Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-10
CLEVELAND SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 10, 1859.


Of the State. lie shsmes the shespishuess of
the people Harper's Ferry. This at the fret
dash; and il is not long aher WHEN he showa
the sheepishness Of the whole Stste. lie II
very brave with the half dead pfisoners. He
lowers terrifealiy on the bed where lies the
powerless body Of John Brown. Sore with
wounds, faint with loss of blood, fallen, chained,
a son slain, companions shot dead OF wounded
his canse defeated, insvitable death staring him
IN the face the old man meets the fierce look
of the Executive with an unqualing % e.a answers
his reproaches with unialtefing words, replies
to his questionings with manly franknese and
ia presses tho Governor with the dauntess
courage and iOfty virtue Of his uheonquerable
soul
The press, South ard North, the pulpit, too.
aad platform, are quick 10 speak out, and with
rare exceptions, hasty 10 condemn, judging b.
lore the time, and thruating at fallen psiriot,
. this was shameful inexousable, "Somethng
should be pardoned to the spirit Of Lbery;r--
this grand sentiment Of Burke should have
been taken by Maternal hsnds and thrown %
mantle over whatever errors Brown may have
coumitted. But there 10 nothing 70 be par
doned TO the spirit that cansnns a blseding
hero for dealing blow which, though Il Fe-
bounded fatally on himself, shall resound
through all time as one Of the death blows OF
oppression. thsnk God that my pen was pre-
served frsm writing one word, and my lips FROM
uttering one syllable in condemnation Of John
Brown Let my tongue cleave 10 the roof OF
my mouth, lot my right hanl forget her cum
ming sooner than DO lelt 10 employ either 10
wrOngiDg one the latchet Of whose shoes |
sm not worthy 10 unloose
John Brown is brought TO trial, charged with
strocous efimes--insurrection, murder, and
treason. The prisoner lies upon bis pallet, pale
from keenest sufierings, but composed and in.
trepid as Daniel in the Lions Den. How
grandly he bears himself through those sham
proceedings; what potent wo;ds he speaks in
the presence Of that mock Court. He asks no
quarter, he lowers not his tone, he spufns the
palliating plea Of insanity, he re firms his aims,
declares his principles, testifss bis trust in
God.
OF course he is found guilty, despite the in
fofmality OF the indictment aud the illegalitY
Of the process He is sentenced to be hung
But recall those calm words Of his which pre-
ceded this unjust sentence Of prosecuting
court. Now what will the Executive do Will
he pardon Brown What says Humanity :
What LIBERTY What Justice What Exps>
dienoyl They demand pardon What say the
multitude-th0 people Of all the Free States I
John Brown is Prophet and ne ought not TO
die the death Of malelaetor. Will the Cover.
T nor be wise Will no show himaelf man 10
be Ruler! What overawes him, that he dare
not pardon the patriot prisoners All. hear 1t,
the chief magistrate Of the Old Dominion is a
slave lie is the minion Of the Slave Power
He cannot DO chivalrous he cannot spare the
life Of broVe old man who has periled all for
his country and his Race. 0annot, and a Go
erROr cannot, and the Head Of State that nur.
tured Henry, JEFFERSON, Washington
What shalt the Governor do, 10 whose bTesst
the spirit Of departed Heroes ought to live sgsnl
! A great emergency is upon him. Before him
lies the PROSTATE form Of man in whom the
spirits Of the mighty dead, legions Of them, live
again. What shall he do with this great en-.
bOdiment Of valor and virtue, whom the spears
OF a ruthless sodigry have sore pierced but
: spared
The Governor is 10 dilemma. He dare not
do a magnanimous deed. He u the Thrall Of
the slsveocracy. That vengefu mistress cries
for the body OF John Brown; and he has sworn
TO do her bidding He may be never SO sOr-
ry but he hRs no power "a do we'll. He is
: bound 20 act the part Of the Prosecutor the
Executive must play the executioner, o, the
Governor of one of these CommonweaithS ought
to execute the fat Of Freedom That is more
glorious liberty, moro excellent msesty, than
/ belongs to any Crowned Head. But the EAec'
utive of Virginia can only execute ths decree
of Slavery Surrey. this out HerOdS Herd
his oric muse of Freedom shall hereafter record
in the Book OF her atruggles for the liberation
of the enslavod. The neritiVe stops for tue
present with the transactions Of TO day. Silent
horrUr broods over this dark Friday the noise
less telegraph carries the awful tale Of which
! to-moroW's sun shall hear rehearsed at every
freside in the land.
We need not spend Que moment in pointing
} TO the correspondence between these iaets and
those recorded in the text. They stand out all
= along the narrative. tn H4E
the PRiNcIPLgs,
What are tie principles involved In these twt
I eRseS aud arc they essentially the same
A leading principle ia the scripture case L
that Of open and resolute opposition to wrong
doing, without respect Of persons, or concern
for consequences. John Baptist saw that lie.
. rod the ,IetFalch was guilty Of fragrant crime
: was living in the unblushing perpstTatiOn OF q
! shameful sin; and be went to him and reproVed
him faithfully. Ia doing this he discharged
:. duth he owed TO Herod, and to Humanity, 3,
virtue aud 10 God. Good men are reproven
of evil men This is their mission. They ars
lights shining in dark places they are to lisvi
no fellowship with tbs unfruitful works Of dark
ness, but rather 10 repvOve them. John WIS
: man sent OF God, Prophet, a Harbinger. Hi
cry 10 all sinners was, Repent, and do work
had TO reblke Herod for his gross iniquity =
He might not dread the wrath Of the Tstrarch
! nor the fury Of the Adultsress. He might no
. forecast the consequences, he might not consul
: : his own safoty, he might not weigh the chance
> of his reproofs being needed With the pros
= poets Of success or the probabilities Of failure
:, he had nothing 20 do, 1t was not for him
: = suecumb to an established usage Of the Palace
y !. and to ssy--the King can do no wrong. II
= was not 1T liberty TO forego the application {
F" the truth 70 HeTOd because he was u man !
authority.
le Purity ia befors Power, aud the Truth
., higher than the Throne the Prophet is ab0,
m the Prince, a. God is greater than the creates
s These principles sVidsndy apply 60 the re
70 cent conflict. Slavery IL great wrong Il
3, "the sum Of all VillAnies." To repTove
ie oppose it, contend against it and seek It's pve
10 thlow is the duty of all good people, Nor
d. this duty TO DO restricted by the limits Of pc
70 sonal safety, or tile assurance Of practieablty
20 OF the dictates Ola short sighted psudence.
as nothing is 10 be attempted in opposition I
40 slavery which ia liable to fail, and by hilur
ID will make tho condition Of the enslaved TEN
II porarly worse, very little will be undertaken
Of and nothing accomplished How Inshy failure
ID there have been already 10 this struggle {,
. Emancipation; failures Of presses, failures
y societies, failures Of political organization
ie failures Of political campaigns failures Of state
- men, Of olergymen, Of Lecturers, Did no
e, LoVeioy fall Did not ToTrey fall Did not Bi
Doy fail, and Frsmohti Yea, has not almoi
T. every snti-slaVery measure, ecelesiAstical an
IA political, been failure, from the rebellion .
hs Lane Seminary to the resous At HaTPeTs FeTTl
~ Yet these failures have all turned out for u
%, furtheEanee Of tho cause, juR as John Dap