13.  Public  Insanity.  —  Finally,  let
me  observe,  that,  to  a  species  of  public
insanity,  yet  not  of  a  kind  which  excuses
for  crime,  known  sometimes  by  the  term
negrophobia,  should  probably  this  strange
conviction  of  Freeman,  in  the  blaze  of
the  light  of  the  nineteenth  century,  be
more  than  to  any  thing  else  attributed.
The  reader  of  the  trial  will  perceive,
that,  throughout  the  testimony,  there
seems  to  run  in  the  minds  of  the  wit-
nesses an  idea  of  the  existence  of  an  in-
definable something  which  should  hold
negroes  responsible  when  acting  under  a
less  amount  of  mind  than  would  consti-
tute the  standard  of  responsibility  in
white  men.  And,  on  the  other  hand,
there  were  gentlemen  summoned  upon
the  jury  who  were  challenged  to  the
favor  by  the  prosecuting  officer,  though
they  were  not  set  aside,  on  the  ground
that  they  belonged  to  a  class  of  persons
who  were  supposed  to  hold  opinions
which  would  lead  them  to  show  special
favor  to  black  men  because  of  their  color.
217


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§  378  THE   EVIL  INTENT  EEQUTEBD.  [BOOK  IV.
