Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-12-13
Old Brown.

The following IS lie speech of JoFS BEowS,
when called upon by The Judge. before recoiv-
inc his sentence in open Court. The old man
has paid The penalty of his rashnesS. and Gov.
Wlsg has made him hero who has yielded up
his life for noble principle. Although his act
was breach of the laws thrown around the
institution OF Slavery, yet his motives were dis
Interested aud pure.
have NAV it please the Court few words
10 say. Ia the first place, deny everything
but what have all along admitted, the design
on nv part TO free the slaves. i intended Ger
tainlv 10 have made clean thing of that mat
ter as | did last winter when | went INTO Mis-
souri, and there took the slaves without the
swapping OF a gun on either side. moved them
through the country, and finally left them IN
Cauada l designed to have done the same
thing again larger scale. That was all
intended. | never did intend 70 commit muir
der nor treason, nor 10 excite or IncIte the
slaves to rebellion and 10 make an instruction.
have another objection. and that - that II ID
unjust that | should suffer such a penalty
Had interfered in the manner which admit
and which ! admit has been fairly proved, (t1r
| admire the truthiulHess and candor OF The
greater portion Of the witnesses who have tc'tl-
! fed in this case.) had 40 nterfered In benaif
of the rich or in behalf of their friends. either
father, mother. brothe-, sister wife or children.
or any of that class, aud 81 fered and sacrihceu
what | have in this interference, II would have
| been all right Every man in this Court would
haze deemed ii an act worthy of reward rather
than punishment.
This Court acknowledges, az / suppose, the
validity of The law OF God | see book kissed
here which | suppose 10 be the Bible, or at ieass
| the New Testament. that teaches me that all
| things whatsoever [ would that men should do
to me, even should do 10 them" 1t teaches
me further, 10 "remember them that are Ia
! bonds rs bound with them" | eRdearor to act
up to that instruction. | say | yet too
| young to understand that God IS any respcetes
| of persons.
believe that % have =
! 4 always freely admitted 1 have
one. in b.. half of his despiscd poor, was nc
wrong, but right. now it is deemed necessary
that | shou Il forfeit my life for the furtheranct
of ends of il slice. and mnglo my blood further
with the blood of my children. and with blood
OF millions in this slave country, whose right.
are dsregarded by wicked, cruel and unjust
actments, admit, 50 let 1t be done
Let me say word further. | feel entirely
satisfied with the treatment | have had on my
trial, considering all the circumstances. 1t Ia,
, been more generous than | expected, but feel
no consciousness OF guilt. | have stated from
The first what was my intention aud what WA
not. L never bad any design against the life o
any person, nor any disposition to commit trea
son, excite the slaves to rebel, or make any
general iDsur-eciion. | never encouraged AM
man 10 do 80, but n ways discouraged any ide:
= of The kind Let speak also in regard to tn
Q statements made by some of those connectc,
with me-
l hear it has been stated 10y some of then
that l have induced Them TO join me. but TIL
5 contrary is true. | do not say this 10 iniur
. hem, but rs regrettlpg their weakness. No
one Joined ne but Of his own accord and IN
greater part at their own expense. A numbc
G of them | never saw. aud never had word q
conversation with Ill the day they came to me
and that WIS cor the purpose 1 have stated
T Now | have done