a plea for captain john brown-第4节

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his　peers；　because　his　peers　did　not　exist。　　When　a　man　stands　up

serenely　against　the　condemnation　and　vengeance　of　mankind；　rising

above　them　literally　by　a　whole　body；even　though　he　were　of　late

the　vilest　murderer；　who　has　settled　that　matter　with　himself；the

spectacle　is　a　sublime　one；didn't　ye　know　it；　ye　Liberators；　ye

Tribunes；　ye　Republicans？and　we　become　criminal　in　comparison。

Do　yourselves　the　honor　to　recognize　him。　　He　needs　none　of　your

respect。



As　for　the　Democratic　journals；　they　are　not　human　enough　to　affect

me　at　all。　　I　do　not　feel　indignation　at　anything　they　may　say。



I　am　aware　that　I　anticipate　a　little；that　he　was　still；　at　the

last　accounts；　alive　in　the　hands　of　his　foes；　but　that　being　the

case；　I　have　all　along　found　myself　thinking　and　speaking　of　him

as　physically　dead。



I　do　not　believe　in　erecting　statues　to　those　who　still　live　in

our　hearts；　whose　bones　have　not　yet　crumbled　in　the　earth　around

us；　but　I　would　rather　see　the　statue　of　Captain　Brown　in　the

Massachusetts　State…House　yard；　than　that　of　any　other　man　whom　I

know。　　I　rejoice　that　I　live　in　this　age；　that　I　am　his　contemporary。



What　a　contrast；　when　we　turn　to　that　political　party　which　is　so

anxiously　shuffling　him　and　his　plot　out　of　its　way；　and　looking

around　for　some　available　slave　holder；　perhaps；　to　be　its　candidate；

at　least　for　one　who　will　execute　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　and　all

those　other　unjust　laws　which　he　took　up　arms　to　annul！



Insane！　　A　father　and　six　sons；　and　one　son…in…law；　and　several

more　men　besides；as　many　at　least　as　twelve　disciples；all　struck

with　insanity　at　once；　while　the　same　tyrant　holds　with　a　firmer

gripe　than　ever　his　four　millions　of　slaves；　and　a　thousand　sane

editors；　his　abettors；　are　saving　their　country　and　their　bacon！

Just　as　insane　were　his　efforts　in　Kansas。　　Ask　the　tyrant　who　is

his　most　dangerous　foe；　the　sane　man　or　the　insane？　　Do　the　thousands

who　know　him　best；　who　have　rejoiced　at　his　deeds　in　Kansas；　and

have　afforded　him　material　aid　there；　think　him　insane？　　Such　a　use

of　this　word　is　a　mere　trope　with　most　who　persist　in　using　it；

and　I　have　no　doubt　that　many　of　the　rest　have　already　in　silence

retracted　their　words。



Read　his　admirable　answers　to　Mason　and　others。　　How　they　are

dwarfed　and　defeated　by　the　contrast！　　On　the　one　side；　half…brutish；

half…timid　questioning；　on　the　other；　truth；　clear　as　lightning；

crashing　into　their　obscene　temples。　　They　are　made　to　stand　with

Pilate；　and　Gesler；　and　the　Inquisition。　　How　ineffectual　their

speech　and　action！　and　what　a　void　their　silence！　　They　are　but

helpless　tools　in　this　great　work。　　It　was　no　human　power　that

gathered　them　about　this　preacher。



What　have　Massachusetts　and　the　North　sent　a　few　sane　representatives

to　Congress　for；　of　late　years？to　declare　with　effect　what　kind　of

sentiments？　　All　their　speeches　put　together　and　boiled　down；and

probably　they　themselves　will　confess　it；do　not　match　for

manly　directness　and　force；　and　for　simple　truth；　the　few　casual

remarks　of　crazy　John　Brown；　on　the　floor　of　the　Harper's　Ferry

engine…house；that　man　whom　you　are　about　to　hang；　to　send　to

the　other　world；　though　not　to　represent　you　there。　　No；　he　was　not

our　representative　in　any　sense。　　He　was　too　fair　a　specimen　of　a

man　to　represent　the　like　of　us。　　Who；　then；　were　his　constituents？

If　you　read　his　words　understandingly　you　will　find　out。　　In　his

case　there　is　no　idle　eloquence；　no　made；　nor　maiden　speech；　no

compliments　to　the　oppressor。　　Truth　is　his　inspirer；　and　earnestness

the　polisher　of　his　sentences。　　He　could　afford　to　lose　his　Sharpe's

rifles；　while　he　retained　his　faculty　of　speech；a　Sharpe's　rifle

of　infinitely　surer　and　longer　range。



And　the　New　York　Herald　reports　the　conversation　verbatim！　　It　does

not　know　of　what　undying　words　it　is　made　the　vehicle。



I　have　no　respect　for　the　penetration　of　any　man　who　can　read　the

report　of　that　conversation；　and　still　call　the　principal　in　it　insane。

It　has　the　ring　of　a　saner　sanity　than　an　ordinary　discipline　and

habits　of　life；　than　an　ordinary　organization；　secure。　　Take　any

sentence　of　it；〃Any　questions　that　I　can　honorably　answer；　I

will；　not　otherwise。　　So　far　as　I　am　myself　concerned；　I　have　told

everything　truthfully。　　I　value　my　word；　sir。〃　　The　few　who　talk

about　his　vindictive　spirit；　while　they　really　admire　his　heroism；

have　no　test　by　which　to　detect　a　noble　man；　no　amalgam　to　combine

with　his　pure　gold。　　They　mix　their　own　dross　with　it。



It　is　a　relief　to　turn　from　these　slanders　to　the　testimony　of　his

more　truthful；　but　frightened　jailers　and　hangmen。　　Governor　Wise

speaks　far　more　justly　and　appreciatingly　of　him　than　any　Northern

editor；　or　politician；　or　public　personage；　that　I　chance　to　have

heard　from。　　I　know　that　you　can　afford　to　hear　him　again　on　this

subject。　　He　says：　　〃They　are　themselves　mistaken　who　take　him　to

be　madman。。。。　　He　is　cool；　collected；　and　indomitable；　and　it　is

but　just　to　him　to　say；　that　he　was　humane　to　his　prisoners。。。。

And　he　inspired　me　with　great　trust　in　his　integrity　as　a　man　of

truth。　　He　is　a　fanatic；　vain　and　garrulous；〃　（I　leave　that　part

to　Mr。　Wise；）　〃but　firm；　truthful；　and　intelligent。　　His　men；　too；

who　survive；　are　like　him。。。。　　Colonel　Washington　says　that　he

was　the　coolest　and　firmest　man　he　ever　saw　in　defying　danger　and

death。　　With　one　son　dead　by　his　side；　and　another　shot　through；　he

felt　the　pulse　of　his　dying　son　with　one　hand；　and　held　his　rifle

with　the　other；　and　commanded　his　men　with　the　utmost　composure；

encouraging　them　to　be　firm；　and　to　sell　their　lives　as　dear　as

they　could。　　Of　the　three　white　prisoners；　Brown；　Stephens；　and

Coppic；　it　was　hard　to　say　which　was　most　firm。〃



Almost　the　first　Northern　men　whom　the　slaveholder　has　learned　to

respect！



The　testimony　of　Mr。　Vallandigham；　though　less　valuable；　is　of　the

same　purport；　that　〃it　is　vain　to　underrate　either　the　man　or　his

conspiracy。。。。　　He　is　the　farthest　possible　removed　from　the　ordinary

ruffian；　fanatic；　or　madman。〃



〃All　is　quiet　at　Harper's　Ferry；〃　say　the　journals。　　What　is　the

character　of　that　calm　which　follows　when　the　law　and　the　slaveholder

prevail？　　I　regard　this　event　as　a　touchstone　designed　to　bring

out；　with　glaring　distinctness；　the　character　of　this　government。

We　needed　to　be　thus　assisted　to　see　it　by　the　light　of　history。

It　needed　to　see　itself。　　When　a　government　puts　forth　its　strength

on　the　side　of　injustice；　as　ours　to　maintain　slavery　and　kill　the

liberators　of　the　slave；　it　reveals　itself　a　merely　brute　force；　or

worse；　a　demoniacal　force。　　It　is　the　head　of　the　Plug…Uglies。　　It

is　more　manifest　than　ever　that　tyranny　rules。　　I　see　this　government

to　be　effectually　allied　with　France　and　Austria　in　oppressing

mankind。　　There　sits　a　tyrant　holding　fettered　four　millions　of

slaves；　here　comes　their　heroic　liberator。　　This　most　hypocritical

and　diabolical　government　looks　up　from　its　seat　on　the　gasping

four　millions；　and　inquires　with　an　assumption　of　innocence：　　〃What

do　you　assault　me　for？　　Am　I　not　an　honest　man？　　Cease　agitation

on　this　subject；　or　I　will　make　a　slave　of　you；　too；　or　else　hang

you。〃



We　talk　about　a　representative　government；　but　what　a　monster　of

a　government　is　that　where　the　noblest　faculties　of　the　mind；　and

the　whole　heart；　are　not　represented。　　A　semi…human　tiger　or　ox；

stalking　over　the　earth；　with　its　heart　taken　out　and　the　top　of

its　brain　shot　away。　　Heroes　have　fought　well　on　their　stumps　when

their　legs　were　shot　off；　but　I　never　heard　of　any　good　done　by

such　a　government　as　that。



The　only　government　that　I　recognize；and　it　matters　not　how　few

are　at　the　head　of　it；　or　how　small　its　army；is　that　power　that

establishes　justice　in　the　land；　never　that　which　establishes

injustice。　　What　shall　we　think　of　a　government　to　which　all　the

truly　brave　and　just　men　in　the　land　are　enemies；　standing　between

it　and　those　whom　it　oppresses？　　A　government　that　pretends　to　be

Christian　and　crucifies　a　million　Christs　every　day！



Treason！　　Where　does　such　treason　take　its　rise？　　I　cannot　help

thinking　of　you　as　you　deserve；　ye　governments。　　Can　you　dry　up

the　fountains　of　thought？　　High　treason；　when　it　is　resistance　to

tyranny　here　below；　has　its　origin　in；　and　is　first　committed　by；

the　power　that　makes　and　forever　recreates　man。　　When　you　have　caught

and　hung　all　these　human　rebels；　you　have　accomplished　nothing　but

your　own　guilt；　for　you　have　not　struck　at　the　fountain…head。　　You

presume　to　contend　with　a　foe　against　whom　West　Point　cadets　and

rifled　cannon　point　not。　　Can　all　the　art　of　the　cannon…founder

tempt　matter　to　turn　against　its　maker？　　Is　the　form　in　which　the

founder　thinks　he　casts　it　more　essential　than　the　constitution　of

it　and　of　himself？



The　United　States　have　a　coffle　of　four　millions　of　s