UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 Please Read and Circulate. 
 
 ANOTHER 
 
 - • 
 
 
 AFFAIR- ‘ 
 
 T'KSSI»D At THIS * 4 MORGAN JOURNAL ” BOCK AND JOB 0FHO8. 
 
 1863. 
 
 « 
 

 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 n ■ >. n t 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • . : { i A 
 
 ,9 
 
 
 0 * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 * • 
 
 
 
 
 
 « * 
 
 
 
 
 
 r* ' ; 
 
 • . • «• 
 
 ♦ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 B 
 9 
 
 t . r .... •• > * 
 
 • • • • - ** .> 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 ' 0m ♦ * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
M 82 . a- 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 U4 
 
 It has been industriously attempted, by those in the interest of the party 
 which secured the appointment of the present Trustees for the Insane Hospital, 
 to represent the discussion upon the attempted revolution of this Institution, as 
 a local affair. 
 
 It will be seen from the following pages, that this is no local, but a Slate interest 
 —that the party laboring to get control of this Institution, is a local party of in¬ 
 terested politicians—that their late attempts have been in defiance and in viola¬ 
 tion of the laws, facts and political authorities of the State, and that they have 
 actually used State instrumentalities and State officers, to accomplish their pur¬ 
 pose : and that they might have been more successful in their attempts, but for 
 the moral resistance of the immediate community, which is, also, of course, a 
 local resistance; and that Jacksonville is only the accidental field of battle, 
 *' ’ between the interests of humanity and the State, on the one hand, and the private 
 Spends and interests of this local partv of politicians, on the other. 
 
 The people of Jacksonville, and Morgan county have been, for four years, the 
 silent witnesses of the earnest and efficient efforts of the honest and, self-sacri- 
 4t-ffcing officers of this Institution; under the executive auspices of Goy. French. 
 0 successfully resisting the machinations of this same party, and so far as the In- 
 0*ane Hospital is concerned, saving to the State many thousands of dollars, 
 <■< by resisting the employment of ignorant and incompetent favorites, whose blun¬ 
 ders would have necessitated the alteration of plans, and the pulling down and 
 re-building of walls, as in the instances of the Blind and Deaf and Dumb Institu- 
 ■ tions : to say nothing of their healthy moral influence „ in the administration of 
 • this Hospital, so necessary for the removal of the umral and intellectual obliqui¬ 
 ties of the insane ; and of thegood’those men have done to the State, in resisting 
 and bringing to open daylight, this intrigue and disregard of law and honesty, 
 thus enabling this summary of events, too numerous for complete detail, to be 
 spread before the people of the whole State. 
 
 The “ Morgan Journal, : ” through whose columns, these exposures have been 
 made, deserves the thanks of the whole State, for its independent course, and th«? 
 approval and aid of several other papers of the State, which up to the present 
 time have noticed the subject, show those presses to be above the suspicion of 
 truckling to any such political combinations to subvert the public charities of 
 the State from their high and holy purposes, to the ends of private gain and selfish 
 ambition. 
 
 «v 
 
 & 
 
 01 
 
 -4 K. 
 
4 
 
 Mil ACE. 
 
 Chapters I, II, III, and IV of this pamphlet,have been published ia successive 
 numbers of the “Morgan Journal,” and the official proceedings and disclosure* 
 in Chapters V and VI have been published in the “Morgan Journal ” and “Slate 
 Register,” and the fact3 and authoritative statements of these “ Reports,” and 
 the “ Protests ” of the minority of the present Board, have not been attempted 
 to be controverted, officially or otherwise, and cannot be controverted j bectu*-* 
 these facts and documents are all authentic *bd responsible, aud, epe* to *.b* 
 aspeefcon of the public. 
 
 » 
 
 ♦ 
 
 ) 
 
 I . A * 
 
 
 
 
 
 ♦ 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 For gome montha.past, the elements of society in Morgan county, 
 and to some considerable extent, throughout the State, have been 
 unusually perturbed by a series of facts, believed to inculpate the 
 newly appointed Board of Trustees for the Insane Hospital, and 
 even to involve the Executive of the State, in an attempted infrac¬ 
 tion of the principles of law and justice, and the prostitution of a 
 sacred charity to the cupidity of private interest and selfish am¬ 
 bition. 
 
 It is now admitted on all hands, that there is a party in the 
 State, of greater or less number and power, hostile to the admin¬ 
 istration of the Insane Hospital as existing for the last four years 
 under the auspices of the majority of the old Board of Trustees. 
 Let us enquire then, 
 
 t. What are the real relations of the People of the State , 
 their convict ions , feelings and views towards this Institution , 
 as expressed through their lawful representatives, trustees, com¬ 
 mittees, and reports, up to the time of the present public discussion ? 
 
 2.. Who are the disaffected and hostile party, and why are they 
 disaffected ? 
 
 It will be remembered that the Legislature, at its extra session 
 of June, 1852, in consequence of reports set on foot and circu¬ 
 lated especially among the members of the Legislature, and to 
 some extent, corroborated by a report of a committee, of which 
 Mr. Ames,of Putman county,was chairman—created a commission 
 of three disinterested men, selected from different parts of the 
 State—one a lawyer, N. W. Edwards, of Springfield, chairman 
 of the commission, the other two physicians, Dr. Eldridge, of Chi¬ 
 cago, and Dr. Green of Mt, Vernon,—commissioned and empow¬ 
 ered to investigate and collect facts and testimony of sworn wit¬ 
 nesses respecting the “superintendence and management” of the 
 Hospital cor the Insane—an I to report upon the same to the next 
 
 * 
 
6 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 session of the Legislature. This was considered an earnest and 
 bona fide transaction the part of the Legislature, paid for by the 
 people’s money, and intended to furnish the true data for the set¬ 
 tlement of these noxious agitations. These Commissioners, af¬ 
 ter weeks of patient and elaborate investigation, reported the fol¬ 
 lowing facts: 
 
 Respecting the mechanical superintendence, about which ques¬ 
 tions existed, the Commissioners in their report, made to the Legis¬ 
 lature at its session of 1853, say : “The building is of a superi¬ 
 or order, capable of accommodating as many patients as the Revr 
 Jersey Institution, which cost when prepared for the reception of 
 patients §152,801 80. The arrangement for warming and ventil¬ 
 ation, bath rooms, water closets, supply of water, draining and 
 cooking, will compare with any building of a similar kind in the 
 United States ; and, in fact, the whole building for its architectur¬ 
 al beauty, elegant and substantial workmanship, in all its parts, its 
 adaptation to the purpose designed, is such as will be a credit to 
 the State, to the mechanic and the officers of the Institution.” 
 
 % sj? ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
 
 With regard to the Medical and Mechanical ■ Superintendence 
 they say: 
 
 “It is admitted on all hands, that, in the construction of the 
 building, no one could have given more^satisfaction, than both the 
 Medical and Mechanical Superintendents—nor was there ever the 
 same amount of labor and constant attention on the part of all, for 
 the same compensation.” 
 
 Of the Board of Trustees they report: 
 
 “ In all contracts authorized by the Board of Trustees, great 
 care has been taken to protect the interests of the State, and while 
 the most rigid economy has been practiced, avoiding*all wasteful 
 expenditures of money, they have provided liberally, everything 
 that experience has shown to promote the welfare, comfort and 
 happiness of the Insane, and thus accomplish the object for which 
 such Institutions are established.” * * * * * 
 
 “They have been remarkably careful in making and drawing all 
 their contracts, and seeing that they were well executed. They 
 have not been extravagant” (as charged in Mr. Ames’ report) “in 
 the purchase of furniture, in the allowance of more rooms or fur¬ 
 niture than were necessary for the officers ; they have studied the 
 best interests of the State, have properly applied the funds, and 
 have erected a very superior building for the cost, and we are of 
 the opinion that the amount paid for superintending is less than 
 has ever been paid for such a building.” * * * * 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 7 
 
 “The charge” (in Mr. Ames 5 report) “thaf too many rooms 
 were appropriated or designed for the use of the Officers or their 
 families, or that there was extravagance in the purchase of fur¬ 
 niture, or that any act was done by the Board which 
 under the circumstances was not justifiable , is not 
 true.” 
 
 After a brief allusion to some casualties about which charges 
 of incompetency had been made to the public and to members of 
 the Legislature, their testimony is this : 
 
 “That the officers were honest and faithful in the discharge of 
 their duties, cannot be denied. 55 * * * * “ In the treat¬ 
 
 ment and management of the Insane , after the 7nost thorough 
 investigations , we have had NO facts in the evidence prejudi¬ 
 cial to the character of the Medical Superintendent, or his Assis¬ 
 tant. 55 
 
 After this, a joint committee of thirteen, appointed by 
 the Senate and House of Representatives (of the Legislature of 
 1858, to which this commission reported, )to examine the “Illinois 
 State Hospital for the Insane, 55 visited and examined the Hospital, 
 and in their report, after reviewing and confirming the substantial 
 facts of Mr. Edwards 5 report, offered the following conclusion: 
 “This result, under all the circumstances, is a matter of just pride, 
 and the simple recital of the facts, is the most fitting tribute to 
 the ability and efficiency of the Superintendent and the Assistant 
 Physician. The good' opinions they have won, it is hoped, by an 
 unremitting assiduity in the discharge of their duties, they will 
 continue to deserve. 55 
 
 This testimony should be marked and remembered. Its unequiv¬ 
 ocal directness, its authority and its authenticity. What higher 
 and more reliable assurance could the Legislature, the Executive, 
 and the people of the State have asked or received, as a basis of. 
 confidence, than such facts, verified and established by such au¬ 
 thorities? 
 
 It mav be noticed here that the Governor himself visited the In- 
 stitution in company with the last named committee of the Legis¬ 
 lature and personally expressed to some of our citizens, his appro¬ 
 bation of the management and condition of the Institution,in terms 
 no less satisfactory than those employed by the committee. 
 
 The report of the Trustees for the year 1851 52, made to the 
 Legislature of 1853, contains the following table, showing the 
 very gratifying fact, that only one Institution of this bet stands 
 higher in its per cent of cures, or lower in its per cent of deaths; 
 
3 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 while in the cost to the State of treatment, that of our Hospital i$ 
 $38,88, while the average is $62,00. 
 
 TABLE 
 
 Showing the per cent, of cures, costs and deaths in neighboring Institutions, 
 according to the most recent reports at hand. 
 
 Indiana,. 
 
 Ohio,. 
 
 Kentucky,. 
 
 Virginia,. 
 
 Pennsylvania,. 
 
 New York,. 
 
 Massachusetts,. 
 
 Rhode Island,. 
 
 New Jersey,. 
 
 South Carolina,. 
 
 Average of ten States, 
 Illinois,. 
 
 per ct. of.cost of 
 cures. I cures. 
 
 per ct. • 
 deathi. 
 
 24 
 
 
 6 
 
 27 
 
 64.32 
 
 6.& 
 
 10 
 
 
 16 
 
 9 
 
 63.22 
 
 10 
 
 29 
 
 ■■■■■— 
 
 4 
 
 14 
 
 
 6 
 
 25 
 
 58.45 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 
 8 
 
 15 
 
 
 5 
 
 17 
 
 
 9 
 
 18.4 
 
 62.00 
 
 8.3 
 
 27.5 
 
 38.88 
 
 4.3 
 
 •The blanks in cost are not reported. 
 
 Who, then, in the face of these facts and authorities was not sat¬ 
 isfied? IIow is it to be accounted for, that at’ the very first meet¬ 
 ing of the present Board of Trustees for the Insane Hospital, in 
 a few hours after its organization, the majority of the members 
 present at the meeting,became fully and irrevocably committed to 
 the revolution and disorganization of the Institution? Why have 
 they pushed this purpose, to the neglect of everything else, to the 
 present time ? 
 
 The question thus forced upon the public,assumes an importance 
 in relation to the history of this Hospital, which imperatively de¬ 
 mands the attention of every citizen who appreciates the ends the 
 Institution is designed to answer. 
 
 We learn from Mr. Edwards’ report, that there were divisions 
 existing, and a dissatisfied party even in the Board of Trustees; 
 and these searching and cautious investigators profess also to have 
 discovered the cause. 
 
 On page 5th, of their printed report, the Commissioners say: 
 “It is to be regretted that there has not been harmony in the Board ; 
 the chief cause of which has been on account of the offices to be 
 filled, and the letting of contracts ; and to such an extent has 
 this feeling prevailed, that only a bare majority meets to transact 
 business.” 
 
 Now this majority consisted of Messrs. Holmes, Morton, Tur¬ 
 ner and Beevaft, while Messrs. Warren, Dickson and Hurst, 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 9 
 
 were the minority in the Board of seven members, instead of nine 
 as are constituted by an act of the legislature last winter. 
 
 Messrs. Craven and Dexter of the present Board, in their pro¬ 
 test against its action, show from the records of the Hospital, that 
 this minority of Warren, Dickson and Hurst erected themselves in¬ 
 to an acting Board, which was declared by Governor French and 
 his counsel to be illegal; that the only offices then to be filled 
 were those of Steward, Treasurer and Secretary, and that they 
 elected two of their number, viz : Messrs. Warren and Hurst to fill 
 these three vacancies. 
 
 Now, again, previously to the departure from Jacksonville, of 
 Mr. Edwards’ commission, Mr. Edwards made a visit to the Super¬ 
 intendent of the Hospital, and as a friend advised him to resign 
 his office. The Superintendent had previously been assured by 
 Mr. Edwards that the report about to be made, would, from the 
 facts they had collected, be entirely creditable to all the officers 
 of the Institution. 
 
 But Mr. Edwards had now to inform him that there was a con¬ 
 spiracy of certain political elements against him ; and that such 
 was their influence and power,that they would succeed in controlling 
 the appointment of a Board that would eject him regardless 
 of their report. Of these, he specified Messrs. James Dunlap and 
 J. A. McClernand ; the former as having a formidable political 
 power throughout the State, and the latter being popular and 
 influential in the South of the State, and who was also president 
 of the convention that nominated the present Governor, and both 
 of whom went for Gov. Matteson, and would exert great influence. 
 His advice and reasons were repeated to other persons of this com¬ 
 munity. Mr. Edwards seemed sincere and to know what he affirm¬ 
 ed ; and yet those who heard were incredulous. This transpired 
 in December 1852, before the above reports on the Hospital were 
 made. » 
 
 On the first of March, 1853, Mr. Edwards again visited the 
 Hospital, and with the same sincerity, and earnestness, repeated 
 the sarnie advice; and said, that as he had predicted last Fall, he 
 believed the present Board had been selected for the purpose of 
 revolution, and he still believed they would succeed; at any rate 
 said he, “they say they have got their men ;” and as one of the 
 ostensible evidences of the success of the disaffected party, he 
 mentioned the fact that they had secured their own appointment, 
 and that of their peculiar friends, on the Board for the Deaf and 
 Dumb. * 
 
 _ • ___ , _ 
 
 * A law of the last Legislature required that a majority of the Board for the 
 
10 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 To understand the cause of Col. Dunlap’s dissatisfaction and 
 hostility, it is necessary to notice the fact that he had,at an early 
 day, undertaken to secure for his brother the office of Superinten¬ 
 dent of the Hospital; and failing in this attempt, subsequently that 
 of Assistant Physician, both of which efforts had been well backed 
 up with the most urgent electioneering efforts. This cause of dis¬ 
 appointment and chagrin is disclosed and confessed by Dunlap, 
 in the publication made by himself and Warren, in the Constitu- 
 tionist of Juno 1st, as the Hospital records and other documents 
 extensively known in this community also show. 
 
 Two well defined parties in relation to the Hospital for the 
 Insane, thus come distinctly into view. On the one hand, an 
 acting majority of the former Board through th^ir Biennial Deport 
 to the Legislature vouching for the efficiency of the present Su¬ 
 perintendent ; then the Report of a legislative commission, endow¬ 
 ed with full powers to investigate and report; and afterwards that 
 of the joint committee of the two Houses, whose visit was made iii 
 company with the Governor, constituting the most unquestionable 
 authority upon this subject, reported to the Legislature and the 
 people of the State—facts and opinions and conclusions the most 
 conclusive and convincing of the competency, fidelity, and efficien¬ 
 cy of all the officers of the institution. 
 
 With regard then to the faithful and comperent management 
 of this Institution, it seems that the acting majority of the Old 
 Board of Trustees were satisfied—the Commissioners were satisfied, 
 vouching fully and unequivocally for the competency of the Super¬ 
 intendent and the general correctness of management, not only by 
 the resident officers of the Institution, but by the acting majority 
 of the Trustees. The Commissioners sustained themselves in this 
 opinion, by an array of facts and testimony creditable to these of¬ 
 ficers and to the State,to a degree almost unprecedented in the his¬ 
 tory of such institutions. The members of the Legislature were 
 .satisfied, as the following item will additionally show : Last win¬ 
 ter a strenuous effort was made in the j oint committee, above nam- 
 od, toward the alteration of the charter, so as to empower the Board 
 of Trustees to remove all the officers • of the Institution at will. 
 This proposition, the immediate end of which was evident, found 
 but a single advocate in this committee of thirteen. This advocate, 
 a member of the House, contrary to all parliamentary usage, after 
 
 Deaf and Dumb, should reside out of Morgan County,‘yet, a majority of the 
 members of that Board, were taken,contrary to law,from Morgan County,among 
 whom are James Dunlap, John A. McClernand, W. B. Warren, A. C. Dixon See. 
 
 But in case of the Insane Hospital, although the law did not require it, a ma¬ 
 jority have been appointed from other counties. 
 
REVIEW* 
 
 1 i 
 
 Viis proposition had met no favor in the Committee, again brought 
 >t forward upon the floor of the House, where it met a signal de¬ 
 feat as before the Committee. This effort was made by the Hon. 
 Wm. Brown, of Jacksonville, who is now the paid Attorney of the 
 present Board of Trustees. If the House and the Committees 
 were not satified, why did they so promptly refuse countenance to 
 every attempt to revolutionize ? 
 
 The existing administration of the Hospital affairs w r as fully sat¬ 
 isfactory to the responsible majority of the Board of trustees, to 
 the Commissioners, to the joint Committee, and to the entire Leg¬ 
 islature, variously and unequivocally expressed. 
 
 Now where else can we turn to find a party not satisfied, but to 
 the Dunlap and Warren party? Do the people of Jacksonville 
 and Morgan county, or the Legislature, or the people of the State 
 know of any other disaffected party than this? 
 
 These men are known from the recorded history of the Institu¬ 
 tion, and from the testimony of numerous living witnesses, to have 
 been disappointed and thwarted from time to time by the vigilance 
 and activity of sagacious and faithful public functionaries, in ma¬ 
 ny of their attempts at securing for themselves and their friends 
 and relatives places of trust and emolument and contracts in this 
 Institution. Pass around the question, citizens of the State: 
 where among you can be found, a party that has taken ground 
 against the existing administration of the Insane Hospital, against 
 your Legislature and Commissioners, and the clear and ex¬ 
 pressed conditions of the law on this subject, except this diminu¬ 
 tive party? in which, however, there were elements against which 
 the Superintendent and others Were warned as possessing a formi¬ 
 dable political power throughout the State, and especially in the 
 South part of the State ; and again in the nominating convention, 
 constituting even apolitical paternity of the present governor off 
 the State, and therefore destined to wield a controlling influence in 
 the formation of the next Board. No other party has manifested 
 itself by any tangible signs of existence. 
 
 Conjecture, suspicion and theory have had their day. Time 
 and facts have now grown old enough to speak for themselves. Is 
 there, or is there not, on foot a series of efforts, thus far baffled, 
 so far as this institution is concerned, but not annihilated, to make 
 the sanctities of a great public beneficence in behalf of the most 
 helpless and dependent of the afflicted of our race, promotive of 
 the power and aggrandizement of a party, instead of serving, first, 
 last and highest, the great cause of humanity, for which it was in- 
 stituted ? Shall tins party succeed in infusing its spirit into this In- 
 
12 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 stitution, and extending its complete control over it? Is not a 
 party even now, in fact, infusing into the arteries of this institu¬ 
 tion the defiling influence of political ambition and sordid interest? 
 Let the people examine the facts. 
 
 i' • CHAPTER II. 
 
 It has been shown that there exists, in reference to the Hospital 
 for the Insane, but two parties in the State. The party of the 
 government and the people, and the Dunlap and Warren party : 
 
 That the former of these parties had, through al] of its organs, 
 through its former Board of trust, its Legislative Commission of 
 three, its Legislative Committee of thirteen, the laws and legisla¬ 
 ture, expressed its own entire approbation ; and by its most highly 
 authenticated facts and documents, had given the people of the 
 State the most unequivocal and unquestionable basis of public 
 confidence in the management of the Institution. 
 
 That the latter party, at an early day in the history of the 
 Hospital, became an opposing party from obviously interested 
 motives ; and that notwithstanding they failed in their ends, in all 
 the investigations which have been called forth in consequence of 
 their vigorously plied efforts, agents and instrumentalities, to in¬ 
 fluence the ears and eyes of the Legislature and the people, they 
 still threatened their power, and have boasted their success in in¬ 
 fluencing and controlling the appointments to the new Board of 
 trustees. 
 
 And, next, it is proposed to inquire, with what truth have they 
 threatened, worked and boasted ; in other words are the acts of the 
 present Board based in good faith upon the principles, ltvws, facts, 
 and conclusions of the Government variously expressed, or are 
 they subservient to the selfish, vindictive and revolutionary aims 
 and ends of the equally well defined opposing Dunlap and War¬ 
 ren party ? , 
 
 In order to a demonstrably just classification of the events and 
 actors bearing testimony upon this question, facts and footprints, 
 prior to the appointment of the present Board, may be first noticed 
 as affording a programme and prima facie evidence of its inten¬ 
 tion and end. 
 
 And, now, while near them, let the reader see with his own eyes, 
 some of the very fountains from which start the streams whose 
 course and confluence it is proposed to survey. Let it here be ob¬ 
 served, 
 
 1st. That the acting majority of the former Board, Messrs. 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 n 
 
 Holmes, Morton,Turner, and Becraft, are all independent farmers, 
 who have been residents of Morgan County from twenty to thirty 
 years ; against whose strict integrity and honor, no responsible al¬ 
 legation or poison of malice can avail. 
 
 Under the disinterested and indefatigable supervision of these 
 men, the Institution was brought from an early beginning of its 
 walls to its present state of complete organization and distinguish¬ 
 ed success,—to which they gave hundreds of days of their time, 
 and for which, as all the records of the Institution show, they 
 never asked or received one dollar, either of direct compensation, 
 or of indirect profit. 
 
 2d. That Messrs, Dunlap, Warren, Dixon, Hurst, McClernand, 
 fcc ., whose position relative to the Hospital interest has been al¬ 
 ready indicated, have been familiarly known in Morgan and San¬ 
 gamon Counties, and to the members of the Legislature,especially, 
 and extensively throughout the State, as professed politicians, lia¬ 
 ble to the biases of political influences ; and for years, they have 
 spent a large part of their time at Springfield during the sessions 
 of the legislature, either holding or seeking offices, emoluments, 
 or contracts, for themselves or their friends. 
 
 It might be seen a priori , that between such element# 
 as have been mentioned, there must, in all probability, arise in the 
 administration of a vast public interest, involving the use and ex¬ 
 penditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars, differences and 
 dissensions as wide as the differences of the principles and views of 
 duty among the men thus brought together in the same Board. 
 
 Let us take, in addition to the State documents cited and quoted 
 in the preceding chapter, the confessions of the parties themselves. 
 
 On the 7th of March 1851, just one week from the first meet¬ 
 ing of the Board of which these parties were members, and before 
 the Board was legally organized, Messrs. Warren, Dixon, and 
 Hurst, three of a board of seven, constituted themselves an acting 
 Board, filled vacancies, and elected Warren Secretary and Treasur¬ 
 er, and Hurst Steward, the only vacant offices at that time in the 
 Institution, and then adjourned. Dixon got no office, but he wa^j 
 in the lumber trade at the time, and great* quantities of lumber 
 were of course in demand for the construction of the building. 
 These facts stand now written upon the Hospital records in the 
 handwriting of W. B. Warren, as Secretary. 
 
 In the “Jacksonville Constitutionist,” of the first of June 1858, 
 Messrs. Warren and Dunlap, in an attempted defence of their 
 conduct, make the same concessions over their own names. They 
 there say: “The remaining Trustees, Messrs. Hurst, Warren and 
 
14 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 Dixon, fearing that something injurious to the interests of the 
 Institution was going on, believing and being advised of the im¬ 
 portance of an immediate organization, filled the vacancies, by 
 electing Judge Thomas and Murray Me Conn el, Esq., and then or¬ 
 ganized the Board; elected Judge Thomas, President, W. B. War¬ 
 ren, Secretary and Treasurer, W. S. Hurst, Steward,” &c. 
 
 The benevolent intention here claimed as the motive to this most 
 singular and unlawful proceeding, having been thwarted by a pro¬ 
 test and other opposition of the other members, and utterly defeat¬ 
 ed by Governor French and his legal consellors, they became so 
 disgusted, that they eventually absented themselves from 
 the business and meetings of the Board, though stiil remain¬ 
 ing under the obligation of their constitutional oath, “to faithful¬ 
 ly discharge the duties of Trustees to the best of their skill 
 and abilities during the term of their appointment .” In the 
 words of Messrs. Warren and Dunlap, (in the “Constitutionist” 
 just quoted,) “The Minority of the Board, Messrs. Warren, 
 Dixon, and Hurst, unwilling to share responsibility in a Board 
 where their rights were not respected, determined, and so express¬ 
 ed themselves, to meet no longer with the Majority”—that is, the 
 right of three members of seven, to organize themselves into a 
 Spurious Board, elect themselves into all the offices of trust and 
 profit in the Institution, and control and appropriate the funds of 
 the State, and be sustained by the other four and the Governor 
 besides ; under the pretext put forth at this late day, of “fearing 
 that something injurious to the interest of the Institution was go¬ 
 ing on!” 
 
 The reader has now seen fountain No. 1. 
 
 In the same Const!tutionist ” article of June 1st, occurs this 
 confession. “It is true, that Col. Dunlap voted for his brother ; 
 it is true that he desired and used his best endeavors to have 
 him elected , and he would have been a monster to have done oth¬ 
 erwise. Who is there, deserving the name of man, so devoid of 
 fraternal affection, as not to desire to forward the interests of a 
 brother, and to elect him to ^honorable and lucrative position.” 
 
 At a meeting of the Board for the Hospital,held in Jacksonville, 
 July 26th, 1851, and found on page 78 of the Hospital records, is 
 the following: “On motion of Mr. Morton, the Board proceeded 
 to the election of Assistant Physician; Mr. Dixon nominated Dr. 
 K. J. Dunlap”—“Dr. E. J. Dunlap received three votes.” 
 
 It is needless to make here a detailed statement of the facts and 
 evidences now in possession of the citizens of Morgan county, to 
 show to the people of the whole State, the influences attempted to 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 15 
 
 be thrown into the action of the Board, first to get Dr. Dunlap, 
 (brotherto Col. Dunlap) elected Superintendent, and afterwards 
 Assistant Physician. As the schemes and instrumentalities which 
 Col. Dunlap is capable of bringing to bear upon a case in which 
 a great self-interest in money or power is at stake, is matter of 
 Railroad, State Bonds and Shawneetown Bank demonstration and 
 experience to the people of the Whole State, too recent to be now 
 forgotten—it is superfluous to offer a parade of facts and elabor¬ 
 ate arguments, to show with how much, and what sort of methods 
 and instrumentalities he would operate, when he “desired and used 
 his best endeavors” “to forward the interest of a brother, and 
 elect him to honorable and lucrative position .” And with 
 what degree of persistence to the very end, he would ply such 
 means and instrumentalities, with his pride and ambition addition¬ 
 ally goaded by his brother’s defeat in both these attempts, Col. 
 Dunlap’s past history best indicates ; but let the people of the 
 State beware in time, lest'when too late, they shall find this to have 
 been a matter of disgraceful and ruinous Insane Hospital demon¬ 
 stration and mournful experience. 
 
 The reader has now seen fountain No. 2; and has also an emin¬ 
 ence from which the confluence of their waters is distinctly visi¬ 
 ble. . 1 /■ ,■ • # ' • 
 
 It should be stated here, that not only the majority of the Board 
 which had, in the latter instance, rejected the application and influ¬ 
 ences in behalf, of his brother, but the Superintendent Dr. Higgins 
 also, at this- point became obnoxious to Col. Dunlap for refusing, 
 even under proposition of reward , to use his influence with the 
 Board in favor of the election of Dr. Dunlap to the office of . As¬ 
 sistant Physician, which he could not conscientiously do. 
 
 A few clays prior to the meeting at Springfield, of the Conven¬ 
 tion which nominated Gov. Matteson, Col. Dunlap in conversation 
 respecting the Hospital affairs with Aquilla Becraft, affirmed, per¬ 
 haps incautiously, from the chagrin and irritation of chafed ambi¬ 
 tion, “ I am after these officers of the Insane Hospital; I am go¬ 
 ing up to the convention to attend to their case.” The conversa¬ 
 tion turned upon the character of the then probable nominee, 
 Mr. Gregg, who it was urged could not bo tampered w r ith : the CoL 
 replied, “I don’t care who may be the nominee of the Convention ; 
 I and my friends have the influence ,.’and we will have things so 
 arranged that we will make a clean sweep of them.” This is a 
 mere straw showing which, way the wind blew. 
 
 This occurred in April, 1852. In June following, was the extra 
 session of the Legislature. The Hospital was unfinished—not 
 
15 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 half its wards ready for occupancy—so that there was not capaci¬ 
 ty to receive even one patient from each of the counties of the 
 State. A charge was urged in the Legislature against the man¬ 
 agement of the Institution for not receiving more patients from 
 Madison County, which had already had one in the Hospital. A 
 special committee from the House, of which, Mr. Ames, of Putnam 
 county, was Chairman, was thereupon dispatched. After spending 
 an hour or two at the Hospital, they reported, sustaining the charge; 
 and furthermore, reported that, “An undue proportion of the 
 building is set apart for the use of officers and attendants,” “ to 
 the serious detriment of the interests of that unfortunate class of 
 beings for whose benefit the Institution was erected ” * * * 
 
 “ useless expenditure in some of the departments of the Institu¬ 
 tion” * * * “ Unnecessary number of persons employed in 
 
 and about the Institution” * * * “large families quarter¬ 
 
 ed in the Institution,” &c. Their informants “being among some 
 of the first men of Jacksonville.” These are all literal quotation* 
 from their report. 
 
 “ The reading of the Report of the Committee” according to the 
 statement of Judge Thomas, a member of the House in that extra 
 session, made in the Morgan Journal, July 17th, 1852, produced 
 great excitement in the House, various propositions were suggest¬ 
 ed,” &c., as might well be supposed, if the members believed the 
 official report to be in good faith. 
 
 Meantime, the resident officers of the Institution were quietly 
 and successfully discharging their duties within its walls, and the 
 -acting Majority of the Board of trustees W'erc at their plows.— 
 But on learning that somebody was “ after these officers of the 
 insane Hospital ,” they issued a public protest to the people of 
 the State, setting forth the facts in refutation of these allegations, 
 and also a memorial to the Legislature, calling for an investiga¬ 
 ting Commission, and inviting to a thorough investigation. The 
 commission of Messrs. Edwards, Eldridgeand Green, was thereup¬ 
 on created. After recapitulating the above charges they reported 
 to the regular session of 1858, (as previously quoted) of them and 
 of all accusations whatever, “that any act was done by the Board 
 which, under the circumstances, was not justifiable, is not true.” 
 Mr. Ames, in attempting through the press, to defend himself 
 against the influence upon his private character of the falsehoods 
 fixed upon his report by the facts made public in the protest of this 
 Majority of the Board, viz: Messrs. Holmes, Morton, Turner, 
 and Becraft, and since confirmed by the investigating commission 
 and by the subsequent committee of thirteen, makes this disclos- 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 17 
 
 ure; (see Morgan Journal August 7th, 1852, over the signature 
 of Mr. E. Ames; ) “In self defence, it is due to myself and the 
 balance of the Committee to say, that three, of our informers 
 were members of Mr. Turner’s own Board.” 
 
 The only three members in this board of seven, other than the 
 four accused and protesting, were Warren, Dixon and ITurst. 
 
 Here, then, is proof incontrovertible, that Messrs. Warren, Dix¬ 
 on and Hurst, among others, or, in other words, the Dunlap and 
 Warren party were the authors of these reports against the offi¬ 
 cers of this Institution, which Mr. Edwards’ commission of three 
 and the joint committee of thirteen pronounced “not true,” a* 
 shown in the first chapter. Here we see these two fountains of 
 disappointed cupidity and ambition, flowing together in this cor¬ 
 rupt stream. 
 
 Surely, somebody was “after these officers of the Insane Hos¬ 
 pital.” Let the proposition be borne in mind, that there existed 
 two parties with regard to the Hospital interest; that of the gov¬ 
 ernment and the people w r ho were satisfied with the facts, and the 
 Dunlap and Warren party, who were not Satisfied. 
 
 These efforts and instrumentalities, so industriously and dexter¬ 
 ously plied upon the Legislature, were also in every practicable 
 way moved throughout the State. Mr. Edwards, in the course of 
 his investigations as a Commissioner, became acquainted with these 
 movements and also their sources, and could therefore, as before 
 noticed, assure the Superintendent of their formidable power, and 
 therefore, as a friend, advise his resignation. Mr. Edwards, also, 
 from his knowledge of the facts, informed Esq., Keyes, of Spring- 
 field, during the last session of the Legislature, that “if he would 
 agree to turn out Dr. Higgins, in accordance with the will of Col. 
 Dunlap, he could be appointed on the new Board for that Institu¬ 
 tion.” Esq. Keys replied, that in that case he should do as he 
 pleased; that Dr. Higgins had done well, and he should retain 
 him, and could make no such agreement. Mr. Edwards stated, 
 that he had himself refused to serve on the Board upon this con¬ 
 dition. ' 
 
 Mr. Edwards has also recently become responsible for the ad¬ 
 ditional fact, that he has again been solicited to fill one of the va¬ 
 cancies in the present Board, occasioned by the resignation of the 
 remote members; and that he replied that he “could not, as he 
 would be expected to turn out Dr. Higgins, which he could 
 not do upon the fact3 found and reported by him as Commissioner.” 
 These statements further show that Col. Dunlap’s plans and efforts 
 
 2 
 
13 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 were then in progress, and were known and recognised by Mr. 
 Edwards. 
 
 A month before these events now referred to, he had seriously 
 informed the Superintendent and others of Jacksonville, of the 
 progress of this plan. 
 
 It is also matter of such notoriety to the members of both bran¬ 
 ches of the Legislature, and others w r howere about Springfield last 
 winter,as to require but the statement, that Col. McClernand, Dun¬ 
 lap’s son-in-law, was actively engaged there,in soliciting and elec¬ 
 tioneering upon the subject of the appointments' to the new Board for 
 the Hospital for the Insane ; to what end it may bo left for them 
 and the people to judge. Surely some party was still “after these 
 officers of the Insane Hospital.” 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 * * • • .' , 0 S ' * i 
 
 The people of Jacksonville and Morgan county, who were cog¬ 
 nisant of and who had been acquainted with theso efforts, their 
 source and methods, from their incipiency ; fully acquainted both 
 with the chain of facts briefly sketched in the preceding chapters r 
 and the historical incidents filling in and connecting them, too vol¬ 
 uminous in detail for the intended brevity of this review, deemed 
 it the duty of a community, to whom the State had confided the 
 moral surveillance of this noble charity, at least to cast into the 
 scale their mite of testimony. They had been ; for years, the wit¬ 
 nesses of the incorruptible integrity, the efficiency and capability 
 of these indefatigable and faithful public servants in charge of 
 this trust, three of whom, Messrs. Turner, Morton and Becraft, 
 had served upon the previous Board. 
 
 They believed that these men had saved by their vigilance, finan¬ 
 cial skill, economy and honesty, thousands of dollars to the State, 
 to say nothing of the value and credit to the State of their emin¬ 
 ent success in the construction and organization of this Institution, 
 as since confirmed and vouched for by the Reports of these most 
 responsible and sifting investigations already cited. 
 
 The people of Jacksonville and Morgan County well knew that the 
 determined intention oE a party to revolutionize that Institution, in 
 the face of all the facts so safe and creditable to the State, and 
 so gratifying to the friends of the afflicted, mu§t in its source be 
 regardless of: it3 weal, and of the legal safeguards of its interests. 
 And it was clear, that if honorable, high minded, just and compe¬ 
 tent men, should be driven out of service,in concession merely to the 
 demands of such opponents, upon such pretexts, and by such pro- 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 19 
 
 eo&ses as those arrayed against this Institution, it must determine 
 and necessitate for years, the disconnection of our best citizens 
 from the cause of our State charities; for if such men may be 
 now thus utterly clamored out, the same efforts will succeed 
 against any future Board who may become obnoxious to the hun¬ 
 gry cliques, which would suck the life-blood and feed upon the car¬ 
 cass of these State Institutions. 
 
 The action of the present Executive was therefore awaited with 
 intense interest. The report of the Trustees to the last Legislature 
 was in his hands. The highly authentic, unquestioned and une¬ 
 quivocal report of facts from Mr. Edwards’ Commission was in 
 his hands, fully sanctioning and vouching for the integrity, fidelity 
 and ability of the acting Board and resident Officers, for the ef¬ 
 ficient and successful management and Superintendence of the 
 Hospital. The report of the joint commmittee of thirteen Sena¬ 
 tors and Members of the House, was before him; from which may 
 be noticed, additional to that already quoted from these several 
 State documents, the following: “They,” (the committee of 
 thirteen) “acquiesce in the opinion expressed by all who have visit¬ 
 ed the Asylum, as to its perfection of plan, superior mechanical 
 execution, symmetrical architecture, elegance of finish, and admir¬ 
 able adaptation to the purposes for which it was erected. 
 
 •‘Those charged with carrying into effect this noble charity of 
 our State, have wisely availed themselves of all the valuable im¬ 
 provements suggested by experience, both with regard to archi¬ 
 tectural design and internal arrangement. 
 
 “The gratifying result is, they have produced a work, which 
 when ultimately completed, will bo the admiration of all who visit 
 k, and of which the State may well be proud. That a building of 
 «uch vast proportions should have been erected in so substantial and 
 finished in so superior manner,for the sum of eighty-four thousand 
 dollars, is proof conclusive, that no'wasteful extravagance has 
 been indulged in,but that a proper economy has been observed in 
 its construction.” 
 
 And again, says this Report: “with regard to the sanitary reg¬ 
 ulations adopted by the medical officers of the Institution, the 
 Committee would state, as a conclusion from their observations, 
 that they believe them to be such as are sanctioned by experience 
 in other Hospitals.” (It should here be remembered by the read ¬ 
 er that several of this committee were eminent physicians.) “Due 
 regard seems to bo paid to the cleanliness and comfort of the pa¬ 
 tients, and the professional attainments of the gentlemen in charge, 
 afford ample guaranty, that the unfortunate inmates are properly 
 
20 
 
 EfSAKfi HOSPITAL 
 
 treated with a view to their restoration to reason, where recovery 
 is possible. This opinion is confirmed by an examination of the 
 tabular report of cures, effected since the Hospital has been opened 
 for the reception of patients. Notwithstanding' the' disadvantages 
 which must naturally have resulted from an unfinished state of the 
 building, inexperienced attendants, and impossibility for want of 
 room, for proper classification, it will bo found by the refer¬ 
 ence to the Report of the Trustees, that the per eentage of cure* 
 has not only been greater, but these cures have been actually effect¬ 
 ed at less cost in the Illinois Stafe Hospital for. the Insane, than in 
 an average of the like Institutions in ten . other States, including 
 in the enumeration all the great States of the Union.” . 
 
 It might here again be noticed, that for such a gratifying state 
 of things, they do not,of course, recommend revolution ; but they 
 further say : The good Opinions, “they” [the officers] “have thui 
 won, it is nopedjby an unremitting assiduity in the discharge of their 
 duties, they will continue to deserve.” 
 
 There was also in the hands of dhe'Executive, authorized by the 
 Board of Trustee^, a’ copy of the records of the Spurious Board, 
 organized by Messrs. Warren , Dickson and Hurst; their own histo¬ 
 ry written on the Bbpk Of Records, with their owe hand, of an un¬ 
 lawful attempt on their part, to grasp and control the public funds. 
 There was in bis hands',also,, from the Hospital Records, an author¬ 
 ized copy of the protest'of the majority against this unlawful at¬ 
 tempt, which was successfully resisted by the Majority and the for¬ 
 mer Executive of the State. 
 
 Such facts and documents justified and required, as the people 
 believed, the putting'into his hands, also, through the agency' of 
 their Senator for Morgan and Scott counties, 
 
 1st. Rccommemlations.jnilmerously signed, of thirty or forty 
 citizens, “a Board constituted of any of whom, or. of any men of 
 similar character,’' the .’signers; would “insure to be an efficient and 
 harmonious Board, whether with or without Messrs. Holmes, Mor¬ 
 ton, Turner and Recruit* the Majority of the then existing Board.” 
 
 2d. Also, a list of ten or a dpzon persons against whom he wa$ 
 warned, not as unworthy citizens, but as the relatives and avowed 
 and well-known adherents ‘of the cause’of this party, in their hos¬ 
 tility to the Hospital administration. 
 
 The following fact needs no comment: 
 
 On the board for the Insane Hospital, at great distances from 
 the Institution, were appointed such worthy and distinguished citi¬ 
 zens a-s Dr. Brainerd, of Chicago, Dr. Mahon, of Wabash county, 
 and Hon. T. R. Young, of Clark county: men in whose hand’s 
 
21 
 
 REVIEW. 
 
 fucIi a cause would be most safely, entrusted ; but, as was predicted 
 by the friends of the Institution/they never came. One at least, 
 of these nominees, TIon. T. 11. Young, it was well known before 
 hi# nomination, would not serve, as he, in’preserice of James C. 
 Robinson, of Clark County, gave to John A. McClernand, Dun¬ 
 lap's son-in-law and solicitor, tjie most positive and final assur¬ 
 ance “that he could not possibly, and certainly would not serve if 
 appointed—that when McClernand insisted that he should accept, 
 Mr. Young persisted to the last that lie could not.” 
 
 On the other hand,two of the newly appointed Trustees residing 
 ui Morgan County, viz: Stevenson and Henry, are relatives of 
 the disaffected, party, and the only, appointee living in Jack¬ 
 sonville, the seat of the Institution, is Theming Stevenson, a citi¬ 
 zen who had freely and publicly 'expressed his hostility to the Su¬ 
 perintendent of the Hospital,’who is'brother-in-law to James Dun¬ 
 lap, and accordingly was one of the list above named, against 
 whom the Governor was cautioned. Hejfa a prominent member 
 —President of the Board. 
 
 Again, Wm. Butler of Spring Sold, an active member of the 
 Board, the mover of the first, .second and third series of the revo¬ 
 lutionizing Resolutions, has for years peep publicly known as the 
 negotiator and agent of James Dunlap in his schemes of politi¬ 
 cal speculation ; as for instance in 'the .purchase of the Stebbins 
 bonds, an essential branch of the’ Shawneetown Bank maneuver, 
 through which single operation the State was 'despoiled of tens of 
 thousands of dollars. 
 
 Messrs. Holmes, Morton, Turner and Becraft, the Majority of 
 the old Board, and the thirty or forty other names recommended, 
 were not appointed up,on the Hospital Board; or, with an exception 
 or two, upon any Board; .while on the Board for the Deaf and 
 Dumb were appointed, Messrs. Dunlap, hucCIernand his soii-in- 
 law, Warren and Dixson of the Minority of the old Board ; and 
 having secured the removal of John T. Jones, the, competent anu 
 faithful Steward, without pretence of cause, they appointed in his 
 stead, at their first meeting, W. S. Hurst of the old Insane Minor¬ 
 ity, with one hundred dollars added to the salary of the office.— 
 Truly some party must have been ‘ ‘.after these officers of the In¬ 
 sane Hospital.” 
 
 In view of the public boasts and declarations,which several indi¬ 
 viduals of this party indulged immediately after the adjournment 
 of the last Legislature—even Dunlap and Warren themselves, as, 
 that “They had Higgins now”—Warren offering to bet large 
 <o.mounts, that “he would be ejected in sixty days,” in connection 
 
INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 w 
 
 with the facts of the appointments, &c., detailed above—and es¬ 
 pecially, when in a little less than ‘‘sixty days,” this new Board 
 met, and at their first session, and in a series of resolutions, four 
 members Messrs. Stevenson, Butler,Henry and Pyatt, of a Board 
 of nine, committed themselves singly and finally, to the ends of 
 disorganization and revolution ; in doing which it was obvious 
 to every citizen, they must disregard and violate all the facts , au¬ 
 thorities , and laws of the State on this subject; various citizens 
 of Morgan County felt compelled, by every moral and patriotic 
 obligation, to awake the public attention through the press to these 
 startling facts. 
 
 This was done through the Morgan Journal, whoso columns 
 were generously and gratuitously proffered to the use of all par¬ 
 ties that might exist. This investigation had not proceeded far, 
 when Col. James Dunlap demanded the name of the author of a 
 communication signed, # “01d Morgan, Still.” This was given; 
 but the facts of the communication and the character of the author, 
 Mr. Aquila Becraft, he dared not call to either a legal or personal 
 account. He then demanded to inspect the manuscript,which de¬ 
 mand the Editor declined. Two days afterwards, when this Editor, 
 .Paul Selby,* Esq., was sitting in conversation with Mr. Catlin, 
 Railroad Agent, in his office at the Depot, no one else being in 
 the room, Col. James Dunlap, his son-in-law, Col. John A. McCIer- 
 nand, and Archimedes C. Dixon, attended by several others of 
 their friends, entered armed with deadly weapons, and the valiant 
 Col. Dunlap, thus shielded from harm’s reach, himseif officiated in 
 attempting to strike down the unarmed and undefended Editor. 
 Whether Col. Dunlap and his party, intended in this way to deter 
 the Editor and the community from publishing, and to make an 
 argument in self defence against facts wffiich they could not contro¬ 
 vert, and whose antffors they dared not call to account, either to 
 their bludgeons or to the laws of the land, the people are invited 
 to judge. 
 
 This investigation has been chiefly prosecuted in the columns of 
 uio “Morgan Journal,” for this reason: The Editor of the “Con- 
 stitutionist,” the only other press in Morgan County, at the* first f 
 refused this investigation admittance to his columns on any con¬ 
 dition whatever. But on the first June, 1853, when Messrs. Dun¬ 
 lap and Warren sought through the press, the redress of a cause 
 which had suffered dangerously under the cudgel argument, this 
 Editor published their article; and at the same time the proposition 
 to the public, that for publishing on the Hospital subject, he shouH 
 require “pay in advance at advertising rates.” Butinhknuia- 
 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 23 
 
 her of July 6, lie gives his readers his own reasons for this singu¬ 
 lar favoritism in regard to a great public interest, as follows : 
 
 “True, had we consulted only with our personal feelings, we 
 should have sought the vindication of the assailed parties, Messrs. 
 Warren, Dunlap, Dixon, Hurst and others, as they all have 
 been and are now, our oldest and warmest personal friends 
 in this place, and the disinterestedness of whom has been evinced 
 in many ways before and since w T e became a citizen here; among 
 the assailing party we have not even a subscriber to our knowl¬ 
 edge.” 
 
 Now, to briefly recapitulate—what are the facts of the condition 
 of the Insane Hospital, and of its directing and medical officers, 
 as vouched for by all State authorities and State documents? Let 
 the tax-paying, philanthropic people of Illinois attend to 
 the law of the State, fixing the term of the Medical Super¬ 
 intendent for ten years, “subject to removal only for infidelity to 
 the trust reposed in him, or incompetency to the discharge thereof, 57 
 a provision enacted at the suggestion of the philanthropist, Miss. 
 Dix, because political revolution, is fatal to the welfare of the suf¬ 
 fering, dependent, and helpless inmates of such Institutions. 
 
 Let the people attend to the testimony of the Report of the 
 former Board. Let them attend to the unquestionable testimony 
 of the Report of Mr. Edwards 7 Commission, and of the Report of 
 the joint committee.of thirteen members of both Houses, all three 
 of which Reports were made to the last Legislature not more than 
 six months ago. Let the people attend to the refusal of thatLeg- 
 islature, in view of this mass of facts, to impower any Board that, 
 might be gotten up, to turn out the officers of this Institution at, 
 will. And let the people also come and see the facts with their 
 own eyes. 
 
 Then, on the other hand, let the people mark well the fact, of 
 three men out of a Board of seven , filling the vacancies of their 
 Board before they were organized, then, organizing and 
 electing two of their number into the only three vacant offices 
 of trust in the Institution —and at this day,the insignia, intrigue 
 and lawlessness, written upon their effort and stamped with the 
 great seal of the State—the confessed fact of the instigations of 
 ‘•fraternal 77 and other “affections,” to the “desires and best en¬ 
 deavors” “to forward the interest” of kinsman and favorites by 
 electing them “to honorable and lucrative positions within the In¬ 
 stitution 77 —the fact, upon failure to accomplish this, of public 
 threats of a “clean sweep 77 of its officers—the fact of a com¬ 
 mittee headed by Mr. Ames of Putnam county, and its Report of 
 
24 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 disgraceful falsehoods to the Extra Session of 1852, based upon 
 the information of Warren, Dixon and Hurst—the fact of agita¬ 
 tion among the people and in the Legislature, and expense to the 
 State of needless investigation into the grounds of these false 
 charges—the fact of a flood of electioneering in Springfield by Mc- 
 Ciernand and others acting in behalf of Dunlap, to affect the com¬ 
 plexion of the new Board—the fact of a press confessedly muzzled 
 on the Hospital subject,by the “oldest and warmest personal friend¬ 
 ships” between the Editor and the members of this party—the 
 fact, of personal violence upon the Editor of the Journal, because 
 it was not muzzled—and lastly, the fact, ever recurring upon the 
 minds of the people of Morgan 'county, upon the Hospital Re¬ 
 cords, upon the Journals of the Legislature, upon tho archives of 
 the government, upon the purse of the State, upon a dumb press, 
 upon the head of an independent Editor—and finally, upon the 
 heart of this noble, cherished and beloved Institution, thus crippled 
 and disorganized by lawless hands—of the names of Dunlap, 
 Warren, Dixon, Hurst, McCIernand, and McClernand, Hurst, 
 Dixon, Warren and Dunlap, signed and witnessed with their own 
 hand and seal. 
 
 And now, upon the data of these facts and authorities, presented 
 in this review, let the people of Illinois judge : 
 
 1st. Whether there exist two parties in the State with reference 
 to this Hospital interest; the one, a party of the Government and the 
 people, who are satisfied with the facts of its construction, manage¬ 
 ment and Superintendence, and the efficiency and fidelity of its ad¬ 
 ministering officers; the other, a Dunlap and Warren party,who are 
 dissatisfied and opposed from selfish and interested motives. 
 
 2d. Whether the facts and footprints now uncovered, afford 
 prima facie, evidence of persistent and effective activity of these 
 opposing elements in the formation of the present Board. And 
 then, 
 
 3d. What the present Board of Trustees have done, and what 
 they are doing, and to which of the above parties their acts ally 
 them for their paternity and aims and ends, shall simply be offer¬ 
 ed (in the V and VI chapters) to the people of the State, in their 
 own language, over their own signature and seal. And having 
 read, the people of the State are invited to notice, that the above- 
 cited and quoted laws, reports and other documents, together with 
 the resolutions, protests, &c., produced by the present Board, are 
 self-evidently not the opinions or assertions or arguments of the 
 writer of this review, or of a clique or party in or out of Morgan 
 oounty, and therefore need not the signet of any such authentica- 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 25 
 
 tion. They arc the highest State authorities and State documents 
 of the Government, unequivocal, impartial, unquestionable and 
 unquestioned in their import and conclusions upon all these issues. 
 
 And then, in conclusion, the people of the State are invited to 
 judge upon such grounds, whether the people of Jacksonville and 
 Morgan county, have acted selfishly, immodestly or tyrannically ; 
 when, as the eye-witnesses-of all these facts, even to the last, the 
 contact of unhallowed and lawless hands-, as the sequel will show, 
 with the vitals of this sacred trust, confided by their generous fel¬ 
 low citizens of the State.to their social and moral fosterage and 
 supervision, they attempted to throw themselves into the breach 
 until facts, and the’voice of their honest and earnest warning^ 
 should invoke to the rescue the power whose laws' and interests 
 have been thus infracted, , * 
 
 But, ask the people, what will, and what can these Trustees next 
 Jo ? They will, if permitted, yet drive the deadly plowshare of 
 political ambition and sordid interest, through the heart of this no¬ 
 ble charity, by holding it in its present disorganization and anarchy, 
 until they have thus produced■ the material with which to accuse its 
 officers, and upon which to baSe the ultimate success of a now baf¬ 
 fled undertaking, so far based on no pretence'of accusation or tri¬ 
 al, because of the lack of material for it, and the right, justice, 
 and legality of which course of procedure’ they dare not, as now 
 publicly challenged to do, bring before the judicial tribunals of the 
 State. 
 
 Let all law loving and humane voters and tax-payers, give heed to 
 their voting. 
 
 ir; ' . ' ■ > ' ‘ * 1 1 : j A ' [ ' \ V " " V> . ■’ . , * , * 
 
 CHAPTER IV. ■ 
 
 • ' *. * • • J »■ , / » 
 
 It has already been shown that the only party in the State de¬ 
 sirous of, and fully committed to revolution in the Institution, in 
 defiance of the law, the justice and the facts, is the Dunlap and 
 Warren party. Arid it is pertinent next to inquire, what this par¬ 
 ty would desire the existing Board to do, undei the circumstances : 
 and to inquire further, whether the, history of the proceedings of 
 this Board, as shown from their own records, prove them to be sub¬ 
 servient to this party. ’ , . 
 
 It has been shown in the previous'chapters that a revolution of the 
 officers of this institution had been sought by all the power of po¬ 
 litical maneuvering, aided by the promulgation of false charges 
 by the Minority of the old Board, and through Ames’ Legislative 
 Report. 
 
2f) 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 4 
 
 Then how could the desired revolution he effected? It would 
 not do to try the Superintendent on charges of “incompetency” 
 or “infidelity,’* with the above named facts and documentary evi¬ 
 dences against their course, and in his favor. They must, therefore, 
 as from the history of their proceedings appears they did, attempt 
 to drive him out by crippling and destroying his authority and pow¬ 
 er—directly by overt violation of the Statute,and indirectly,by af¬ 
 fecting the officers and attendants lawfully under his sole control ; 
 and augmenting and extending, in ail possible ways,right or wrong, 
 the power of the present Steward, John Henry, who, in ser¬ 
 vice to this faction, had for eighteen months been hostile to the 
 Superintendent and Matron of the Institution* and who was the 
 only restive and incompatible clement in its entire organization. 
 
 This is precisely what the Dunlap and Warren party would have 
 done, and the only thing they could have done, had they trans¬ 
 acted the business in person, and precisely what the present Board 
 has attempted to do, as their own record plainly shows* 
 
 They at once, before they had been organized twelve hours, or 
 entered into any examination of facts, or made any efforts to die- 
 approve the statements and testimony of former Boards, the Leg¬ 
 islative Commission of three, and the joint Committee of thirteen, 
 declared Dr. Higgins unfit for his office, without cause and even 
 without charge or pretence of trial. This they did in direct defi¬ 
 ance of the organic law of the Institution, which Mr. Craven 
 caused to he read in their hearing—a law proposed by the philan¬ 
 thropist, Miss. Dix, and adopted by the unanimous authority of 
 the State, to meet precisely such an exigency as the present—to 
 which law the Majority of the Board paid no regard whatever. And 
 why should they? It was a matter with which they* had nothing to do. 
 On the ground they assumed to act upon,as their recorded acts show. 
 Dr. Higgins and the Mattron under him, were to go out any how, 
 qualified or not qualified—law or no law. 
 
 His position and qualifications and successes were not consistent 
 with the interests of the Dunlap and Warren party, some of whose 
 members it was desirable “to promote to honorable and lucrative 
 positions” within the Institution; and that of itself seemed rea¬ 
 son enough and law enough for his removal—at least they have 
 utterly failed to show any other reason; or even to appeal to any 
 other. 
 
 But how was it on the other hand, with the Steward, the only of¬ 
 ficer of the Institution avowedly hostile to the Superintendent and 
 Matron, and publicly known to be subservient to the Dunlap and 
 Warren party? 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 Grave and serious charges of incompetency and inefficiency were 
 preferred against him by the proper legal authority, as early aS 
 the 6th of June last. Some of these charges, and the facts on 
 which they are based, had long before challenged the attention of 
 the community, and excited much public remark and serious inter¬ 
 est in behalf of the Institution; but these facts and, charges were 
 placed on file by this Board without even a passing reading, or the 
 appointment of a committee of inquiry. The Superintendent and 
 Matron were at once voted out of their office, contrary to the ex¬ 
 plicit provisions of the charter of the Institution, and in spite of 
 all the facts and authorities—and the Steward not only sustained, 
 but the new office of House Keeper, created directly in violation 
 of law. To this new and illegal office his wife was appointed with 
 a salary of §200 a year, and a control of domestics, and others 
 entirely contrary to law, which provides that u the Superintendent 
 shall appoint and exercise 'entire control over all subordinate offi¬ 
 cers and assistant in the Institution, and shall have entire direction 
 of the duties of the same. 57 
 
 The following extracts from the published official replies of the 
 Superintendent and Matron, afford the best comment upon thqse 
 proceedings manifesting the unlawful and revolutionary ends and 
 aims of this Board. On the 28d of June, a few days after the 
 passage of the resolution of expulsion, Dr. Higgins, in an offi¬ 
 cial communication to the Board through their President, concern¬ 
 ing these resolutions, writes thus; 
 
 ‘•'Prompted by strong 1 regard for the best interests and prosperity of the Institu¬ 
 tion, as well as by a sense of the duly I owe to myself in this strange emergency* 
 —on their professional responsibilties and obligations as good citizens, I have 
 appealed to counsel of as eminent ability as any in tlie State for advice as to my 
 legal rights, and as to the course I ought to pursue in the premises. They advise 
 me that .the proceedings of the Board are destitute of all the forms and sanctions 
 of the law, and as such, utterly void. * * * * * *• * 
 
 I have made up my mind to the following as rnv line of duty : That quietly 
 and uncomplainingly I ought not to submit as the victim of such lawless and unjust 
 proceedings—the more especially, as they may be plead as a precedent in the fu¬ 
 ture administration of the affairs of-the Hospital. That,, notwithstanding these 
 proceedings, I shall retain my office and dischargeils duties to the utmost of mv 
 ability, until I am ousted from it by due process of law—or until it expires—or 
 Until I resign it.” 
 
 The Matron replied as follows, through the President of the 
 Board: 
 
 “Sir: I do not recognize your authority, nor the authority of your Board. 
 to pass such a resolution as the one received from you this afternoon. For I 
 did not receive my office from you, r.or any other Board of Trustees ; nor can I 
 lawfully surrender it at your dictation; and, therefore, I herewith return the 
 document to its authors. 
 
 “ I would further add, that I hold myself personally ready and wiling, at any 
 
INSANE! HOSPITAL 
 
 moment, to resign my office into the hands of a Superintendent of the Institution, 
 from whom 1 lawfully received it, whenever in his judgment the best interests of 
 the Institution can be promoted thereby. Until then, or while I deem it inv 
 duty to hold iny office, I must endeavor quietly and conscientiously to discharge 
 my responsible and often trying duties,” &c. 
 
 The Board then appointed two of 5 their number a committee t# 
 find a Superintendent in Dr. Higgins’ place, with power to proffer 
 him an unlimited salary, and to draw on the Treasury of; the Insti¬ 
 tution for $500 to defray the expenses of the Committee in ad¬ 
 dition to the regular payments, allowed them as Trustees by the 
 law r of the State. 
 
 Meantime, Dr. Higgins, according to bis purpose expressed te 
 the Board—and in obedience to strong and earnest public solicita¬ 
 tion, continued to remain at his post and claim the rights of his 
 office ; and at their meeting of July 20th, almost two months after 
 their attempt at the expulsion of Dr. Higgins, the Board took 
 special notice of the fact of his remaining in the office, and declared 
 that “ Dr. Higgins still continues in and about the Institution to 
 the subversion of the proper order and discipline of the same 
 —subsisting himself and family upon funds set apart for the un¬ 
 fortunate thereof”—and accordingly order, “ that he be notified 
 to remove himself, his family and effects from the Institution be¬ 
 fore the first day of August next.” 
 
 They commanded all the domestics and subordinates of the' In¬ 
 stitution to pay no regard to bis orders, and instructed tbe Steward 
 and Treasurer that no money should be paid either to him or to 
 anv one who recognized his authority. 
 
 In his official reply to their threats and stratagems, Dr. Higgins 
 addressed this language to the Board: 
 
 # * « ‘‘You have declared my office vacant, contrary to law; you have 
 
 declared the Matron’s office vacant, contrary to law; you have appointed a House¬ 
 keeper, contrary to lav ; a Carpenter, contrary to law; removed, virtually, everv 
 attendant in the establishment, contrary to law; * * * withheld moneys 
 
 rightfully due me for months, contrary to law —thus necessitating me to sue for 
 their recovery ; * * * and now you order the Superintendent to leave the 
 
 Institution, contrary to law 
 
 * * * “ Regarding myself Hie lawful Superintendent of the establishment. 
 
 1 can bnt continue to remain with my family in the Institution, as the law- di¬ 
 rects, and to perform the duties of my office to the best of my ability under the 
 circumstances, until ousted by due process of law, or until it expires, or until I resign 
 it” 
 
 The memorable first day of din gust cam0, and with it a 
 meeting of the Board. They had at their previous meeting, pub¬ 
 licly pledged themselves that something should be done to relieve 
 the Institution from the presence of Dr. Higgins. This day had 
 also been set apart for the trial of John Henry, the Steward, for 
 grave charges preferred against him several meetings previous to 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 29 
 
 this. Theso urgent and pressing duties were well understood by 
 all the members of: the Board, and by the public at large, to be 
 the declared and special business of this meeting. 
 
 According to their claims, Dr. Higgins—an officer declared by 
 them, some months since, unfit for his office, and by their action 
 stripped of his reputation, his office, his salary, his authority, 
 and even of his just and legal dues'; repeatedly ordered by their 
 Board to leave the premises of the Institution—this man and his 
 family, together with the Matron, Mrs. Crocker, were still on the 
 ground, claiming their salaries, and actually filling their offices, 
 and subsisting for months past upon the funds of the State, openly 
 defying the authority of the Board, as they say, to the “subver¬ 
 sion of the proper order and discipline of the Institution.” 
 
 The Board came upon the first day of August to which they had 
 adjourned, to bring about the ultimatum of Dr. Higgins’ presence 
 in the Hospital, and to investigate the charges against the Steward; 
 and having settled a small account with the former Treasurer, ad- 
 journed, for leant of “business,” to the'second Monday of Sep¬ 
 tember—leaving the Institution, for six weeks more, in the same 
 state of confusion, anarchy and disorder, into which their first 
 action had thrown it—Dr. Higgins and Mrs. Crocker still occupy¬ 
 ing their offices, and defying the authority of the Board, as having 
 been lawlessly and tyrannically exercised—and John Henry still 
 untried upon the charges long since preferred against him ! 
 
 This Board is underlay, as no other board of the Institution 
 ha$ ever been ; a single member of which, has received fifty dollars 
 for each of his visits to'the Hospital ! * In addition to this, they 
 have really voted themselves five hundred dollars , for the extra 
 trouble of negotiating for a “better man” for Superintendent, 
 though they aro entirely relieved of the onerous and perplexing 
 duties and cares, incident to the planning, supervision, and con¬ 
 struction of the buildings, gratuitously borne by previous Boards. 
 
 They have met and adjourned, met and adjourned, month after 
 month, and defrayed their expenses out of the fund set apart for 
 the unfortunate, and have done nothing but add folly to folly, 
 and at last have adjourned, leaving the Institution, according to 
 their own published records, in the anarchy and confusion to which 
 their first action had reduced it—with two Superintendents, and no 
 Superintendent at all; with two Matrons and a Housekeeper,and no 
 Matron or Housekeeper at all; with one disaffected Steward, seek¬ 
 ing, in subserviency to the Dunlap and Warren party, to manu- 
 
 * A meeting; of a fall Board, for one day, as at present constituted, costs the 
 State eighty dollars. 
 
so 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 faeture material of accidents and failures in the Institution, upon 
 which to justify the action of the Board against the Superintend¬ 
 ent and Matron ; with every subordinate and attendant in the 
 establishment explicitly “ordered’ 7 by the Board, to disregard and 
 disobey the only officer in the Institution, recognized as its head, 
 under the laws of the State. 
 
 These acts of revoliffiion are either right or wrong—legal or 
 illegal. If right and legal, why leave the Institution, meeting 
 after meeting, and month after month, with a man in it unlawfully 
 claiming to be Superintendent, and defying and openly insulting 
 their authority, even through the press;—“subverting,” as they 
 §ay, “the proper order and discipline of the Institution, and sub¬ 
 sisting with his family upon the funds set apart for the unfortu¬ 
 nate,”—which funds have been put, by the laws of the State, un¬ 
 der the charge of the Trustees, as a sacred trust for economical 
 expenditure ? 
 
 Has the State no laws, no courts of justice, no civil and effective 
 procedures, through the instrumentality of which, a majority of 
 seven highly competent Trustees, in a Board of nine, clothed with 
 the authority of the laws, at d defended by the resources of the 
 whole State, can maintain their rights, and dignities, and silence 
 and banish from the Institution a Superintendent whom it required 
 no investigation to pronounce “incompetent?” Are these seven 
 men to be defied and baffled, and sent home without any business, 
 by this “incompetent” Superintendent, and to bo treated with 
 equal defiance and disregard by the Matron of the Institution ? 
 
 An indignant public are asking in louder and louder tones, Why, 
 and again, why, do this Board suffer this mournful and ruinous 
 state of things in this Institution to remain unremedied? There 
 can be but one answer: Their official course has not been based 
 upon and in good faith to the laws, the principles, the authorities 
 and the facts of the party of the Government and the people, who 
 are satisfied with the facts as shown in the former chapters ; but 
 on tho other hand, in accordance with the will and determination 
 of the only other party in this matter, known to the people of the 
 whole State—the Dunlap and Warren party. This party, it bus 
 been shown from their own confessions and other facts, were dis¬ 
 satisfied from interested motives. They have attempted a revolu¬ 
 tion in the face of facts and laws, and consequently, their whole 
 process of anarchy and revolution has been in such utter violation 
 of the facts, and all the form3 and sanctions of law and justice, 
 that they and their legal advisers well know they cannot find 
 a court of justice, a judge, a jury, a lawyer, not even a man out- 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 SI 
 
 *ide of the personal friends of this disaffected party, to sustain 
 them in their acts. 
 
 Hence,they have procrastinated the execution of their “Orders” 
 and “Resolutions” from month to month, to the daily detriment 
 and to the ultimate ruin of this Institution, if continued ; in order 
 to gain time and devise expedients for bolstering up the ignoble 
 and unsustainable stand thev have taken, rather than meet an 
 early doom before the tribunals of justice. 
 
 Revolution , regardless of the laws, the facts,, and the interest* 
 of the Institution, was the end and aim of the Dunlap and Warren 
 party. It has been sufficient^ shown, that there was no other 
 revolutionary purpose or interest in the State. It is plain that tho 
 administration of the present Board represents only the will and 
 interests of this revolutionary party. 
 
 The charter interdicted needless revolution, by requiring the Su¬ 
 perintendent to be appointed for ten years, removable only for 
 •‘incompetency,” or “infidelity” to his trust'. Why, then, was 
 this charter violated, unless because the will of the Dunlap and 
 Warren party was the law of action for this Board ? Why did they 
 not arraign the Superintendent before some legal tribunal, having 
 jurisdiction of the case, upon charges of “incompetency” or “in¬ 
 fidelity” to his trust ? There is but one answer : Because the in¬ 
 flexible testimony and facts, as found and reported by the preced¬ 
 ing Board, and by Legislative Committees, triumphantly sustain 
 r.he administration of the Superintendent, rendering his removal 
 upon the legal conditions and processes impossible. They there¬ 
 fore shunned the only legal conditions and processes, and violated 
 the law ; disregarded the facts vouched for by the highest Legisla¬ 
 tive authority of the State—by committees specially appointed for 
 this investigation, by the facts and testimony of the party of the 
 Hovcrmnent and the people. They neither sought nor claimed 
 any counter facts or testimony, upon which to base the legality and 
 justice of their course, but relied alone upon their “reflections.” 
 They reflected the Superintendent out of office, without trial 
 and without law, in obedience to the only revolutionary party in 
 the State—the Dunlap and Warren party. 
 
 There can be no other reason, than subserviency to this party, 
 why the Matron, an officer according to the Statute and By-Laws, 
 to be appointed, controlled and dismissed by the Superintendent, 
 was declared by this Board removed from office, in such plain vio¬ 
 lation of law. Having been proscribed by this party, she must 
 go out, law or no law, whether qualified or not, whether the inter- 
 wte of the afflicted are regarded or disregarded. 
 
INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 p,0 
 
 \J 4J 
 
 If these, and a series of kindred enactments of this Board, 
 plainly proving them to be instruments of the Dunlap and Warren 
 party, true to its old instincts of political combination, and eva¬ 
 sions and violations of law T , and by which enactments the sacred 
 charge entrusted to their hands is deeply imperilled, if not even 
 already betrayed and prostituted to faction and anarchy—if thesa 
 acts can he Just and right and lawful, and as they allege, re¬ 
 quired by the interests of the Institution, why have they not exe¬ 
 cuted their authority, and vindicated. law and justice, and rescued 
 the Institution from its present perilous and calamitous condition, 
 and future inevitable ruin, by an immediate and manly recourse 
 to the proper Judicial and Executive authorities of the State? 
 Why do they still, only meet at the expense of the u Insane 
 Fund” 'and whine and bark around this institution, and find 4 ‘no 
 business,” and find no remedy for the mischief they' have created; 
 and then, instead of acknowledging their folly and iniquity, pro¬ 
 pose compromise through their lawyers, and adjourn? One only 
 supposition, and, indeed, it i£ now a demonstrated truth, must an¬ 
 swer. The laws, the facts, the interests of this Institution, and 
 the interests of the State, did NOT require, but precluded revolu¬ 
 tion at their bauds. The interests'and pride and pledges of the 
 Dunlap and Warren party only, did require this revolution. They 
 and their legal advisers know top well the importance of shunning 
 the courts, and relying upon delay, lawlessness and Vexatious tyr¬ 
 anny, to effect—if they can effect—the consummation of this Dun¬ 
 lap and Warren Insane Hospital Revolution. 
 
 How long,and to what, extent,shall such imbecility and lawless¬ 
 ness, tamper with and prostitute so grave a public trust? 
 
 Whilst such facts exist, whilst this or any other Board of trust, 
 continue to indict and entail upon this noble monument of Stats 
 philanthropy, the evils and distractions of the political faction and 
 anarchy which now reign over and in this home off the afflicted, the 
 members of the community who are eye-witnesses, whatever their 
 common repute for peace and quiet, cannot, consistently with pub¬ 
 lic honesty and sound morality and patriotism, cease their remon¬ 
 strance and earnest appeal to their fellow citizens of the who!a 
 State. Let the people, the friends of iaw, justice and charity, 
 see, hear and judge, 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 * % . * , * 1 * I ’ jfc 
 
 Dr. Mahon, appointed from Wabash, having died before the if rst 
 meeting of the present Board, Benjamin Pyatt, of Morgan, was 
 appointed in his place. 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 33 
 
 At this meeting, April 5th, 1853, Messrs. Win. Butler, of San¬ 
 gamon; Darias Dexter, of Pike; Wm. L. Craven, Richard Henry, 
 Benjamin Pyatt, and Fleming Stevenson, of Morgan ; were pres¬ 
 ent. 
 
 Absent Daniel Brainard, of Cook ; Pleasant L. Ward, of Gal¬ 
 latin ; J. R. Young, of Clark. 
 
 Without the preferring of any charges, examination of witnesses, 
 or any testimony whatever, in their official capacity, the following 
 resolutions were offered by Mr. Butler, and adopted by vote of 
 Messrs. Butler, Stevenson, Pyatt and Henry—Messrs. Dexter and 
 Craven protesting: 
 
 is Whereas , This Institution for the relief of the'Insane, has suffered material¬ 
 ly in reputation, and also its usefulness has been much impaired by reason of dif¬ 
 ficulties, and divisions existing between portions of the several Boards of Trus¬ 
 tees who have been appointed from time to time, and Dr. Higgins, the Medical 
 Superintendent thereof; and, whereas, owing in part to those divisions, the Board 
 of Trustees first appointed, resigned their offices a3 such, and a new Board was 
 appointed, who, in consequence of the same divisions and difficulties, was again 
 dissolved—and a new Board (the present one) has been appointed ; and, whereas, 
 this Board, (after mature reflection, and acting without regard to men, but solely 
 with a view to the good of the Institution,) are fullv convinced that the said 
 Medical Superintendent does not possess the kind of qualifications which are 
 necessary to the discharge of the duties of said office ; and that the harmony, 
 good management, usefulness, and prosperity of the Institution demands a change 
 in said office of Medical Superintendent—and that without said change, the heart y 
 c-o-operation of the community in which said institution is situated, cannot be 
 attained in promoting its greater usefulness ; therefore, 
 
 i( Be it Resolved , That the Board will, at the earliest practical period consis¬ 
 tent with the interest of the Institution, procure the services of another Medical 
 Superintendent, who,in the estimation of the Board, shall be qualified to discharge 
 the duties of said office. 
 
 And be it further Resolved, That Messrs. Stevenson and Butler, members of 
 said Board, be, and they are hereby appointed a committee to report to a subse¬ 
 quent meeting of the Board, the name or names of a suitable person or persons to 
 nil said office of Medical Superintendent, w ho,together with such person or persons 
 as may be nominated, shall be voted for at such subsequent meeting of the Board, 
 until an election is made. 
 
 “ Resolved , That said committee be instructed to report the name of no per¬ 
 sons as a candidate for said office, whose associations heretofore have involved 
 him in the slightest degree, in any of the difficulties or divisions connected with 
 the Institution, and that they report the name of some individual whose high 
 character for intelligence, capacity, medical reputation and experience, cannot 
 admit of a question. Further, that said committee be and they are hereby au¬ 
 thorized and required to know upon what terms the services of such an individu¬ 
 al can be procured, and that they report to said subsequent meeting of this. 
 Board at their earliest convenience .” 
 
 PROTEST 
 
 Of the Minority of the, Board of Trustees of the Illinois 
 
 State Hospital for the Insane, 
 
 To tke Citizens of the State of Illinois : 
 
 (i The undersigned would respectfully represent, that it is well know r n to you, 
 
INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 34 
 
 that there have been various charges alleged against the Trustees and officers of 
 the Hospital for the Insane, located in Jacksonville. 
 
 The undersigned were appointed to the charge of that trust without any solici¬ 
 tation on their part, or any interest in these difficulties, or any knowledge of 
 their cause. 
 
 We have endeavored to examine the records of the Hospital, the public reports 
 and documents of the State, and to enquire into the actual efficiency and com¬ 
 petency of the officers of this institution. 
 
 Wo soon became convinced from Ihe most unquestionable public records and 
 documents, emanating from committees and commissions, speaking under the sol¬ 
 emnity of their duties of office and trust, that the village faction to which we re¬ 
 fer in the following protest, have heretofore butloo well succeeded in misrepre¬ 
 senting and defaming the officers of this institution, exciting public prejudice 
 against them by circulating reports unfounded and slanderous, thereby periling 
 the best interests of the Institution and of the State, for the sake of promoting their 
 own personal and sinister purposes. 
 
 That to this end they have made frequent attempts at revblntion in this institu¬ 
 tion, in known opposition to the feelings and wishes of our fellow citizens of ail 
 parties, as expressed in various ways'. 
 
 At the first meeting of the present Board, April 5th, 1853, four members of a 
 board of nine , in opposition to our most urgent solicitations and remonstrances, 
 passed and put upon record the following unprecedented resolutions. [See above] 
 
 Against these resolutions we felt it our duty to enter our solemn protest at the 
 next meeting of the Board. Three of these members subjected our protest to a 
 vote, by wnfeh it was laid upon the table. Of course we could do nothing less 
 in such a case,than to make our appeal to our fellow citizens, well knowing th*t 
 ihe facts and interests involved in this matter are of so great importance, that we 
 should be inexcusable if we withheld thorn from the public. 
 
 We make this appeal,therefore, with full confidence of their approbation of our 
 course. DARIUS DEXTER, 
 
 WM. L. CRAVEN. 
 
 PROTEST. 
 
 Tim undersigned members of the Board of Trustees for the Hospital for the 
 Insane, cannot without violating a high sense of right and duty, consent to omit 
 this occasion and this only method of self vindication and defense of the legal 
 '•afeguards of the Institution against the reprcach and danger of a resolution re¬ 
 lating to the qualification!, Sec., of the Medical Superintendent, offered by Mr. 
 Butler, and voted for by four members, and spread upon the Hospital records at 
 ihe last meeting of this Board, by entering this our protest against said resolu¬ 
 tion. 
 
 1st. That the first Board alluded to in the resolution ever resigned,as therein aU 
 firmed, is untrue. The records of the Hospital show that from time to time 
 -orne individual members resigned, but without affecting the identity of the 
 Board. 
 
 '•hi. lhat the second Board was dissolved, as affirmed in the resolution, is whol¬ 
 ly untrue; its existence, according to the Hospital records, terminating only with 
 Ihe expiration of the term for which it was appointed, in accordance with the 
 law creating it. 
 
 3d. That either of these Boatds ever resigned, on was ever dissolved, or that 
 any members thereof ever resigned on account of “difficulties’* or “divisions” 
 personal or official, between Ihese Boards, or any of their members and the Med¬ 
 ical Superintendent, is wholly untrue, and contradicted by all the know", facts] 
 of living witnesses and of the records themselves. 
 
 4‘h. ‘ Ihe declaration, that the Superintendent does not possetw the k. '>i o* 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 35 
 
 qualifications necessary, &c., being, as it is, in direct contradiction to the opin¬ 
 ions and conclusions of former Boards, commissions and committees, who have 
 most thoroughly investigated and sifted all the facts and the testimony of sworn- 
 witnesses upon all matters bearing upon the decision of this question, and offici¬ 
 ally reported the same; and being also in direct contradiction to the testimony of 
 the facts which are in the very eyes and ears of the present Boaid, facts of the 
 most gratifying and encouraging success in the several departments in which the 
 Superintendent’s official duties have been discharged—must be, as this resolution 
 admits, based upon the “reflections” of the four members who voted for it, ami 
 is, to say the least, premature, and not based as it should be upon a thorough in¬ 
 vestigation, and the admission of facts and conclusions legitimately drawn there¬ 
 from. 
 
 5th. The law fixing the term of the Medical Superintendent for ten years, 
 was wisely intended to guard this office, and thereby the Institution, from the 
 blighting mischiefs of factions, dissension and revolution. And a vacation of 
 this office, or any form of committal thereto, based uponlthe* mere “reflections,” 
 be they “mature” or immature, of this or any other Board, is an exercise of 
 power which disregards and annuls this law. For if the “reflections” of this 
 Board after a half-hour’s attention to facts, or without any examination of them 
 whatever, or upon a bare assumption/unsupported by facts and testimony, may 
 decide the question of the legal conditions of removal, it is clear that any and 
 every Board which may be created by any faction, sectional or political,tempo¬ 
 rarily ascendant, may also by virtue of their “reflections” revolutionize the In¬ 
 stitution at pleasure. 
 
 Cth. Therefore,, the action of the four members who voted for this resolution, 
 by which they have virtually committed themselves to the removal of the Medi¬ 
 cal Superintendent, and irrevocably to his official degradation, and also, to an of¬ 
 ficial incompatibility with him, should he continue in the office, recklessly based 
 upon such insufficient ground, is precipitate, unjust, illegal and highly dangerous 
 1o the rights of individuals, and to the interests of the Institution. 
 
 7th. That such a high handed unjustifiable and unlawful course,is calculated 
 to secure the “harmdny, good management, useful ness and prosperity of the In¬ 
 stitution,’’ and the “hearty co-operation Of the communit}^ in which it is situa¬ 
 ted” is untrue—and, as the four members, as well as ourselves, must know, the 
 reverse is most sure to ensue. 
 
 For the above, and other reasons which we will not detail in this instrument, 
 we believe this, resolution to be untrue, in its leading declarations, from beginning 
 lo end; and unwise, unjust and unlawful, both in its ends, and the methods by 
 which these ends are to be 'effected. 
 
 And furthermore, from the examination of the Hospital records, and other au¬ 
 thentic documents of its history, we are called upOn to offer some positive pro¬ 
 positions, in order more fully to rnake known the grounds of action in opposing 
 this resolution, and to explain and defend our course. 
 
 Of the former Board, alleged in this resolution to have “resigned” itself 
 out of existence, nothing is written having any important bearing upon the is¬ 
 sue now before us, excepting the negation contained in our first paragraph above. 
 But of the history of the acts of the second Bpard, said to have beeivdissoived,” 
 a few” of the voluminous facts and testimonies pertinent thereto, must serve to 
 illustrate our cause. 
 
 1st. “Difficulties” and “divisions” in this Board, induced the’Legislature at its 
 extra session in June, 1852, to create a commission of three men, (two of whom 
 were physicians,) selected from different parts of the State, .with full powers to 
 investigate and report all matters pertaining to the “superintendence and manage¬ 
 ment, of the Hos.pita] for the Insane.” In this repor ., made to the Legislature 
 in January, 1853, we find the following disclosure of the cause of these dissen¬ 
 sions : 
 
 “It is to be regretted,” say these commissioners, “that there has not been har¬ 
 mony in the Board, the chief cause of which has been on account of the offices 
 /a be filled and the letting of contracts; and to such an extent has this feeling 
 prevailed, that only a bare majority meet to transact business.” 
 
36 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 • 2d. On the Hospital Records, page 70, March 1st, 1851, is found the first notice 
 
 of this Board. 
 
 Six men, Messrs. Warren, Dickson, Hurst, Turner, Morton and Becraft, gave 
 bond, took the oath of office, &,c. And again, on page 73, (March 7,) is recoided 
 the action of three of these members, (viz: Messrs Warren, Dickson and Hurst,) 
 calling themselves a majority of the Board, (seven in all,) transacting its business 
 by filling vacancies,and electing two of themselres,(Messrs. Warren and Hurst,) 
 to the three only offices of the Institution to be filled, viz: Secretary, Treasurer 
 and Steward. Against which proceedings, we find a protest of the other three 
 above named members. And these are evidently the offices and the perquisites 
 in question, and reported by the commissioners as the cause of the dissensions 
 of this Board. For on page 80 a resolution is entered by one of the three mem¬ 
 bers who attempted to organize this spurious Board, by which it appears, that its 
 existence and acts had been declared by the Governor and his counsel to be ille¬ 
 gal—which resolution retains the above cited record, “as an explanation of their 
 conduct.” 
 
 3d. Further on, we find from the records these same three men, who on the 
 7th of March constituted themselves an acting Board, and thus voted themselves 
 into the only three offices to be filled in the Institution, to have abandoned the 
 meetings of the Board, and all their duties therein, during the remaining half 
 of their term. Thus the records, are in their testimony conjoint with the com¬ 
 missioners’ report, as obtained from oral, as well as this and other documentary 
 proofs, that the cause of these dissensions, was not “difficulties and divisions” 
 between any portion of this Board and the Superintendent, as this resolution af¬ 
 firms, but that it was “on account of the offices to be filled , and the letting of com 
 tracts,” as the commissioners affirm. 
 
 flfe 4th. The report of this commission offers, also,the further conclusions and tes¬ 
 timony, appertaining to the other material declarations of this resolution, vari-. 
 ouslymade and reiterated, as if intended to insure heed to these leading facts— 
 that‘fin fact the whole building [Insane Hospital] for its architecture, beauty, 
 eiegar.t and substantial workmanship in all of its parts, its adaptation to the pur¬ 
 poses designed, is such as will be a credit to the State, to the mechanic and officers 
 of the Institution.” And again, on another page—“it is admitted on all hands, 
 that in the construction of the building, no one could havegiven more satisfaction, 
 than both the Medical and Mechanical Superintendents; nor were there ever the 
 same amount of labor and attention on the part of all, for thesame compensation.” 
 And again,concerning the Medical Superintendent’s qualifications for other depart¬ 
 ments of official duties, say these commissioners : “In the treatment and manage¬ 
 ment of the Insane, after the most thorough investigation, we have had no facts in 
 the evidence prejudicial to the character of the Medical Superintendent or Assist¬ 
 ant Physician.” 
 
 5th. Such are the results and conclusions arrived at by a grave and responsi¬ 
 ble Legislative commission, employed and paid by the State, who spent weeks 
 in an elaborate investigation, with full powers to press into their service the 
 testimony of all facts, and persons under oath, in order to wise, just and safe 
 conclusions of the important question of the “superintendence and management” 
 of (he Institution—at a time too, when its buildings were about completed, and its 
 resident officers bad had a year and a half of actual experience within its walls 
 for the testing of their capacities, and the development of facts of success ami 
 public confidence. 
 
 6th. This report so highly reputable to the Institution and its officers, and so 
 highly satisfactory to the friends of the afflicted—based upon the most authorita¬ 
 tive, reliable and sifting investigation, has gone forth through the Press and their 
 Representatives, to the people of the whole State ;a most unquestionable and un¬ 
 questioned assurance, that their philanthropic interests in this Institution are 
 wisely and safely entrusted. 
 
 7. And again,in further confirmation of these conclusions,a joint and select com¬ 
 mittee (several of whom were physicians) appointed by the Senate and House of 
 Representatives,(legislature of 1853,)to examine the Illinois State Hospital for the 
 ’.aaane, after rental of the leading facts relative to the mechanical and medical 
 
REVIEW, 
 
 87 
 
 Jiuperinlemlence of the Institution, conclude : “This result, under all the cir¬ 
 cumstances, is a matter of just pride, and the simple recital of the facts, is the 
 most fitting tribute to the ability and efficiency of the Superintendent and his as¬ 
 sistants. The good opinions they have won, it is hoped, by an unremitting assi¬ 
 duity in the discharge of their duties, they will continue to deserve.” 
 
 And when, now—within a few weeks thereafter—this new Board, officially 
 and most of them personally unacquainted with the affairs of the Institution and its 
 officers, and without any attempt at investigating thoroughly for themselves, and 
 within less than twenty-four hours after their organization, (some of whom had 
 never before in their lives seen the inside of this or any other Insane Hospital, 
 and all of whom were professedly inexperienced and ignorant of the whole sub¬ 
 ject,) thus set at naught and defiance, facts documents,- and conclusions,such, and 
 of such authority, as the foregoing, even if there were no other, by declaring the 
 Institution to have “suffered materially in reputation and usefulness;"’—and this, 
 because of the incompetency of the Superintendent and his incompatibility with 
 former Boards; and thereupon commit themselves, not to investigation and proof 
 that former Boards, committees, commissions, facts, documents, and conclusions 
 were all wrong—but directly to the degradation and removal of that officer; and 
 thus acting in defiance,also, of the legal guards against such removal—we must 
 be pardoned, that we confess ourselves driven, though reluctantly, upon the con¬ 
 clusion, that the precipitate, unwise, unjust and unlawful character of this reso¬ 
 lution, betrays upon its very face, the unmistakable indications of a most suspi¬ 
 cious paternity; and of an ultimate subserviency to the well known will and 
 purposes of a well known diminutive faction, that have heretofore so notorious¬ 
 ly figured upon the records and various other public documents of the history of 
 this Institution, and whose interests and ends in this, as in other attempts, disre ¬ 
 gard alike the sanctity of the law,and the humane interests it should protect,as op¬ 
 posed to the will, interests and purposes, as we believe, of the great body of the 
 people of this community and of the whole State; and we therefore deem it a 
 duty,not to be shunned through any personal preferences for avoiding the respon ¬ 
 sibility we thus incur, to place this our solemn protest against said resolution 
 upon the records of the Hospital. 
 
 DARIUS DEXTER. 
 
 WM. L. CRAVEN. 
 
 • CHAPTER VI. 
 
 To fill the vacancies of Messrs. Young, and Brainard, Chas. II. 
 Lanphier and Simeon Francis, of Springfield, having been appoin¬ 
 ted by the Governor, in accordance with the plan of revolution 
 explained in the previous chapters,and entered upon in the resolu¬ 
 tions of April 5th, the following resolutions were adopted at the 
 called meeting of the Board, June 4th, and 6th. 
 
 Present.— William Butler, Fleming Stevenson, William L, 
 Craven, Pleasant L. Ward, Richard Henry, Benjamin Pyatt, 
 Simeon Francis. 
 
 Absent.— Darius Dexter, Charles H. Lanphier. 
 
 At the Session of the 4th, the Committee appointed at the pre¬ 
 vious meeting to examine the financial condition of the Institution, 
 was excused from serving on the ground that this had been done 
 by previous Boards. 
 
 A Carpenter was appointed by the Board, with a salary of 
 $600 a year—other unimportant business ‘transacted. 
 
INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 ,18 
 
 “Monday morning, June 6,1853. 
 
 “The Board met pursuant to adjournment. 
 
 Present—the same Trustees as on Saturday. 
 
 Dr. Higgins asked the privilege of making a statement to the Board; which 
 was accorded to him. 
 
 “Dr. Higgins then made a statement and presented a report containing charge* 
 against the Steward of the Institution; which was ordered to be filed, and copies, 
 of the same be furnished Dr. Higgins and Mr. Henry—the subject to be acted 
 upon at the next meeting of the Board. Adopted nem. «on. 
 
 “Mr. Craven presented a printed protest and asked that it be received and 
 spread upon the journals of the Board. 
 
 “On motion of Mr. Francis. 
 
 Resolved, That the protest be received and filed among the papers of the Board 
 for future action. 
 
 “On this motion the yeas and nays were as follows : 
 
 “Yeas—Mr. Butler, Mr. Francis, Mr. Henry, Mr. Pyatt, Mr. Ward, Mr. Ste¬ 
 venson. Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 “On motion of Mr. Francis, 
 
 Resolved, That the usual rules of parliamentary bodies govern the proceedings 
 of this Board,—carried. 
 
 “Mr. Craven moved that a portion of the organic law be read: which was 
 done. 
 
 Dr. Higgins made a statement to the Board. 
 
 Mr. Butler offered a series of resolutions. 
 
 Mr. Craven moved that the question be taken on the resolutions separately.— 
 Carried. 
 
 Mr. Francis moved the previous question, on all the resolutions, which was 
 sustained. 
 
 The President stated that the question was on the preamble and 1st resolution, 
 as follows : 
 
 Whereas at a meeting of thisBoard held on the 14th of April, 1853, a preamble 
 and resolutions were passed by the Board in relation to the Medical Superinten¬ 
 dent of the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane,Dr. James M. Higgins,declaring 
 their intention to remove him from said office of Medical Superintendent, for 
 reasons therein stated, at the earliest practicable moment consistent with the in- 
 ierest3 of the Institution ; Therefore, 
 
 1st. Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board the interests of the Institu¬ 
 tion require the immediate removal of Dr. James M. Higgins,the Medical Super¬ 
 intendent of this institution. 
 
 The preamble and resolution were adopted by yeas and nays, as follows:. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 2d. Resolved, That James M. Higgins, Medical Superintendent of the Illin¬ 
 ois Stale Hospital for the Insane, be and hereby is, removed from said office, and 
 the said offme of Medical Superintendent for the Illinois State Hospital for the 
 Insane is declared vacant. Adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis* Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 3d. Resolved, That Fleming Stevenson, Win. Butler, and Benjamin Pyatt, 
 be and they are hereby appointed a committee to audit and settle the accounts 
 with Dr. James M. Higgins, late Superintendent of the Illinois State Hospital 
 for the Insane. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 4th. Resolved, That Dr. II. K. Jones, assistant Physician in the Institution, 
 be auihorized and required to perform the duties of Superintendent as required 
 by the Organic aud By Laws of this Institution, until a Superintendent shall be 
 appointed and enter upon the performance of his duties; and while he performs 
 
BBYIE W, 
 
 
 Bk>s« duties he shall receive the same salary as was received by the late Superin¬ 
 tendent. 
 
 Resolution adopted.. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt. Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 5th. Ordered, That there shall be a Housekeeper appointed for the Institu¬ 
 tion, who shall hold her office for two years, and whose duty it shall be to take 
 charge of the washing, ironing and cooking departments, and in conjunction with 
 the Steward, shall see that the supply of food is abundant, varied, well cooked, 
 end neatly served in the dining room of the Institution; she will have entire 
 supervision of the dining rooms under the direction of the Superintendent.— 
 The Matron of the Institution shall be and hereby is relieved from the duties es¬ 
 pecially assigned by this order to the Housekeeper. The salary of the House¬ 
 keeper shall be two hundred dollars a year; and she shall have control of the 
 necessary number of domestics to enable her to perform the duties. Order 
 adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 Oth. Resolved, That Mrs. Isabella Henry, wife of John Henry, be appointed, 
 and hereby is appointed, Housekeeper for the Institution for two years. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 7Ui. Resolved, That as the removal of the Medical Superintendent creates a 
 vacancy in the office of Matron, Mrs. Lizzie Jones be requested, and is author¬ 
 ized, to perform the duties of the office.until the appointment of a Medical Su¬ 
 perintendent of the Institution; and tint she shall receive the same salary for W 
 services as was received by the late Matron. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 Sth. Resolved, That the R s. d appoint,two persons and the Governor be re¬ 
 spectfully requested to appoint' a third, to act as a committee in procuring the 
 services of an individual of high character and qualifications to fill the office of 
 Medical Superintendent of the Illinois State Hospital for the Insane, and that 
 they be authorized and are. hereby authorized to contract with such person to 
 fill said office and to pay him a salary adequate to his services; and the Board 
 hereby pledged themselves to sustain the action of such committee. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatfc, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 9th. Resolved, Tha + in c -e a vacancy shall occur in said committee, the Gov¬ 
 ernor be respectfully requested to fill the same. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, F 'mcis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 10 th. Resolved, Thai; d s Boar ft q n 1 Simeon Francis and Charles A, 
 
 Lanphier as (he aforesaid oominitfee oh. their part. , 
 
 Resolution adopted., 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craved. 
 
 Utb. Resolved, That for hi ft purpose of carrying into effect the objects spe¬ 
 cified in re-olution numbered eight, the Treasurer be authorized to pay out to the 
 Committee appointed to carry the resolution into effect, a sum not exceeding five 
 hundred dollars. 
 
 Resolution adopted,'' 
 
 Yeas—Messrs; Cutler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. C raven, ‘ 
 
 12th. Resolved, That when the Chapel'af this Institution is finished,the Super in • 
 
40 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 tendent be authorized, when the condition of the patients will permit, to in vile 
 the clergymen of the town to perforin religious services therein. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 14th. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Board be instructed to furnish a 
 copy of the preamble and resolutions, No’s. 2 and 3 to Dr. James M. Higgins; 
 also a copy of the order numbered 5, and resolution numbered G. to Mrs. Isabel¬ 
 la Henry; also resolution numbered 7, to Mrs. Crocker and to Mrs. Jones; and 
 also copies of resolutions No’s. 8, 9 and 10 respectively, to (he Governor of 
 this State, to Simeon Francis and Charles H. Lanphier, duly attested and signed 
 by the President of this Board and its Secretary. 
 
 15th. Resolved, That the Prudential Committee inform Wm. T. Cox, of 
 his election by this Board as Carpenter for this Institution. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson and Ward. 
 
 Nay—Mr. Craven. 
 
 Mr. Francis offered the following resolution. 
 
 Resolved, That the President of the Board, be authorized to make any tempo¬ 
 rary arrangement with Dr. Higgins, inrelatioirto the removal of his family from 
 the Institution. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, and Ward. 
 
 Nays—Messrs. Craven and Stevenson. 
 
 Mr. Stevenson offered the following order: 
 
 Ordered, That Dr. James M. Higgins, be allowed *the sum of two hundred 
 dollars, for the deduction made by,former Board in his'salary of one thousand, 
 dollars, which deduction took place since the opening of the Institution. 
 
 Resolution adopted. 
 
 Yeas—Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Stevenson, and Ward. 
 
 The Bills of Wm. Butler, Simeon Francis, and Pleasant L. Ward on ac¬ 
 count of expenses as Trustees were presented. 
 
 On motion of Mr. Pyatt, the bills were allowed. 
 
 On motion the Board adjourned.” 
 
 _ o 
 
 “PUBLIC PROTEST. 
 
 4 , y ( 
 
 Illinois Hospital for Insane, ) 
 
 June 13tli, 1853. \ 
 
 ‘•The By-Laws of this Institution require that the Board shall hold quarterly 
 meetings on the second Mondays in December, March,June, and September. At 
 the meeting on Monday last, when removals without cause were rife and hardly 
 anything else seemed lo be thought of, it was distinctly understood, that a meet¬ 
 ing would be held on this the 2d Monday of J une,according to the by-laws just cjuo- 
 ted. I emphatically announced to that Board, that I should have important bu¬ 
 siness to present on this day. I have been in attendance here nearly all day, but 
 not one of the six revolutionizers has come near. The previous question having 
 been placed upon all the resolutions acted upon at said meeting, I could not at 
 that time even offer an objection to their unprecedented and unlawful course con¬ 
 cocted in midnight caucus. I determined at once, as my only alternative, to pre¬ 
 sent at the next meeting, as we had been driven to do on a former occasion, a sol¬ 
 emn protest against their high handed and lawless measures; and accordingly, 
 had prepared,the following document, intending to ask for it a place on the Re¬ 
 cords, with little or no expectation, however, of its meeting with more favor 
 ubari cur former protest received. I have had no opportunity of insisting upo-t 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 41 
 
 Hiis, my right, as there has been no meeting of the Board} and since their pro¬ 
 ceedings, against which I desire to enter my protest, have been published in sev¬ 
 eral papers and sent throughout the State,! owe it to myself,as well as to my fel¬ 
 low citizens whose interests l am set to guard and protect, to present this tlocu- 
 ment to the public through the same medium in which the doings of the majority 
 appeared. WM. L. CRAVEN. 
 
 “PROTEST. 
 
 “I|protest against the action of the Board of Trustees for^the Hospital for the 
 Insane, on the Oth of June, 1853, in their attempt to remove from office, the Su¬ 
 perintendent and Matron of the Institution, &c., because— 
 
 1st. The law provides that “the Superintendent shall be appointedfor a terra 
 of ten years,” and “He shall be subject to removal only for infidelity to the trust 
 reposed in him, or incompetency to the discharge thereof.” 
 
 This provision of the charter of the Institution was introduced by the repre¬ 
 sentatives of the people of the State, at the earnest recommendation of that em¬ 
 inent philanthropist, Miss Dix, for the express and avowed purpose of preventing 
 precisely such revolutions and consequent catastrophes to the patients themselves, 
 as this Board are now attempting to effect. 
 
 2d. This action of the Board is not only in open violation of the fundamen¬ 
 tal law of the Institution, and extremely perilous to its best present interests, 
 and as a precedent,to all its future interests,and to the safety and well being of all 
 similar Institutions in the Slate; but it is also eminently unjust to the Superin¬ 
 tendent, his reputation, his family, and friends; as no charge of either incom¬ 
 petency or infidelity has been, or even attempted to be sustained against him. It 
 lay*, not only Dr. Higgins, but all other, and all future Superintendents, and of¬ 
 ficers of the Institution,wholly at the mercy of any selfish, revolutionary or dis- 
 organiz.ing political, local or social clique. And under such a rule of adminis¬ 
 tration, no man fit for the station, or who has any regard for his character, or the 
 standing of his family, or the feelings of his friends, will ever be induced to con¬ 
 nect himself with such stations. 
 
 3d. The following are the charter provisions, and the only legal provisions 
 for the appointment of all officers and persons to this Institution,, viz : charter 
 act, sec. 2. They [the Trustees] shall appoint the Superintendent, Assistant 
 Physician and Steward, and fix the amount of their salaries &c. 
 
 Sec. 8th of the same—“The Superintendent shall appoint and exercise entire 
 control over all subordinate officers and assistants in this Institution , and shall have 
 entire direction of the duties of the same.” Therefore the Matron of this insti¬ 
 tution, cannot be appointed or removed by a Board of Trustees, nor can an office 
 be created within this Institution or an appointment made to such office by a Board 
 of Trustees. 
 
 4th. I therefore protest against the action of this Board, in declaring the Mat¬ 
 ron’s office vacated, as unlawful in the attempt, and also as untrue in fact whilst 
 *he has neither been discharged by, nor tendered her resignation to a Superinten¬ 
 dent of the Hospital. And I also protest against the request, that Airs. Lizzie 
 Jones discharge the duties of Matron, as a mere ruse designed to pull the wool 
 over the eyes of their mutual friends and blind and mislead the public mind. 
 
 5th. I also protest against the appointment of Mrs. Henry, the wife of the 
 Steward as houskeeper—first, because the Statute above quoted absolutely re¬ 
 quires that the‘ ‘Superintendent shall appoint, and exercise entire control over all 
 subordinate officers and assistants in this Institution,” and therefore the Board 
 had no right to make any such appointment—and second—because if so, she is a 
 iadv, however worthy in other in respects, generally believed to be totally 
 unfit for any such place. 
 
 6th. I furthermore solemnly protest against the appropriation of $500 of tho 
 fund which the people have paid for the sacred purpose of supporting the Insauo, 
 
42 
 
 INSANE HOSPITAL 
 
 to defray the expenses of certairpTrustees on pleasure excursions east, for the 
 ostensible purpose of hunting up a Superintendent to fill a vacancy which doe* 
 not exist either in law or in fact, and whilst the Institution is acknowledgedjoa 
 all hands to be in a highly prosperous condition under its existing administra¬ 
 tion* 
 
 I protest against the indirect consequences of these acts for important reasons 
 indicated in the following facts. 
 
 1. Grave and serious charges alleged to be fully susceptible of proof, some of 
 which were brought forward befoie \he Commissioners of the Legislature, were 
 again presented in full to the present Board by the Superintendent, against the 
 present Steward, John Henry, but were not even honored with a perusal by these 
 present guardians of State interests. 
 
 2. It is equally well known, that the conduct of the Matron of the Institution 
 has been eminently satisfactory to all parties within the institution, and especial¬ 
 ly to the afflicted patients and their afflicted friends abroad—with the single ex¬ 
 ception, among all parties within and without, of the said John Henry, and per¬ 
 haps a few of his personal friends—and that no charge rests against her in any other 
 quarter—not even that of “unpopularity” still, though the attention of this Board 
 was often called to the obvious incompetency and delinquencies of Mr. Henry, 
 they have taken not the least notice of the facts, but in hot haste proceeded to 
 thrust out Mrs. Crocker without charge and without fault, and in violation of 
 the authority of the law, and retain John Henry with distinctly alleged facts 
 against him unheeded and unread in their hands. 
 
 3. Now,it is known, that this Steward has been for some eighteen months offi¬ 
 cially and personally hostile to the Superintendent and Matron, and that a few 
 clays previous to this meeting of the Board, he threatened in presence of a respon¬ 
 sible citizen of Jacksonville, that ‘fevery officer of the Institution ^excepting the 
 Assistant Physician) should take knapsack and leave the Institution, if he had 
 to go to the Legislature to effect it. This has been in substance variously re¬ 
 peated to others. He has also declared to persons on the square, that “he had 
 from the first laid his finger on the Matron and had made it tele, too.” And 
 when now the fact is considered, that this disaffected Steward was invited, and 
 actually.met in caucus with the members who voted the removal resolutions, and 
 that he continued in close conclave with them till 11 or 12 o’clock, the Satur¬ 
 day night prior to the meeting which adopted the resolutions, and that then and 
 there,he had full opportunity to tell clandestinely, such tales respecting the fated 
 officers, more especially the Matron, as was best calculated to carry out his 
 threat—even the public can scarcely be left to mere conjecture as to the source 
 of this otherwise unaccountable precipitancy in ridding the Institution of the 
 valuable and valued services of Mrs. Crocker—indeed the conclusion of an ob- 
 yious and barefaced favoritism toward this Steward is almost, if not even quite 
 irresistible; the practical present effects of which would be to displace the very 
 officers of the Institution against whom no charges whatever have been prepared, 
 and retain the one against whom they have been. Its future effects and it3 obvious 
 intentions may be easily seen through. 
 
 For these and other such reasons, I enter a solemn protest against this entire 
 action of that meeting, and demand that it be spread upon Ihe records of the Hos¬ 
 pital. WM. L. CRAVEN.” 
 
 The publication of these resolutions created an intense public 
 indignation in Jacksonville—one hundred and eighty ladies united 
 in a letter to Mrs. Crocker, the Matron of the Institution, ex¬ 
 pressing their regret at the course of the Trustees, their confidence 
 in her peculiar adaptedness to the place, and the hope, that sin; 
 would remain in the discharge of her duties until sustained or dis¬ 
 placed by due course of law. 
 
 Various communications appeared in the Morgan Journal, dis- 
 
REVIEW. 
 
 43 
 
 •cussing the law points, and ashing how six Trustees of this Insti¬ 
 tution could consent to trample law and justice underfoot, and at 
 the same time vote themselves five hundred dollars, to be taken 
 from the fund for the unfortunate insane, raised by taxes upon 
 the whole people; and that too in view of their solemn oaths, for 
 the faithful discharge of their duty, and heavy bonds besides. 
 
 Here they rested, so far as the official action of the Trustees 
 was concerned, until the 19th of July. The Superintendent and 
 Matron had both written letters to the Board, declining to recog¬ 
 nize the authority of their illegal action and announcing their 
 determination to remain at their posts, in the discharge of their 
 duty. The public sentiment was calling loudly for some final 
 action on the part of the Trustees that they should either execute 
 their revolutionary attempt, or abandon it as confessedly illegal, 
 as well as detrimental to the best interests of the Institution, and 
 in defiance of the official testimony already quoted. 
 
 On the second day of their session, July 20, 1853— Present — 
 Messrs. Butler, Francis, Henry, Pyatt, Lanphier, and Stevenson. 
 Absent —Messrs. Craven, Dexter and Ward. 
 
 “ On Motion of Mr. Butler : 
 
 Resolved , That notice be given to John Henry, the Steward, that an investigation 
 of said charges will be made at the next meeting of the Board, which will be 
 held on the first Monday of August, next. * * . * * * * 
 
 “Mr. Butler offered the following preamble ami orders : 
 
 Wi-iereas, After the removal of James M. Higgins, Superintendent of this 
 Institution, on 6th cf June, 1853, he desired of this Board that he should be al¬ 
 lowed to remain in the Institution a short time, until he could get a house for his 
 family, (said Higgins observing that his own house was then rented out,) and 
 whereas, since that time, said Higgins has determined to resist his said removal, 
 and still continues in and about said Institution, to the subversion of proper order 
 and discipline in the same, whilst there; is subsisting himself and family upon 
 funds set apart for the unfortunate thereof ; it is 
 
 Ordered , That the Secretary notify said {.Higgins to remove himself and fam¬ 
 ily and effects from the premises of the Institution, on or before the first day of 
 August, proximo. 
 
 Ordered, That Dr. H. K. Jones, the acting Superintendent of this Institution, 
 John Henry, the Steward thereof, and all others employed in or about the same, 
 he, and they are hereby forbidden to recognize any of the acts of James M. Hig¬ 
 gins, or to obey any order or orders issued or given by him in any way touching 
 the affairs of this Institution; and it is further ordered, that Dr. H. K. Jones, 
 the acting Superintendent, the Steward, and Treasurer, and each and every one of 
 them are hereby instructed and forbidden to issue, indorse or pay any order in 
 favor of James M, Higgins until a final settlement is made with him, in pursuance 
 of a former order of this Board. It is further 
 
 “Ordered, That said officers are forbidden to issue, endorse or pay any order 
 in favor of any person, or persons, other than those employed by the acting Su¬ 
 perintendent and Steward; and they notify every person claiming to be employ- 
 M under the authority of James M. Higgins, late Superintendent, that they will 
 not be recognized or paid by this Institution. 
 
 Which preamble and orders, on motion of Mr. Francis, were unanimously 
 adopted. 
 
 Iu view of these “orders,” Dr. Higgins sent them a letter of 
 
44 
 
 INSANE E0PFITA3. 
 
 defiiance, accusing them of eight distinct violations of law 
 declaring his intention to “reside in the Institution as the law di¬ 
 rects, to perform the duties of my office to the best of my abili¬ 
 ty, until ousted by due process of law , or until it expires , 
 or until 1 resign it.' J 
 
 The first day of August came-, and with it a meeting of the 
 Board. 
 
 Present—Messrs. Butler, Henry, Pyatt, Ward and Stevenson. 
 
 Absent—Messrs. Craven, Dexter, Francis andLanphier. 
 
 ********** 
 
 a Mr. Butler moved that any action in relation to the charges against (be Stew¬ 
 ard should he deferred until a full meeting of the Board shall be in attendance, 
 which was agreed to. 
 
 Adjourned to meet at 8 o ? elock. 
 
 The Board met at 8 o'clock, p. m. 
 
 “ Present the same members as at the previous meeting. There being ko nt «i- 
 ni:sh before the Board, I)r. Jone^, acting Superintendent, being present; at the 
 request of the Trustees, made some remarks relating to the affairs of the Hospital. 
 After further discussion relative to the financial and other concerns of the Insti¬ 
 tution the Board, on motion of Mr. Pyatt, adjourned to meet again on the second 
 Monday in September.” 
 
 No' Business before the Board, after their orders of July 20th. 
 and Dr. Higgins letter of defiance,with the Institution in the disor¬ 
 ganized condition, into which their action of May Oth, had thrown 
 it! '