CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 913, 5 September 1910, Page 8

CAPTAIN JOHN BROWN.

STILL MARCHINC ALONC. (By J.QX) ■' Mr. Roosevelt has made a dramatic speech in. Kansas on the; battlefield 1 of Ossawatomie, where' tlio celebrated American ariti-slavery leader John' Brown fought : a band of: Missouri raiders in.Aiigust," 1856.—Press cablegram.',: . - ..

f' ■.'.''••'• /'/It .appears/'that,, /although John iC.;.,,.''-v.-;-.Browii?.sv.body.'.has : been-.a-mbulderin'g in //;;/ /the,/grave these/fifty years, his soul !//'/ •■still ;gbos inarching ~ along: This//•■is v •''.'.'■ ;:■'. good news. .It "suggests that it is. pos- /: ';'.'■;' sible -for politics to. be soinething more {.;•/.: than a;', sordid struggle between in\;r:j.'/ tbrests/" It is/ a /reminder, that:national !■'.."'/.;' be, nioved/by other.means [;'■;■ -./Jthan the,hiorc'C'r'less direct giving of; !;.-;.; //'/■bribes.;;'/;'/.'' '/"-,/■ /-'/:- ■/;-.. ',•■:• '..■;.;, r.!;'-';, In tho judgrheht of "some of his:con- / .'■} !"; - temporaries,/. John /Brown /was '" a. crazy ;■■•';./:fanati(r.• :Others saw in. him a leader / ;.;/ not less wise' than heroic. ; The,verdicts :/;.': /of the,/latest .historians'; -though". less /''-•:// extreme," are'/.similarly, .divided.: It;"is: ■.'■;••;;'.'.'.rdifficult" to decide whicli.party is: in the //'./: right, .but ;it,-is,-at.;all events,..'-clear ißrbwnl'lived as a Man of '.-.•principle,-and./became,..after his death,. /•//a/ : national;hero//,/.////;';: '■"•;/'.;'/'' .."/./'/..He"! is j chiefly remembered,, not 'for /?;//the for; his /' ; /, last /act,/ the-.raid ■on/Harper's /Ferry.' // '■■■ // This/event / is'.: described, .and..Brown's• '':"■ ' : /'career, summed Viip, -.as. follows, by, %',T'' Presidsnl/ Wqddrow; Wilson, of: Priilce- ;,///: :ton;{Uniyersity; :iii-/:the ":"Cambridge /// ~;/// •>.-•:.:; :,-■/'.// .//: "Ori'the.-riight '6i Sunday, October :■; >////,. 17,':1859,'; one : John .'Brown,;' at /tho/.' ////: / head :6f-.'a'.little /band'of , less; than ;_ ;//i./; { ;twenty/;followfcrs;/" seized/ th6\ : Uhited-/t //■/-i//States;'/arsenal' at/Harper's: Ferry',.;.; /.•:/.// in; YirginiaJ'meaning to there ._ / /':/:/: 'a'suddoh/blowfOr/the' / - ///.;/ the' v slaves,. /and, ' /having;.; set /a / T-. /'S / /" : : / goodVhis.rptreat/;te jthe-m'oun tains.' ■% /// /an almost// ;//; T //y crazed fanatic; ; tho ihari' was quickly' / : ; f;-/;/;';:.;/takch'/and /promptly/changed;:' -'his// !■/:/;/;/■ 'flambCf;war had•fuCkeVedzand:died y /.'''!/ : /•;::in ! the'socket.V/But/that-was-;;hot•.;/ |/://v;/BU.//Brown^'was/from/Kansas;- -he. / Pffp'i '':.-. ■had;/come-;to'U;yifgini£i:; rat'/ mid-;-/'; i; <£%:'?■ summer' in '/that - ; ahxidus' year ABs9i:' / f/ /- /'.'-, -with Vthe;!staiu /still/fresh/upon' Him/; / f.;':;,;//'. i-of MmO''bf.'tHe'/blbpdiest':6fi;,the ; law7;j!.:. f/'/Jrv^less/wdrki'ddnd/ithcrcijjh "fhe/'hanieV:/ | ; -.////of■ ■ freeddm:"/a-/terribki outlaw// , p/i/'/'^because^ari'/Cutlaiv.'for 'conscience ■/•/ t:' : /■///sake;/intense ''..to-', the.'pdin't, of ;.r un/:// 1///!-/ governable,passion; heeding;riothing'i,; ;-■ K ■"';/-//but hisCwn ; ;will ; and;sense of,'right;// |////: -'a revolutionist; upon//principle; -a// [/;/// /lawless: ihcehdiafy^-a'rid/yet.seeking",/ I//'/:// ■nbthing/for.:/h'im'solf'f : ; t//'/.//Iftwould 'be '.easycte .quote 'from ;Bify-' [/ '•' /;/; 'ant'si! 'Popular;' History ■ of; the ;/United r/i States" r/a--more/-'fa:vOurable ', 'judgment' y.:\ : i/tlian/tHis,;;but/for:"a,/yivid portrait, full; | /'//' 'bf /syrripathetic' irisig]ity/it. is v bettor -to f:/.//;tnrn;to l/Zji/nigh/t; after Hbe-faid ; bri/ ///::;/and.Trhile.ißro wri., was/ ini;'p'rison,-:-.awaitr I ■// i'i •■;'ing /executipii,; THoreau f deliyere"d/tci his' ji//:/;f ellowTvillager3i : alii Concord';an /address' t•/■ //>hich/he-called/"Art'lea.^for : : Captam; f;//- '■';'■. John Brpwu/?;/The;splakefihewBrowh ; [;/;//mo'sji;' ; of/his/audiehco~;(whi^ /;/ • iiicluded'-Emei'sori//Haw-/; i; ■■/; / hadfseen '-. : an'd': would r sqoh/, forget "Him../ An/address ; .'by/ ;-!:,',•:'- such'i a/man/ and "'insiicli'.'circunistahces:! ;/:; /literature;' ;//--; ..'''s/ do/hot' wish/tevforce;:/jny/tlibugHtS(j //,;://;: upon you;^';iie/saidi("b]lt?rjfeeliforced' // "-'\ myself."//'Seg'ihningtwith-:a;;sketoh/'.ofi /:/;;frown's career,; lie/told; ; /Hdw;;his. /early / //•Jihpwledgerbf/.sbldieM ifiVr': vto the'liarmyrin/the' //>/. war:'of;.lßl2,/bred/;ifi:/him'; such/affa'b-/ ////:/horfehce : tha/t /he/iidt- ;/.: offer.!'pf ; ,-spme/i.pettjt-"' :./ v //'office:/in/the-.-army,' fine/ /// /to" • /////^h^/he; wpulijheyer/nave/.anything' to' ;;//■; warcunldss/it" wereKa/war, ■J^: ; +f° T ■liberty^.''/^WKen;Kar,sas' : being/ '■^^"•■^ e^S;-l,^-'W'n 'S r s'Pt? frprn'the'Eas'tern;,! Jdhn (Brown,/then' a:New,. : Eng-' S:.//'/lahd; : the /.party• ,that /wanted /'tb; keep •.slavery ■ j //;,'/'.bnt' : .'.of;,itf/.He/sent/several;bf.his sohs; s///tovhelp/itheyFreeL/Soilerg;'and^soon ;af-,i :;H;:':. terwards'went-thither Himself. '\ '.'ltwas , ;/»/W;: : through;lris/ agenc'y;:.far.' moire than-any ://;;; S.'dther..'s, : :tfiaV / .'S i ansas/.w :|iK^//Her/B/are/some/df ; Thorean!s/saying!i j/V■;' tobout':Captavn/John Brown ':'■ .'■'■'■/ /;/;/.:// //; /;:/;v .////He would havo/ ;■ "/' :/,-/l e ft /a /Grepk;-accent: /■ slanting;./.thd/' ://;// wrong: : wav, /and'righted;:up/a 'fall-/, L./;; \ 'V:l--V"'-'/w i i":;'--r/;.i--.-./.--./-- ; '.'-\:-.-.' -'.--:":- /::':■"'!'■••'.H'..JHe''■ was/pne;,df/that'eiass' : of/: /;://-' \ vilipm7'we;-hear / ; >deal^/-buti/; ; ' ;?./; /'/for /the /most .part;; see ' nothing at'/ ■ /■/; ■;•/• >;'. all-/the; .Puritans; /.'/ -Tt; //w.oiild/;' be.; / //.?///in ; yain .to/kill.him/r/'/lie-died;'late-;/; ///!// ; .ly Tin-the/.time of Cromwellj'/but:; he: / ;;//:V ; - 7 reappeMed:-here."/ /'*: z/v../','/••'■' /• ///'He/was never^'able/to-find.more/ : /•.:; ./;than;;a;/-scdre -.:'. or "-.so'/of /recruits'/' '/■////; ,whojri;..He: would "accept; ; arid ./only;/ ///://:about / a/dozen; : / ainong then! /; His// /../:,^;sons//.in/whom./'he./had//iperf ect / ,'//:.?;/faith. /;//.\'l. believe/that/ ho/Had ■ "/'•// /prayers:,iri his "camp' morning '/.and'/.'. /':,':'//': evening;.";:///.../■/.:/,-'■/ /"■.;• :///;// .;■;*: ;..'■•''■ and' principles—/ /;■/ ///that was' what distinguished him." //; S- /-/;//"He/cpuld/nbt/ have/been jc/:: /■"/ Hy a jury/of-his-peers, /becausd/his/' ![;-.:,::.\peers did not ''.exist'.' '<:/. /:'/';:.; / ;'/-///It ■ was ;,to ibe : ///./srho; taught;..that:;-''civil ■ disobedience" ;//,: :.was Soften/a/duty/'and:'cheerfully; went / : , .to prison; for.'refusing'to'pay" /His;taxesj //;;."should: see/nothing/very/wrong, in /the t/i 1 / the crime'for.;,whiqK ; Jolin-'BrOwn was [,:;•/,.:;Mnged;,-his-Vking ap'-ams--aga'inst.-the 1/.-]■;..Government'ofhis"-country.: 'But'llid-,

! ..v' ? ' reau; was ..able'"to .-'support 'his opiri,.;'■'quo^■atipns■■.;■'■■frbm■^Vo:fßoialsi■ U ■: •, Thus '.Governor .Wise: ■ "They_ ■ are .tliem- •/■::■}-.,'; selves,-,mistaken who ' take, him;to.be a t//:' '.madman. ; //."He "isi'cobl/ collected; and: Is ■■'.[ ■■'- and;; it Ms but- just ! tp' him' • s ; ■-,':- -to say'that ,he: ; was; humane to his pris- )) .;, _:bners.;:.: X'y-.And die.lnspired ?"■''',• 'great "trust: in"his,' integrity; a's : .a r mah: \':;,-:jf..af truth.":'; :';;.;,:.;.:,' :"^:h- : :■■'■■•'.;''''' >; -"•' r::.', .The.' 'execution of John Brown . was :'," J -marked by : a-dramatic- incident.';-: •Whit- ]:• : , tier has related- ifrih vesses',--wliicli show '';'■',.., that:the Quaker's,disapproval,of'violent ; '■;,.'.' deeds could not;- blind, tho poet Ho' 'a- :.,>: real,nobility: of; purpose:•■,■*. ';'';■'i;':'.;;. ,-■ , "John Brown.'of' bs'sawatomie ; spake' on ~'■;' i. his dyingvday:"!. v': ■■:, ; ::: , ■."•■."- 1..; '.'I-will, not ■have- to.shrive v' my" soul: j a ,•!.'• ; . ' .priest .in"Slavery's.-pay.-' -, :- •' ;/'■': ;'; '■';•• But let some poor- slave-mother' whom" I p 'have striven to.free,: '•, •-'.. [','■■,..'.'.With-her'-children from ; the gallows'- ':'. : .' stair put,up:a prayer for me!'. ..; •.--...: "John-Broivn :• of.'Ossawatomie/they led !'-••"• . him .out to die;. ~'■■■. ...,''•..; ,;. !■:'.■_••■ And .lo! a poor, slave-mother' with ; her j ; . little.child pressed nigh.,-.. i,''.. ..■ Then. the''hold', blue eye grow tender, and 1.. the.old'harsh face,grew mild, ■ ■ j,;; As ho stoppod between' tho jeering ranks r;. ,-,. , and kissed the.negrb's child! •['■■■;• ' "The shadows, of. his,stormy, life- that i: '-;moment fell apart; ■ ■ ■'.■■'!■. *'.: And they who blamed the bloody hand j:'.'-, •'■ forgave' the loving heart. [:■'■ -That kiss from all its..evil means rei . .' : deemed the good intent, ; ["'■;''., And round the grisly fighter's hair tho !:■'• martyr's aufeolo beat.", ,; ■ v

A 1 year; .or , ; two. ; after' that tho '... Northern^: armies .; were march-' ing ; to tho strains of ';. ' "John Brown's -body lies ■• a^mouldoring < in'tho grave', ;•• - ;'■•;.'••"' '•'•' .' But his sour goes marcliing along.".' And it' is permissible; to hope that the effect of Mr. E-oosevelt's speech at Ossawatomie was.not so much to drag the memory of'.Tohn .Brown; into' pre--rent-day.' controversies as to lift the heareTs (the words are Tboreau's) "out &f tho trivialness and : dust. of politics into the; region of truth ana manhood." '••'-. ' - ; .',