a plea for captain john brown-第4部分

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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　slaves。　　They

are　determined　to　keep　them　in　this　condition；　and　Massachusetts

is　one　of　the　confederated　overseers　to　prevent　their　escape。　　Such

are　not　all　the　inhabitants　of　Massachusetts；　but　such　are　they

who　rule　and　are　obeyed　here。　　It　was　Massachusetts；　as　well　as

Virginia；　that　put　down　this　insurrection　at　Harper's　Ferry。　　She

sent　the　marines　there；　and　she　will　have　to　pay　the　penalty　of

her　sin。



Suppose　that　there　is　a　society　in　this　State　that　out　of　its　own

purse　and　magnanimity　saves　all　the　fugitive　slaves　that　run　to

us；　and　protects　our　colored　fellow…citizens；　and　leaves　the　other

work　to　the　government；　so…called。　　Is　not　that　government　fast

losing　its　occupation；　and　becoming　contemptible　to　mankind？　　If

private　men　are　obliged　to　perform　the　offices　of　government；　to

protect　the　weak　and　dispense　justice；　then　the　government　becomes

only　a　hired　man；　or　clerk；　to　perform　menial　or　indifferent

services。　　Of　course；　that　is　but　the　shadow　of　a　government　who

existence　necessitates　a　Vigilant　Committee。　　What　should　we　think

of　the　Oriental　Cadi　even；　behind　whom　worked　in　secret　a　vigilant

committee？　　But　such　is　the　character　of　our　Northern　States　generally；

each　has　its　Vigilant　Committee。　　And；　to　a　certain　extent；　these

crazy　governments　recognize　and　accept　this　relation。　　They　say；

virtually；　〃We'll　be　glad　to　work　for　you　on　these　terms；　only

don't　make　a　noise　about　it。〃　　And　thus　the　government；　its　salary

being　insured；　withdraws　into　the　back　shop；　taking　the　Constitution

with　it；　and　bestows　most　of　its　labor　on　repairing　that。　　When　I

hear　it　at　work　sometimes；　as　I　go　by；　it　reminds　me；　at　best；　of

those　farmers　who　in　winter　contrive　to　turn　a　penny　by　following

the　coopering　business。　　And　what　kind　of　spirit　is　their　barrel

made　to　hold？　　They　speculate　in　stocks；　and　bore　holes　in　mountains；

but　they　are　not　competent　to　lay　out　even　a　decent　highway。　　The

only　free　road；　the　Underground　Railroad；　is　owned　and　managed

by　the　Vigilant　Committee。　　They　have　tunnelled　under　the　whole

breadth　of　the　land。　　Such　a　government　is　losing　its　power　and

respectability　as　surely　as　water　runs　out　of　a　leaky　vessel；　and

is　held　by　one　that　can　contain　it。



I　hear　many　condemn　these　men　because　they　were　so　few。　　When　were

the　good　and　the　brave　ever　in　a　majority？　　Would　you　have　had　him

wait　till　that　time　came？till　you　and　I　came　over　to　him？　　The

very　fact　that　he　had　no　rabble　or　troop　of　hirelings　about　him

would　alone　distinguish　him　from　ordinary　heroes。　　His　company　was

small　indeed；　because　few　could　be　found　worthy　to　pass　muster。

Each　one　who　there　laid　down　his　life　for　the　poor　and　oppressed

was　a　picked　man；　culled　out　of　many　thousands；　if　not　millions；

apparently　a　man　of　principle；　of　rare　courage；　and　devoted　humanity；

ready　to　sacrifice　his　life　at　any　moment　for　so　much　by　laymen　as

by　ministers　of　the　Gospel；　not　so　much　by　the　fighting　sects　as

by　the　Quakers；　and　not　so　much　by　Quaker　men　as　by　Quaker　women？



This　event　advertises　me　that　there　is　such　a　fact　as　death；the

possibility　of　a　man's　dying。　　It　seems　as　if　no　man　had　ever　died

in　America　before；　for　in　order　to　die　you　must　first　have　lived。

I　don't　believe　in　the　hearses；　and　palls；　and　funerals　that　they

have　had。　　There　was　no　death　in　the　case；　because　there　had　been

no　life；　they　merely　rotted　or　sloughed　off；　pretty　much　as　they　had

rotted　or　sloughed　along。　　No　temple's　veil　was　rent；　only　a　hole

dug　somewhere。　　Let　the　dead　bury　their　dead。　　The　best　of　them

fairly　ran　down　like　a　clock。　　Franklin；Washington；they　were

let　off　without　dying；　they　were　merely　missing　one　day。　　I　hear

a　good　many　pretend　that　they　are　going　to　die；　or　that　they　have

died；　for　aught　that　I　know。　　Nonsense！　　I'll　defy　them　to　do　it。

They　haven't　got　life　enough　in　them。　　They'll　deliquesce　like

fungi；　and　keep　a　hundred　eulogist