St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-12-29
John Browns Last Letter to
i" s'''. His Family.
CHARLESTON. PRISON
LLFFERsOX Co. VA. Nov. 30. 1850.

-, JLFFERsQH Co, Va, Nov. 80, 1850. I
Ny Ds.rly' De1oved WIFE,, Sons, Daughters,
and Ecery One: - -. |
As I now begin what is probably the
last letter that l shall ever write TO any Of
YOU, conclude to write to all at the same |
time.-l Will mtntioa some little matters
particularly applicable to little property
concerns in a;.o.hcr place.
Irccently received letter from my
wife, trcm near Philade!rhi dated No.
vcmbcr 22, by which it would seem that
she was about giving up tic idea oi' seeing
r'c again. ! had written tc her to come
Oh if she felt equal to the undertaking,
but d. not kcow that she will get my
letter in time. 1t was on her own account
chiefly that Lasked hsr to stay back.
At first had a most strong desi,e to sec
''eraSain, but there appeared to be- very
serious objections and should We never
meet in this life. trust that she will in
t!:e end kc satisfied it was for the lest at
'lc:,st;, if NOT lnoss for her comfort. ! en-
c!n<ed in my last letter to her draft Of
fifty d,llars from John jay, made payable
10 her order. | have now another to send
her, from my excellent old friend, Edwin
Harris, .f Woonsocket, H. l., for one
hundred dollars, which shall also make
payable to her order. .;,:: ....
1 am- waiting the hour Of my public
murder with much comrosure Of mind
and chcerfulness, feeling the strong assur-
ahce that in no other possibl: wa; could |
be used to 50 much advantage to the cause
OF good and Of humanity, and that moth
ing that either or all my family have
sacrifc d or suffered will be lost. The
reflection that wise and merciful, as we'll
US, just and holy God, rulcsno only the
affairs of this world, but Of oil worlds, IS
a rocl. to set our feet unqn under all cir
cunlstances--even those more severely
trying ones into which our own feelings
and wrongs have placed Gls:: i. ..>.:
T. have now no doubt .ltut that our SEEM
ing disaster will ultimately Jesuit in the
most glorious success so, my dear shat.
tered and brokrn family. be Of good cher.
and believe and trust in God with all your
heart aud with all your soul; for He doeth
all things we'll Do not feel ashamed OF.
my account, nor for one moment despair
or grow weary Of well doing. bless God
never felt stronger confidence in the
certain and near approach o: bright NOR
:ning, and a,gl rious day than I. have felt.
and do now feel since my confinement
here. l an endeavoring to return, like a
poor prodigal as l am 10 my Father, against
whom have always sinned, in: the hope
that he may kindly and fvrgivinkly meet
me, though very great way of: :.
Oh {! my dear wife AMI children, would
to God you could know how Ihave been
travaiiiny in iitta i"r you ali, that none
Of you may fail Of the grace Of God
| through Jesus Christ--that none Of
you may bebl;~ 4 to the truth and glorious
light Of His Word, ~ which lie and I'M
mortality are brought to light, I besccch
you every one, to make the Bible your
daily and nightly study with child like.
| honest, candid, teachabie spirit "tlovc and
resrcct for your husband and father.
And [ be>eech the God Of my fathers
to open all your eyes to the disc very of
the truth You cannct imagine how
much you may soon need the consultations
Of the Christian religion. circumstances
Ike NY own for more than Il month past
have convinced me beyond all doubt Of
oar great need Of some theories treasured
up ,whe" our ps .jndiccs are excited, or
our vanity worked up to a high pitch. Oh!
d. not trust your etern.l Ill upon the
beisterous ocean without eve, helm or
compass to aid you in steering leo net
ASK any oi GU to throw away your reason;
| only ak you to n.akea candid, sober
use Ut y III rcasp;l.
Ny dear younger children, will you lis
ten to this last l,oor ad,nonit;on OF one ;
w.:o can only love you? Oh! be deter !
mined at once to give Your whole heart
to God, and let nothing shake or alter !!
that resolution. You need have no fears
ot' regretting. Do not be vain and thought !
less, but sober minded; let me entrcat !;
you all to love the whole remnant Of our
once great family. Try and build Up
again your broken walls, aud to make the
utmost If every stone that is lett. Moth
ing can SO tend to make lite blessing as
the consciousness that your life and exam
pie bless and leave GU the stronger-I
Still, it is ground Of the utmost cou fort
to my mind to know that SO many of you
as have had the opportunity have given
some proof of your fidelity to the gr at
family Of men. BE faithful unto death
from the exercise Of habittal love to i,,an
it cannot be very hard to love his Maker.
l must yet insert the reason for my
firm belief in the divine inspiration Of the
Bible, Notwithstanding am, perhaps,
naturally skeptical, certainly not credulous.
wish all to consider it must thoroughly
when you read that blessed book, and see
whether you cannot discover such evidence
yourselves. t is the purity OF heart ill
.ts oar ,n;,ds - we'll .ss 'v,s: slt. ct;s IS. i
Fs.ets :sSey:s;ss s;zss1e< 81 "a. S::i:s s