A Plea for Captain John Brown: Read to the citizens of Concord, Massachusetts on Sunday evening, October thirtieth, eighteen fifty-nineThoreau, Henry David
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A Plea for Captain John Brown: Read to the citizens of Concord, Massachusetts on Sunday evening, October thirtieth, eighteen fifty-nine
Newspaper editors argue also that it is a proof of his _insanity_ that
he thought he was appointed to do this work which he did,—that he did
not suspect himself for a moment! They talk as if it were impossible
that a man could be “divinely appointed” in these days to do any work
whatever; as if vows and religion were out of date as connected with
any man’s daily work; as if the agent to abolish Slavery could only be
somebody appointed by the President, or by some political party. They
talk as if a man’s death were a failure, and his continued life, be it
of whatever character, were a success.
When I reflect to what a cause this man devoted himself, and how
religiously, and then reflect to what cause his judges and all who
condemn him so angrily and fluently devote themselves, I see that they
are as far apart as the heavens and earth are asunder.
The amount of it is, our “_leading men_” are a harmless kind of folk,
and they know _well enough_ that _they_ were not divinely appointed,
but elected by the votes of their party.
Who is it whose safety requires that Captain Brown be hung? Is it
indispensable to any Northern man? Is there no resource but to cast
these men also to the Minotaur? If you do not wish it, say so
distinctly. While these things are being done, beauty stands veiled and
music is a screeching lie. Think of him,—of his rare qualities!—such a
man as it takes ages to make, and ages to understand; no mock hero, nor
the representative of any party. A man such as the sun may not rise
upon again in this benighted land. To whose making went the costliest
material, the finest adamant; sent to be the redeemer of those in
captivity. And the only use to which you can put him is to hang him at
the end of a rope! You who pretend to care for Christ crucified,
consider what you are about to do to him who offered himself to be the
savior of four millions of men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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