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A medical friend for whose opinion we have the highest regard has thus written us; "the article in your last number of the Journal of Insanity, on the correspondence of the insane, I regard as a valuable contribution to the science of pathological psychology and hope it will be continued. It is by such means that we shall make advance in this interesting subject -- the operation of the disordered mind."

This opinion coinciding with our own, induces us to insert the following letters.

The first was written by a lady who has been deranged sixteen years, and most of that time she has spent in Lunatic Asylums. She had been highly educated, and still exhibits much, and we may add, uncommon ability in music, drawing, painting, and in penmanship. She is ever ardently engaged in efforts to accomplish some particular purpose, though rarely does she adhere to one but for a few days. At the time of writing, it seems capital punishment, was the subject of her thoughts, together with peculiar notions about the virtues of salt. At other times she attributes equal value to spirits of turpentine, vinegar, &e.

State Asylum, Utica.

To his excellency, the Governor of the State of New York;

Honored Sir -- I have presumed to trouble you once before during my stay in this place, with a long communication, and I now write with some fear that you will lay this letter down, as a weariness, and more insane impertinence than such as deserving of perusal and attention, but I do urge you to read it through patiently before you pass judgment. Perhaps the Governor is not the right individual for me to address, and that my letter should be directed to the Judge of the Supreme Court. If you are any way struck with my arguments, I wish this letter might be published or sent to the President, perhaps those in authority would come to the conclusion to act upon it decisively. My object and subject, is punishment for crime, especially capital punishment, to abolish suffering unto death for any crime. St. Paul was the most zealous of all persecutors, but he was suddenly convicted by a light that shown round about him. So this letter, may, like the light from Heaven, unexpectedly influence those, that otherwise were set upon a contrary course. Let us look at the teeth of the murderer and his victim, there can be no connection or comparison between the two sets. The government shall be upon his shoulder, and while the murderer is alive he is a stronger bulwark against the like offence, than a thousand hanged criminals after death. The punishment is totally beyond the offence, in the hanging we send extravasated blood to the root of every tooth. It is life for life you say, but the death of one is unexpected without preparation, the other is premeditated, anxiety, torture, time wasted and worn out, literally the tree of knowledge in all respects. We do not live by bread alone, and the life unexpectedly taken by violence is a mite in the balance compared to the life of the man sentenced to be hung on the gallows. You must hear me this hanging or punishment by death must be done away. Two for one invariably, always the aggressor for the aggressee. These laws were made by Moses in a new country among uncivilized people, dissatisfied and quarrelsome, settling their disputes by personal conflict, wrestling with each other, and killing each other and only burying them in the sand as the story of the Israelite and Egyptian gives us to understand. We are a Christian people, bibles and schoolbooks on every table, our Sabbath day is changed from Saturday to Sunday, why not do away these old laws in a measure, or alter them to our enlightened age, we are a growing country, over a vast expanse of territory, if this sinking fund of crime and poverty is kept up we shall become worse than Russia. There is now one hundred thousand beggars in Europe, to two hundred thousand that support themselves. We cast our pearls before swine when we hang the man, and I am afraid they will turn again and rend us, by repeating the offence, as the inevitable consequence. I believe, you would find that one murder is invariably followed by another, that is punished by death. I read in the news papers that Mr. --- is reprieved to the --- of ---, the man has but fifteen days more to live, and I feel so urged and impelled by my feelings, that I asked the permission of our Principal to write to you, which was given. I would pardon the man if I was Governor, besides it is an odds if he is not crazy. You must not judge of me, and hang the crazy man, because I show so much rationality as to render offence sufficiently heinous for punishment. I am suffering under pitiful misrepresentation and unlawful authority and restraint, rest assured that I never was crazy, and, any one perjures their own conscience that affirms that I am, and yet though I have been an inmate of four asylums, I have never met the magistrate or the Christian who expressed any dissatisfaction, although no one but must be sensible that the laws of our country are outraged in my person by my being confined and forced to endure all the restraint and coercion of those called lunatics, will the law allow a citizen to be confined except for crime or lunacy? and by what authority. Governor -- I am not crazy I tell you, never was and never shall be unless injured by unlawful means and treatment, and how do you know but there are persons hung as little deserving of the punishment, as I am of being here. Are subjects of grace lunatics? I have been in a progressive state of study and conversion to divine truths for this ten years. I am no criterion to judge the insane by. Build a house for the murderer and give the man salt while he lives, by immediate application, and let this be the penalty during life, you will thus effectually expiate offence let it be of whatsoever kind it will. When Shiloh comes to him shall be the gathering of the people. This I understand to be Shiloh and the gathering of the people is salt. The man's labour is of value and if allowed communication to visitors and physicians, he would throw more light upon the effects of crime upon the mind than all that can be learnt by the inmates of an insane asylum. Confusion and every evil work, are united in the same sentence by the conjunction, and, as you will find them in like manner united in every act of life. The evil that men do live after them, such a building would be more a monument of terror than a thousand gallowses. If I was hung could I come to life again, I would assuredly repeat the offence out of revenge, whereas were I pardoned I could not but be good. The grateful incense of the pardoned man would have more of the dew of blessing in it than the extravasated blood of the suffering criminal. We can hang cats and dogs, but is immortality the end and aim of all being, to be done away with for any offence? our fine ladies have dreadful corns on their feet. Cain was assured that his life should be held sacred. I have for myself a dreadful callus spot on the ball of my foot, that I have been unable to remove for years, and it increases since I have been here to a painful degree. I should not wonder if it was the hang-mans-gallows. Build a house exclusively for those sentenced to death, treat them kindly, and the repentance of the poor sinner will be more acceptable than punishment. When Shiloh comes, give him the gathering of the people, by fresh salt applied by the hand, and it is my belief that it would more effectually restrain crime and its repetition than all the gallows in the world. I wish my letter was in time, and that I could help Mr. ---, he should find that I did know what that was, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. Heaven has golden streets, and must not a course that sinks us in irrecoverable poverty, be a wrong one? will not want and poverty invariably lead to crime? Our Bible does not in a single instance tell us to punish crime, but to repent and believe and ye shall be saved, it does not say, hang this man because he killed your brother, but it says, your force is not right, build thou the walls of Jerusalem, make your paths straight in the wilderness, this can only be done by salt, this I learn in many places. Christ says that salt will take away all offence. Job says that Leviathan puts salt upon the mire, and that we cannot come nigh him with his double bridle, this is the same as the gallows, and salt so applied would have all the effect that punishment now does. In another place it says that the Prophet is the snare of the fowler in all his ways. The snare of the fowler is salt and not bird-lime, salt will kill birds. It did seem to me before I began this letter as if I could say somewhat that would be listened to, but perhaps I am mistaken, but I do solemnly protest against hanging, it is my own individual conviction that it is irreconcilable to all benevolence, refinement and improvement. If the sinner turneth from his ways he shall live, how can he turn when he is sent out of the world. It is written that your force is not right; I am afraid you make crazy people by coming to the gallows with the man, and cursed is he that perverteth the judgment.

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If hanging or punishment by death is the right course why is the crime daily repeated? It ought to prevent the repetition of the crime, or else it does not answer the purpose, our Newspapers become a daily record of these dreadful violations. Now let the man live and grow old and grey, who that ever saw or conversed with him would ever go and do the like. I attended when I was a schoolgirl, the lectures of a man who was confined ten years for forgery and although he declared his innocence, yet its effect upon me was such that it would be a moral impossibility for me to imitate the hand writing for a fraudulent purpose, a feeling of horror that I cannot describe and known only to myself, for I never heard the subject canvassed by any one, influences me, and this arises only from my personal acquaintance with the man himself I can describe it, only to an internal wall that shrinks with dread and aversion from an embodied crime. Might it not operate in like manner, with others, and in all instances of the kind. To see an old grey headed person guilty of a crime, makes a much more painful impression and deeper, on my mind than one that is young. We can often see ourselves pictured out when we look at the inferior race of beings, as we read exemplified in fables, like the story of the mice in counsel when one killed another, all the rest set upon the survivor and make an end of him, we would look upon it as absurd in the extreme and cruel. How do we know that a superior being does not look upon our ways in this respect towards each other in the same light, that we would look upon them. Suppose the cows were to do so, would it not be dreadful, and would not we take effectual means to prevent the double loss of those innocent and useful creatures, and are we not of more value than many sparrows.

In trouble to be troubled is to have your trouble doubled, is a rhyme I have often heard, do we not double trouble in this way? There is no device or work in the grave, and the balances have no weight after death, it is mere blasphemy to carry the yoke into another world, in the Revelations where it speaks of the third seal, it says, he that carried the balances sat upon a black horse, black is not death. I am sensible that all I can say is weak and feeble in comparison to the awful responsibility of the alternative, but the opinion of one that has studied and practiced what they know as faithfully as I have, does not deserve to be despised. "Thine inward teachings make me know, my danger and my refuge too," reads the hymn. My inward teachings convince me I am right, and that we inevitably draw a curse upon our children and our country by these kind of punishments.

I know I am right, there is an insurmountable barrier, and indescribable conviction on my mind that I cannot account for, that forces me to a stand firm as a rock. Salt, applied as I have said will prevent all drunkenness, we could drink wind like water without being able to get drunk, and our senses could not reel. This application of salt ought to be practiced by every one, but we can make the convict work righteousness in fear of death, when elsewhere it is neglected through carelessness, laziness or poverty, for the want of a sufficient quantity of salt. Salt thus applied will be of no inconvenience to the prisoner, as I can give assurance in my own experience, for I have practiced it for months, almost years, and it will neither injure his health or comfort. It would be less expense to supply salt for this purpose to the prisoner, and have a fund appropriated, than all that is now incurred by execution. It is moral reformation, not bodily torture that a good parent ought to require from a child, and if this can be obtained without punishment, all proper ends are surely gained. You say we would all be in danger of our lives if it was not for the dread of being hung. I do not believe it, why then does it not work. I doubt if there has been one individual less brought to the gallows for this hundred years, according to the population, from the fear of being hung. There is a natural instinct that preserves beings of one kind among each other, and no kind ever destroy each other, except the Bee, they will fight among themselves until a whole hive is destroyed, and they live on honey. All sweet is cruel and spoils the disposition. Did we drop the subject and not in crowds go to the hanging, I believe we would at last never know of an unnatural death except by, accident any more than we do in the brute kingdom. I know I am right, old ways should be done away, and all become new. Salt will make a new creature, and he that believeth shall not make haste. What is the cause of the utter prostration of the poorer class of people in the old countries? It is impossible for a beggar ever to be any other wise than a beggar. I saw Mr. --- hung from my father's garret window in --- when I was six years old.

With the greatest respect, I remain,
Your humble Servant.

The ensuing letter was written by a very worthy and well educated gentleman, a lawyer, -- who has been deranged two years. He is generally pleasant and able to converse rationally, but is easily excited and has no power of self-control, not even enough to keep from tearing his own clothes, although he says he "knows it is wrong and wicked, but cannot help it."

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Utica Asylum, Saturday Morning August.

Mr, --- My YOUNG FRIEND. -- I embrace the earliest opportunity, I have found according to the dictates of my own judgment and the opinion of my friends, that I should communicate to my numerous friends in --- County, which I have daily declared in loud and strong language to all within the hearing of a thundering voice to be the moral Religious Whig and Lyon County of the Empire State of New York, whether it is fancy or fact. The dictates of the inner man or in other words the feelings of the heart say to me that I am as happy a person this morning as is to be found in the limits of the large wealthy and populous state which now encloses in its territory instead of wild beasts and savage Indians who less than one hundred years since wandered over its then rich wild and uncultivated forests is now covered over every part of its extensive territory with sundry rich and populous cities; numerous incorporated active business villages and farms highly cultivated, last not least an intelligent Christian population, I trust redeemed from what I now presume to say to you a young man just commencing your career on the stage of active life in the strong language of the learned Dr. Dwight, is a hell upon earth. I mean a bar room in a whiskey or rum tavern or grocery store where six less or more drunken fools are blowing out of their steam throats the stinking fumes of whiskey rum, brandy or tobacco, and pounding and kicking each other to determine who has the best of the argument on some moral religious or political question which the drunken disputants are discussing with great zeal and with as much sense to an intelligent bystander as the crowing of an old or young rooster or the cackling of a hen or squall of a goose. I feel grateful to the good Providence of our Heavenly father and most merciful and gracious protector and redeemer that the Christian, permit me to say the holy enterprise of this age has placed before the young and unexperienced of this age so many checks to that flood of iniquity and outrageous and horrible depravity which in this happy land called the asylum for the oppressed of all nations to flea to, has nevertheless, since the death of that great and good man, George Washington justly called the best friend to his country and who during the sixteen years of his active public life, did not tarnish his moral religious and political life, with scarcely a single wanton abuse of his preeminent influence and the unbounded, unlimited power that attended that influence. Washington had passions and had errors as well as other men. No man liveth and sinneth not, is the language of inspiration written in the Proverbs of Solomon, one of the ancient kings among the Jews the son of the shepherd King, David, writer of the Psalms and called the sweet singer of Israel!! Washington's errors whenever any occurred during his public and eminently useful life were overlooked and forgotten, a large -- I may say a vast majority of the people of this now great and populous republic, had such unbounded confidence in his sterling, integrity and religious honesty, that his opinions while he lived when published and known became the established law of the land which no opposition could set aside. I cannot say much in this letter about the building in which I am writing, its beautiful and healthful situation in the northern part of the flourishing moral and religious city of Utica, composed principally of yankee or properly descendants of a yankee population. I shall probably be able to enclose you the annual report of the trustees to the Legislature in a few days, most of which report I read yesterday. That report if you get it will inform you and other friends in --- County, the particulars of an institution which I am now fully satisfied is highly useful and alleviating to the unfortunate persons deprived of the discreet exercise of their mental faculties. As my sheet is nearly full I must close, I cannot particularize in any formal compliments to friends. You, your father and mother will of course make the first use this letter, next other friends. Persevere in your business, be honest, prudent, virtuous, keep the best of company, avoid the vicious and you will go through life with credit to yourself and be useful to those around you. My present belief is that I shall write to --- shortly.

Yours Truly,

The following letter was, written by a convalescent patient, -- an interesting young lady, who had been deranged about six months; during most of which time she was speechless. In this letter, her condition and feelings are graphically described.

DEAR PARENTS -- I take this opportunity of writing to you, after being separated from you a long time, and leaving home in a deranged state of body and mind. Little did you know how much suffering I endured in mind for one whole year before I came here. I felt that my reason was fast leaving me, but I concealed my feelings and thoughts on the subject as long as it was possible.

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Since my stay here, I have suffered more than tongue can tell or pen can write. I thought when they were bringing me here, it was taking me to judgment, there to meet my final sentence of "depart from me ye cursed to everlasting flames." When I ascended to the chapel on the sabbath day, I thought it was the judgment hall of Christ, and that it was a temporary platform built over the infernal abyss, where the evil spirits were congregated together.

For six long months I remained deprived entirely of reason, and nearly deaf and blind at times, and subject to the greatest agony of body and mind, and a burning inflammation on my brain; sleeping on beds of fire at night, and eating food and taking medicine three times a day, which seemed to add to my torments. But I will not distress you longer by telling you more, as it will only tend to trouble you, and bring back to myself thoughts which are not comfortable. Suffice it to say, that my reason has returned, and with it my health, and I think I am almost sure that I am more free from disease than I have been for several years.

There are three hundred patients in this Asylum, and new ones coming almost daily; there are forty-three on the same floor as myself, and you would be surprised to see how neat and orderly every apartment is. We have a large hall where we remain during the day, and at night each one has a comfortable room and bed. Besides this, there is a dining room attached to the hall, and a verandah where we can enjoy the fresh air. Every floor is provided with bathing tubs, and I find bathing a very healthy exercise, more so than one would suppose that had never indulged in so great a luxury.

I will now give you a brief account of my first returning consciousness. The Matron presented me with a new dress on condition that I would help make it. I regarded this as the price given me to betray Christ, and refused to accept it on any conditions whatever, but she and others insisted upon my taking it. I at length yielded to their importunity and accepted it, but not without great suffering of mind.

After I had taken it, it seemed to be a dreadful burden imposed on me, I would lay it down, and run from it as from a snake, and at other times take it up and run after the attendants, and beg them to release me from it, though I did not speak, my tongue seemed palsied, and I could express my wishes only by signs. I laid down the cloth, and went out with one of the attendants to take a walk, and when I returned to the house, I tore off the breadths one by one. It seemed at first like severing the soul from the body. The struggle was great. But it was the beginning of returning reason. I went to bed that night feeling better, and next morning was a reasonable being. This was but two weeks ago, and I have been well all the time since, except for a very short time. I suffer no pain worth mentioning, and think I shall soon have good health. I want you to write. &c.

The writer of the letter which follows, is a lady of intelligence and education, of pleasing manners and very industrious habits. On ordinary subjects, she manifests no mental derangement, though she rarely converses long without alluding to the teachings of the dear Spirit. She is one of the most amiable and happy persons we have ever seen, calls herself the daughter of Zion, and has the most unshaken belief that the Millenium is near at hand, when every one will be happy. She has been deranged six years.

Utica Asylum, Feb. 1847.

DEAR CHILDREN -- Agreeably to your request, I write you. It is not because your mother has not desired to communicate with you in writing that I have not written you, neither is it because that love, that I believe will ever be unshaken towards you has been diminished, or that the bosom that has participated with you in happiness or sorrow, has not the same sympathies. It is not that, but knowing, or thinking what I have to communicate, if I should write, (for I could only write truth,) it would be thought derangement, I have deferred writing, as I have. I believe, the time near that the dear Spirit that I have trusted, and do still trust, to be near that you will not only know about, myself, but also about your ownselves, dear, dear, children, I greet you in anticipation respecting the happy prospect before us. We are life in union of the dear Spirit, that suffers and desires to deliver all life from a state of captivity that ensues. People know not as they will hereafter from the understanding they have, of what is in the book, called the Bible. There is a Spirit that denominates itself Spirits, transactions have been as they have, suffering, great suffering has ensued, which I believe, will be delivered from before long. There are three Spirits doing in way, that I believe a deliverance will be imparted. In the way that the three Spirits took the life that validly belongs to the form, called your mother, as yourselves which was then at the place called Heaven, was to be imparted in form of woman upon the earth. The one called your father, was Spirit of the Spirit itself, imparting itself in way that it did in form of woman, to be with me upon the earth, which has passed through the captivity in the way that it did, as also have myself and yourselves, self existent Spirit was providentially in form, male and female, the two Spirits other than the one in union of myself, has Spirit in union of itself that was providentially in form of female, which I expect will dwell upon the earth when the captivity is delivered from, for in the way the three Spirits look, they are to come and tell the people the truth. That Spirit is now at Heaven, that is with the other two Spirits, unless a little in places other than there is the place it has itself for itself at the present.

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You desired to know about my health. I suffer at times, but you need not fear respecting that, I am protected, and know you are. I have suffered without sympathy, other than the Spirit that knew of my suffering many times, because those around me knew not of my suffering, as also I have enjoyed that others did not participate with me, not knowing of my happiness. Be comforted, dear children, do not sorrow for me, I am desiring to be content in whatever situation I am placed. I think sorrow will be ended upon the earth.

Your affectionate mother,

The following letter was written by an aged man, who has been deranged three years. He represents a class found in most Lunatic Asylums, who are often pleasant and sociable, shrewd in their remarks, and sometimes rational, but who in consequence of disease seem to have lost all power of self control, and upon the slightest provocation, and sometimes without any, become excited, violent, and abusive. They will talk or write themselves into a paroxysm of ungovernable fury in a few minutes -- are ever demanding their liberty, and desirous of stating their grievances. Shakespeare has described such a character in King Lear.

Utica Asylum, Insane as they say, Feb. 1847.

To Dr. Brigham, Dear Sir -- This is from one that is a friend to all. You have treated me nearly two years with the greatest politeness but that is not liberty. You know there is no confining a free thinker, I have been styled that and am perfectly willing that the world of mankind should enjoy their own opinions and I mine. I never tried to injure on any one in their reputation, and am very sure that I shall not undertake slander in my old age. You are I presume a man of some talents, but there is one man that you have been near two years trying to find out and are as far in the back ground as ever, and now if you will give that man his liberty he will give sufficient bail never to trouble you again and will never grudge you your splendor. I am a man who lives in the free air of liberty. The reason that I write this to you is that I do not know who are my friends. I have always studied to do well and like the hare in the fable suspected no harm, but I find my mistake and now my liberty depends on you. I make my supplication and hope your princely power will not be offended. If I have found grace in your sight, say so; and if not prepare your guillotine and your victim is ready. As some eminent writer says, what is life without liberty, not worth possessing; now you certainly know how crazy I am, and I will give you my honor that I will not deny anything I have done nor retract anything for all you Doctors, Lawyers, Priests and Ladies pretty; nor for all your sanctity and all your esquires and all your prayers, and all your great stone building and brick wings and flower pots and carpets and golden gods. I defy them all. The chicken is in the egg before it is hatched and if it is a game cock it will come out a game cock. I am under such excitement, what shall I do, and no God to flee to, but the God of nature, like Napoleon Bonaparte when he entered the city and exclaimed a sea of fire.

Dr. Brigham if you will make a journey to the west where I have lived, you will find men who know something; but your journeys seem to be the other way, to Albany. The courtiers are always hanging about Courts and dangling to get some of the crumbs that fall from their master's table.

I am an illiterate old man and did not fetch a trunk here neither a watch or any fine clothes, but I have been faithful and industrious, and am greatly obliged to you for your indulgence.

The succeeding and closing letter was written by an estimable and intelligent man who became deranged from ill health and excessive study of abstruse subjects. When he wrote the letter he had been deranged about three weeks. He recovered in three months and has been well since, now more than three years.

Utica,1843.

I have discovered that the mineral waters at Saratoga, constitute the most powerful generating or nourishing principles in the human family, of any compound either in a solid or liquid form ever instituted by the Creator of this great and glorious globe which we inhabit. And that the natural evolutionary powers of the Congress Spring, (as it is called) in an exhausted receiver or pipe would be twenty five degrees according to what I am impressed with the belief should be the modern thermometrical temperature, and that when they have thus arisen to this state of altitude, their virtues would be concentrated so that they would form all that the Creator designed in his wisdom, power, and goodness should be meted to his creature man. I am impressed that the high Rock Spring, was to have risen to that height by which those virtues could have been concentrated in it. But owing to his own supreme direction, or to a supernatural cause, it was permitted to be smothered for the benefit of a future and more enlightened generation. The virtue of these waters are supposed to have been injured somewhat by the influence of local cause. The Congress Spring is on a level with the City Hall in New York, but when elevated into the reservoir to be hereafter described, it can be conducted to the observatory in New York, for the benefit of the nations. I declare as I have been impressed by demonstrations that between two known principles, truth must be established, I declare also that this globe is to assume her proper state of gravitation, according to the design of the Creator, and that New York is to be the highest place on the globe. Having the sun for the centre of attraction, as the only power to affect the earth. Farther, that the enlightened are to partake of the quintessence state of this water, and that man is to draw his sustenance from this water it being such aliment as he in his wisdom will direct. The enlightened part of men are to be constituted very superior beings.