The Insanity Of Cain

The foliowing are tlie closing paragruptis ufa remarkttble artiole in Scribno-'.t tur May, on ' The Insanity of Clin:" In jadging of Caiu, look at tho situation. On the ons liand, a terrible f'amily mystery, 110 schools, no chinches, 110 lettures, 110 society, uo amusements, no apples ! Un the o'.her haud, the whole burden of humanity borne for the first lime; paternal discipline; uudue phronological devalopments ; monotouous enipluyment ; antediluvian good brother in whoee mouth butter would have reniiiincd intact t'or ages. Undoubtctlly tlmt brother had an ex asperating suiüe. He was happy because he was virtuous. He had a way of forgiying and foTgetting that for a time would deprivo the offonder ot' reasou it Sèlf; abjve all, he had a cool, collected inauner of his own, added to a chronic desire to be : n angel. Hia oö'enng always ie 1 ilied the condiiions. His iirus needed only to be lighted, and the sumko was sure to ascend with a satisfied, coufideut eurl far into the sky. Cain's, on the contrary, refused to liuin. We can seo it all. The smoke Btruggled and flopped. It crept along tlie groulid, and, clinging to his feet, vrouud abuut hiui like a serpent. It grew black and angry, sliut sideways into his eyes, blinding and strangling nim. Aud there stood Abel beside his pile ; radiant, satiifieti, wanting to be au angel ! It was but the work of a moment. The pent-up, disorganizing influences of a life-tirue foun'i vent in oue wild momptit oï' einotional insanity. Abel was no more ! Vh y dweil upon the tragedy? The world is familiar with its siekériing details. We shall jtot repeat thera bere, nor shall we qucstion the justice of the punishment that came to Cain - the remorse, the desolation, the senae of beitig ■i fugitivo and a vagabond ou the tuce of tho earth. He had killed nis bruther, and the penalty must be paid. Sane or insane, a terrible ratribution must have overtaken him. Bat how about his guilt '( Wouid it have boen the sauie in üither case!' Are hrreditaiy organism, temperamental pxeitauility, euiotional phrehzy not to be considered 'i No, n thousaiid times xo! VViiat "competent juror" wuuld acquiesoe in ueh :i proposition r Friends, the time ha come when this oase must be taken up. lts mighiy issues can n touger ba Bat asi la. It C un w is nat s:ui '. at the moment of the killuig, the stain of mulder must be wiped i rum lis brow huw urid tDrever. Tuis tarrly lotice inay at U-ast be done him. Our ibildren and our children's children must )ü taught to apeük ot' Cain the uiuilaugbtorer; C iin the mentally-excita)le; U.iin tho peculiarly cirjumstaneed. 3ut Cain the murdarerl Never! A man'a own testimony shall not conYict or acquit him. But are we not to take into account, as indicativo of his gtate of mfnd, actions and declarations coincident with the commission of the crime alleged agaiiist hitii 'i If at or about the time of the fatal deed there was positivo evidence of incoherenoe - whatthen? Witness the last recorded words of Cain : KVEHY ONE TIIAT FIXDETII ME SHALI, SLAY ME ! Is this the utterance of a sane miiid '{ Erery one that findeth me shall slay me ! Gentlemen! (Jain, at this point( was not only criiz-y - hn was tbc craziest man that ever esisted ! No ordinarv lunatic, liowever pveposterous his terrors, expects to be kilied moro thíin once. ííut to tliis poor creature retributie n suddenly assumed a hydra-heuded fonri. His distrncted briiin, unoonsúous that Adam was the only otlier nirtn in tho wide world, instautly ote.ited au immense populutioii H s:iw himself fallinfj; gain and again by the strokes of successive assissins, even as Abel hvd fallen undií bis hand. His first dazurl gliinpso of death lix-panded aiíd iritensiiifKl into a horror TiuVet since conceived by mind of' man. His happiness overtbrown; his roason a wreek; a proy to t'ears that stretched bet'ore hita f oto ver, with no possible hope of final destruction - the only consolation is that lio could not foroknow the meroiless verdict oí' posterity. He did not reeognie ín bimself Tho First. Murdcrer. lluther thari dream of such ig'nominy as this, was it not better that he should cry in his raTÍg} Evcry olio that fidoth me shall elay me ! We leave thu q.uestion to the intelligence and tho justice of this faithful aad eníightcned country.