John Brown: A Retrospect: Read before The Worcester Society of Antiquity, Dec. 2, 1884.Roe, Alfred S. (Alfred Seelye)
History
John Brown: A Retrospect: Read before The Worcester Society of Antiquity, Dec. 2, 1884.
Roe, Alfred S. (Alfred Seelye)
Brown, John, 1800-1859
must admit that a show of fairness was had, and, considering the
ferocity with which the old man was attacked when down in the Engine
House, the only wonder is that he was granted a trial at all. Through
all the trying hours of that ordeal how like a hero did he deport
himself! Grand in his assaults on the citadel of slavery, he became
grander still as he calmly met his enemies, and told them of his
purposes. Never boastful, he assumes nothing, but at the end, when
asked to say why sentence of death should not be imposed upon him, he
said: "The Court acknowledges, as I suppose, the validity of the Law
of God. I see a book kissed here which I suppose to be the Bible, or
at least the New Testament. That teaches me that all things
'whatsoever I would that men should do unto me I should do even so to
them.' I endeavored to act up to that instruction. I say, I am yet too
young to understand that God is any respecter of persons. I believe
that to have interfered as I have done, as I have always freely
admitted I have done, in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong,
but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my
life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood
further with the blood of my children, and with the blood of millions
in this slave country, whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel
and unjust enactments--I submit; so let it be done." Even if we grant
that he was technically wrong we must accord to him the meed of
perfect sincerity. Whatever his failings he had not that of lying.
"Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for
his friends." John Brown fulfilled the highest interpretation of this
Scriptural maxim. The edict once published, and all over the North
there was a feeling of the deepest sympathy. There was nothing that
could be done. People must wait and meditate. Just enough more than a
month to bring the execution on Friday was accorded the condemned man,
for it was on Monday the 31st of October that the trial was ended, and
the sentence was pronounced the following day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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