Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-10-02
From the Western Christian Advocate.
A Brutal Attack ON Father Fin.
uaW


send you the following facts, as detail
ed to me by Rev. ]. C. Brooks, son-in-law
of brother Finley: On last Monday eve
ming, September 18th, Republican meet
ing was held at Lewisburg, Preble county,
Ohio, to be addressed by Hon. L. D. Camp
bell, the Republican candidate in this dis
trict for reelection to Congress. Rev. Jas.
B. Finley, attended the meeting, as hearer,
While Mr.. Campbell was speaking, brother
Finely found it necessary TO retire, which
he did, alone, and without any suspicion of
personal violence. As he passed around
the corner of the church he heard about
ten or fifteen persons who were assembled
there, cursing the political party of which
Mr. Campbell is the candida ie, calling them
disunionists, woolly-heads, etc.. Suddenly
father Finley was surrounded by these fel-
lows, and, though he uttered not a single
syllable, he was struck on the back of the
head with rock or bludgeon so severely
as to lay him senseless on the ground for
some time, no one knowe how long, for no
friend was present. When he recovered
himself sufficiently, he arose, and attempt
cd 10 90 across the street to The house of
his grandson; but when he came to the
gutter, at the side of the street, he tainted,
and lay for some time, till discovered and
cared for by some friends. He was brought
home Yesterday; but his condition to-day
is such that We have apprehensions of dan
gerous injury. Who these rufians were
that surrounded brother Finley, we have
no knowledge whatever. Has it come to
this, Mr.. Editor, that minister of the
Gospel-and he harmless, quiet old man.
of eighty years-dare not attend political
meeting; where political questions are dis
cussed, without endapgering his life by the
hands of ruffians, who know no other ar
gument than bludgeons? If so, we have
fallen on troublesome times.
Yours, etc, L. F. VANCLEVE.
. EATON, o., September 18th, 1856
Since the following was in type, we have
received the following from brother Finley
himself:
l have always desired that all rumors
should be fairly and truthfully stated; and
knowing that rumors often gain by the dis
tance they run, make to you the follow
ing statement: On the fifteenth instant
| went to Lewisburgh, to meet my old
friend, Hon. L. D. Compbell, whom i had
not seen since his return from Washington
CITY, and to attend the Republican meeting
there, and having occasion to retire for
short time, | was, while out, followed by
some cowardly assassin, anI, with stone or
bludgeon, only a few PAGES from the house.
was knocked down, and left in state of
insensibility. 1t must have been done by
some one who hated me for my firm AMI
unyielding opposision to the whisky and
slavery cause. / know i am hated by
many of those who think whisky is one Of
Gods good creatures, and ought to be
made, drunk, and worshiped, if it killed
and damned every man, woman, and child
on earth. l am also hated by the slaveo-
Gratis, who think God made the colored
man, and his wife and children, chattels for
them to fill their purses with. But my O.
opinion is different from THE. These two
classes of men.loye to hate me, and nowl
know that they would have murdered me;
bnt thank God. / still live. and hope to
live still, to proclaim against both these
great evils with my latest breath, and to
preach liberty to the captives, and the.
opening of the prisons to those who are
bound. go for the greatest liberty of
conscience in religion: for free grace, free
speech, free press, and free territory; and
1 will say, with Patrick Henry, "Gire me
liberty or give me deathr'
J. B. FINLEY.
Sanfambar 10Th 1850