66 "HANG HIM." IN 1844, New Hampshire took a vote for and against the gallows. My classmate, Rev. Mr. Abbott, canie home from the polls, after having voted to "hang him." Most of the orthodox voted the death ticket. I asked Abbott WHY he voted thus? He replied, “Because it is Bible." I replied, "Did Christ teach this eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth, LIFE-FOR-LIFE' doctrine? Did he not condemn it, in so many words, and substitute in its stead the law of LOVE? Besides, do you not claim that the gospel is the universal panacea for all sin ?" "We do, indeed." Then why not RELY on this gospel, instead of on the gallows? Your voting this gallows ticket shows that you have no faith in Christianity; else you would fall back on it, instead of the gallows, to prevent sin and promote virtue. At least, you only half believe in, and rely on, Christianity, if you call in hanging to aid it. If your religion is so complete a preventive for all sin, murder included, drop your gallows and preach Christ crucified. Why, when you claim so much for your all-healing panacea, administer another medicine along with it? Especially, why dose out this brute-force drug, which has exactly a contrary effect? Because you do not PRACTICALLY believe in the efficacy of Christianity as a preventive of vice, at least in its worst forms." "Well, I declare, I never thought of that before. You take me all aback. I must think that over." Christian gallows sticklers, just "think that over.” See, in this practical mirror, how little real living, acting confidence, you have in your boasted Christianity. You carry it in your Sunday-coat pocket, and tell what wonderful cures it will effect, yet, when your neighbor is sin-sick you give him a jail dose; and when the case is desperate, your crack-up panacea is at home, in your Sunday-go-to-meeting-coat pocket, and you down with this dreadful gallows dose. Mark, moreover, you do not hang as a means of curing the man hung-you hang expressly to prevent OTHERS from murdering-a practical confession that you consider hanging a far more effectual preventive of vice than preaching. Gallows supporters, "think that over." Be ashamed to boast thus lustily of what you dare not rely upon in practice. TAKE DOWN THOSE BARS.-Turn mankind into the great sheep-fold of one common brotherhood, instead of shutting a few up into little pens. Pull up those old sectarian stakes, which have made so much border warfare. If your pasture is so much better than your neighbor's, don't fence him out; nor be so very fearful to let your lambs go into other fields; because, if your grass is best, they won't stay there. Make fewer fences; have larger fields. Man is gregarious. Let the people herd together. Congregate-coalesce-associateFRATERNIZE—in parties, in religion, in intellect, in refinement, in neighborhoods, every where, and in every thing. EXTRACT. "When I subscribed for your Phrenological Journal, I intended to keep them very choicely, for binding; but, after reading two or three numbers, I became so deeply interested in them, that I could not refrain from lending them to my neighbors, who have become as much interested in them as myself. I believe in doing good to others. You may expect a large club of new subscribers from this quarter soon. Yours, truly, Who will "go and do likewise?" THE LADY'S REPOSITORY. A VALUED correspondent has sent us a review of the Repository's strictures on Phrenology, which shows, by quotations from the Repository, that its editor is a virtual believer in the doctrines he nominally repudiates, and refutes the Repository's objections effectually on every point. Yet we hardly deem its publication desirable, because Phrenology has now attained such headway, as to hardly require to turn aside for the purpose of answering cavilers, whose own productions virtually refute themselves. How utterly powerless all past efforts to arrest its triumphal march! Still more puny will be all subsequent attacks, because of its perpetually-increasing momentum. Would it become a giant, marching from conquest to conquest, to stop to scourge every whiffet that might snap at him? Let these barkers croak, and then chuckle over their own and one another's corruscations of folly; but let the lovers of this God-created science waste no strength in defence, but expend all their energies in DISSEMINATING the science, because a KNOWLEDGE of it will both refute all objections, and make converts just in proportion to the spread of such knowledge. HEREDITARY. "CROSSING the breed," is generally considered to exert a highly favorable influence on progeny; but all depends on those WITH WHOм such crossing takes place, as seen in the following statement: There are no less than TWENTY-THREE cross-breeds in Peru, and the effect of such intermixture upon the character is thus stated by Dr. Tschudi : "To define their characteristics correctly would be impossible; for their minds partake of the mixture of their blood. As a general rule it may fairly be said, that they unite in themselves all the faults, without any of the virtues of their progenitors; as men they are generally inferior to the pure races, and as members of society they are the worst class of citizens." CROSSING THE BREED OF ANIMALS.-We noticed the fact at the time, that, while Raymond & Waring's menagerie was at this place, some six weeks since, on exhibition, a Bengal tigress, belonging to it, gave birth to a cub, the male parent of which was a lion. While in New York the other day, we were informed, by a gentleman connected with the menagerie, that the little crossbreed is alive, and growing finely. This curious cross-breed is a male, its head and fore-parts being the complete lion, the mane already beginning to show itself; while its body is striped, and bears full resemblance to the tiger.-EASTERN STATE JOURNAL. BOYS OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.-An "Old New Yorker" says, in a communication: "A gentleman in Wall street advertised, a few days since, for a clerk. Next morning, on reaching the vicinity of his office, he saw a crowd, and supposed his place was on fire, but, on inquiry, found 150 boys collected, all of whom had assembled in consequence of this advertisement. It is surprising these boys do not go to sea, or on to farms in the interior, and insure permanent and useful employment. In three years they would get better wages than are obtained by half the workingmen in the city, at twenty-one years of age. "It will hardly be credited, but there is no doubt of the fact, that there are 8,000 boys in New York and Philadelphia, between sixteen and twenty years of age, without any permanent employment. What will be the fate of these boys?"-N. Y. EVENING POST. SPIRITUALITY. THAT premonitory function described, in our December number, to this faculty is well illustrated in the following. Many scout such spiritual impressions, yet that renders them none the less real, for they are too numerous, and too well authenticated, to be philosophically accounted for by a mere I don't believe a word of it." Nor does the fact that because disbelievers have no such forewarnings prove that others have none. A farmer in one of the western counties in England was met by a man whom he had formely employed, and who again asked for work. The farmer (rather with a view to be relieved from his importunity than with any intention of assisting him) told him he would think of it, and send word to the place where the man told him he should be found. Time passed on, and the farmer entirely forgot his promise. One night, however, he suddenly started from his sleep, and awakening his wits, said he felt a strong impulse to set off immediately to the country town, some thirty or forty miles distant; but why, he had not the least idea. He endeavored to shake off the impression, and went to sleep again, but woke a second time with such a strong conviction that he must start that instant, that he directly rose, saddled his horse, and set off. On his way he had to cross a ferry, which he could only do at one hour of the night, when the mail was carried over. He was almost certain he should be too late, but nevertheless rode on, and when he came to the ferry, greatly to his surprise found that though the mail had passed over a short time previously, the ferryman was still waiting. On his expressing his astonishment, the boatman replied, "Oh, when I was at the other side, I heard you shouting, and so came back again.' The farmer said he had not shouted; but the other repeated his assertion that he had distinctly heard him call. Having crossed over, the farmer pursued his journey, and arrived at the country town the next morning. But now that he had come there, he had not the slightest notion of any business to be transacted, and so amused himself by sauntering about the place, and at length entered the court where the assizes were being held. The prisoner at the bar had just been to all appearance, proved clearly guilty, by circumstantial evidence, of murder; and he was then asked if he had any witnesses to call in his behalf. He replied that he had no friends there, but looking around the court among the spectators, he recognized the farmer, who almost immediately recognized in him the man who had applied to him for work; the farmer was instantly summoned to the witness-box, and his evidence proved, beyond the possibility of doubt, that at the very hour the prisoner was accused of committing murder in one part of the country, he was applying for work in another. The prisoner was, of course, acquitted, and the farmer found that, urged on by an uncontrollable impulse, which he could neither explain nor account for, he had indeed taken his midnight journey to some purpose, notwithstanding it had appeared so unreasonable and causeless. "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. "-Churchman's Companion. OUR SEMI-ANNUAL PROSPECTUS.-With this number of the Journal we send our semi-annual PROSPECTUS, believing that many will be glad to hand it to their friends, who may be induced to subscribe thereby. Our Journal being stereotyped, we can furnish the back numbers from January, which will make the volume complete. The PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL may be ordered in connection with the WATER-CURE JOURNAL, if desired. Terms the same. Clubs may be formed for the two in connection with each other. MORBID SOCIAL FACULTIES THE following case of mental disease came under the personal observation of the writer; he can therefore vouch for the correctness of the facts which he details. Miss A. was the granddaughter of a celebrated Virginian, who filled a chief part in the American revolution. He was a very perfect specimen of the nervous temperament himself, and his eldest daughter inherited it from him. She married a gentleman of a constitution similar to her own; and Miss A., the offspring of this marriage, of course resembled them in a very great degree. She is, in truth, the most perfect specimen of the nervous temperament we ever saw in man or woman, except John Randolph, of Roanoke. She was also singularly beautiful—that is, in the particular style of beauty which belongs to her temperament. Her head is in general a very good one, with the back part very thin between the ears, and very much elongated,—thus giving great predominance to the organs of Amativeness, Philoprogenitiveness, and UNION-FOR-LIFE. When about seventeen years of age, her affections became fixed upon a young gentleman in her neighborhood, and with tne approbation of all their friends, they were betrothed. But a few days before the day appointed for the marriage, the young man was thrown from his horse near her father's house, while coming to visit her, and was killed on the spot. What the immediate effect of this accident was, we have not ascertained; but it is certain that her mind never has been in a healthy state since. About two years after she was married to a man of cultivated mind and placid temper, who has ever treated her with great indulgence. Her social organs fastened upon him with morbid power, and exhibit themselves in the most singular and frequently ridiculous manner. She cannot bear him to leave her sight, becoming restless and agitated if he even steps into the next room. If he leaves the house, even for a few minutes, without letting her know in the most minute manner where he is going, she becomes almost frantic with distress. If he walks out merely to visit some part of his farm where his negroes are at work, he is obliged to tell her which way he will go, what he will do, and the exact time at which he will return. She then watches at the window, and if she does not see him returning at that time, she becomes dreadfully alarmed, sends all her maid-servants after him, and sometimes goes herself. If he is not found, she sets all the people on the farm to searching for him, has horns blown, etc. She very rarely leaves home; but we recollect one occasion on which she was persuaded to come with her husband and children and spend a day or two at the house of a friend. The writer happened to call during the day, and the master of the house requested him to go with himself and the husband of this lady to see a mineral spring about a quarter of a mile off. When we had got within fifty yards of the place, we heard a horn blown. The gentleman immediately became much agitated, and turning round, exclaimed, That is my wife-I forgot to tell her I was going." We tried to persuade him to the contrary, but he insisted on hurrying back. He is a justice of the peace, and whenever it is his turn to attend court, his wife accompanies him, and sits in her carriage in front of the court-house till the trial is over. Sometimes he attends dinner-parties in the neighborhood, and if he does not return at the precise time appointed, her carriage drives up, and a servant comes to the door to inquire after him, etc. There is no affectation in all this. She really suffers whenever her husband is out of her presence, and a protracted absence brings on violent illness. 66 This case of mental disease is easily explainable on phrenological principles. The temperament of this woman fitted her for violent mental emotions, and the size and shape of her back-head rendered her social and amative feelings very strong. These were wrought into a high state of excitement by her first engagement, and then they suffered a severe shock by the sudden bereavement of their object. Consequently, they became diseased; and the disease exhibits itself in this morbid attachment to her husband and children-for she behaves toward her children in the same foolish way in which she does to their father. Richmond, Va., 1848, LINES ON A PHRENOLOGICAL BUST. BY WILLIAM WALLACE. THOU Bust-within thy lines I trace She builds the mart-she lifts the spire- Here LANGUAGE, the majestic power, "The beautiful," on rosy ground; Controller-source of harmony! Go, read your books-go, probe your mart For me the BRAIN-for me the heart! |