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John
Brown's Insanity.
It seems that by law of Virginia, even after trial and conviction,
upon a suggestion made of insanity, a prisoner may have that point
tried by Jury. To give the counsel of John Brown an opportunity
to have such an issue framed and tired an application has been made
to Gov Wise to postpone the execution of the sentence; and as a
basis for his action in the premises a collection of affidacits
take in Ohio among the relatives and early acquaintances of Brown
has been submitted to him. We have had an opportunity of examining
these affidavits. It appears from them that Brown had resided the
greater part of his life in Hudson, Summit County, Ohio, of whihc
his father was one of the original settlers. Brown was absent many
years since, for a few years, in Pennsylvania, but returned again
to Ohio, whence he removed some four or five years ago to Essex
County New-York.
It is abundantly shown by these affidavits that on the mother's
side Brown belonged to a family in which insanity was hereditary.
His maternal grandmother was insane for six years and died insane.
Three of her children, a brother and two sisters of Brown's mother,
suffered from the same disorder, and another brother who hislef
escaped, had three insane children, cousins of John Brown. The
only sister of John Brown was also liable to attacks of insanity,
as were a child of hers, and two children of John Brown himself.
A brother of John Brown's first wife states that at the time
of her death, some twenty-four or five years ago, the conversion
and conduct of Brown strongly impressed his relatives with the
idea of insanity on his part; and it si the opinion of this brother-in-law
that ever since, at intervals, the mind of Brown has been more
of less disordered. An uncle of Brown's, who might be supposed
to have some knowledge of the symptoms of insanity, as his own
mother and three of his children were the victims of that disorder,
states that he has regarded Brown, for twenty years as subject
to periods of insanity, not of a very marked type, but partaking
of the character of monomania. Similar testimony is given by several
oersons who describe themselves as aquainted with John Brown from
early childhood. A physiciam of Hudson, who has known Brown since
1812, has esteemed him subject to attacks of insanity, and has
at times been fully convinced that such was his condition. A lawyer
whom Brown was in habit of consulting about his buisness affairs,
considered him of a very excitable temperment and as constitutionally
predisposed to insanity. Several of his old acquaintances, who
say him after his return from Kansas, state that there was something
in his manner and conversation, and especially, the idea with
which he seemed to be impressed, and of which he often spoke,
that he was an instrument, in the hand of God for the overthrow
of Slavery, which strongly impressed them with the idea that his
mind was disordered.
The whole history of John Brown for the last two years, so far
as it has come to light, and all the incidents of his famous foray
upon Harper's Ferry, have never appeared to us from the first,
as consistent with soundness of mind. We have no doubt that if
the issue could be tried, a very strong case might be made out.
It would, however, be too mortifying to the pride of the Virginians
to admit that they had been so firghtened by a crazy man, and
Gov Wise will no doubt dispose of this application as summarily
as the Court of Appeals did of the application for a new trial.
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Transcribed by James Cash, Furman University, from the New York,
New York, New York Tribune, 25 November 59.
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