaps there is
one thing that is stranger and even guiltier than
this enormous crime. 1t is that they who commit
ted il are yet to show the first sign of repentance
for it. But we must not fail to recollect that re-
pentance is generally hastened by the fear pun
ishment; and that my thirty-one caiumniators pro-
badly feel that they not only too rich, but too
numerous band, to be in great danger of punish
ment. trust, however, that even in their case
also, the Scripture shall be verified, which de-
cares, though hand join in hand the wicked
shall not be unpunished.'