Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-11-11
Cant. John Brown.

Capt. John Brown.
The historic page furnishes no record o
!; more. eloquent, words than thosss uttered by
John Brown, when asked if he had anything
to say why sentence Of death should not be
pronounced upon him. Socrates famous
discourse to his friends, previous to putting
the cup Of poison to his lips, in accordance
with his sentence of death, does not approach
it in noble frmness and generous impulse
towards the human family. Brown avows
that he had no design to commit treason or to
incite insurrection, but, only to emancipate
slaves, and lead them to Canada, as he had
done before. That such was his. honest
purpose we are bound to believe, since he has,
throughout his trial, endeavored to conceal
nothing, however detrimental it might have
been to his cause. He knows no fear, and in
an inhospitable country, surrounded by men
clamorous for his blood, he boldly charges
them with the wrongs Of which they are
guilty. They were made to feel q measure of
the spirit influencing the wounded and gray
haired old prisoner, for a profound and signi-
fcanti stiffness prevailed in the COURTROOM
when he ceased We condemn, as we already
have done, Browns insurrectionary move.
ment, but we cannot, under all the circum-
stances, approve of his sentence of death.
In this we are not alone. The New York
Journal Of Commerce Democratic) calls on
Gov, Wise to commute his sentence to
imprisonment for .life.s To send him to a
lunatic asylum would be BETTER But the
chivalrous Virginians are afraid to let him
live. We think they ought to be afraid to
take his life. We agree with the New York
Times that ''Virginia is strong enough to
undertake the custody of criminals of what
ever character within her borders. And,
even if Brown and his associates were to be
turned loose again, and sent home to- the
North, we do not believe them capable of
nfiicting half as much injury in their lives as
would be caused by their deaths."i aa "a
ca One "Col." Forbes, who has been
eagued with Brown in his insurrection
schemes, has been charging all the leading
Republicans Of the country with being cog
lizant of and sympathizing with the Harper's
Jerry affair. The New York Herald and
,lndred prints have been exulting with satanic
,lee over this disclosure" in the vain hope
# deluding the people into belief of the
lamnable falsehood.- Senator Hale, while
ecently in Chicago, published letter in the
'ress and Tri6u4e, summarily disposing of
he calumny. We make the following extract
rom the letter: .
"The- foregoing extracts referring to the
1eralds articles charge in no equivocal Lam
uage that Seward, Sumner, my self and others
new all about Browns projected outbreak at
iarper's Ferry, encouraged it, are implicated
it, that this is proved by documentary
estimony, and that we deserve felon's fate
n the gallows. -ts s II. ... ...-...-
81 shall not undertake the task of vindi-
atlng either of the gentlemen named in
onnectlon with myself from any charges
Ihlch may be brought against them, collect
Vely or individually, by newspaper, or in
ny other mode, but leave that to their own
ands, not doubling their entire ability to do
far more ably and satisfactorily than could.
% far as relates to myself, can only reply
y denying every word and syllable, and
the whole, from beginning to
nd, in general and in detail, false, and
hallenging the world for a particle of testi-
lony, written or verbal, sustaining one of the
harges thus recklessly brought against me,
+ for singl circumstance calculated to cast
suspicion upon me in an unprejudiced mind.
never had any knowledge Or intimation from
ny one that an insurrecton, or outbreak, or
nything of the sort, was contemplated by
Ohm Brown, or any one else, in Virginia, or
lsewhere If there is any such evidence, let
be laid before the Grand Jury of Maryland
Virginia. If they find bill for any vio-
ltion oflaw of either Of those States, pledge
'yself to go and meet the charge in person,
efore any judicial tribunal" ...