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


ess Of fpralates Of ths 18th century. So 70 e.
caps the gibbat and the stake, they came
hither and turned out TO be great men, nation
founders and church fathers.
The twenty. fye years Parliamentary struggle
Of Wiberforce and his colleagues for the Sbo
htion Of the African slave trade encountered
disheartening series Of failures which pfecludsd
10 ordinary minds ths hope Of final succsss--
The wits Ia the House called Me- Wilberforce
hs Member for AJriea. Mr. Dondas, with
pointed sareasm ridiculed ''the spirit Of stra a.
aging Hamani.yi" while out Of Parliament, and
especially in the Colonies and ia the CONNER
eisl cities at home, The opposition was 90 mas
lignant and vindictive that the great phlanthro-
pist wks in peril Of martyrdom. Yet WiIber-
force, by the grace Of God, lived to gain ths
victory; and then as ho entered the House which
had witnessed the ptotraeted conflict, and sue
cessve defeats, covered with the laurels Of
trlomphant success, he was saluted as the
Washington Of Humanity.
Then followed Immediately another struggle
for the abolition Of slavery ia the British Colo
mics. That contest also had its many failures,
bat finally freedom prevailed and or the LIST Of
August, 1886 the shaekles fell from 100000
slayesl Since then that abolition act hhs, 10
its workings been pronounced failure; but
nevertheless freedom has been advanced.
Righteousness has always been failing, vet
has always been fighting, aud always achiev-
ing. Tbs faithful and fearless soldiers Of
Christ have ever had this one testimony to ut.
ter-"We are troubled on every side, yet not
distIessedi We are peTplefsd, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not iOrsaken; cast down, but
not destroyed; always bearing about in our
body the dying Of our Lord Jesus, that the life
also OF Jesus might be made manif, at in our
body. For we which live are always delivered
unto death Tor Jesus sake, that the life also Of
Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal
flesh"
1t Is plain that these principles obtained in
the Harper's Ferry movement the same that
have characterized every forlorn effort for hu.
man rights; the same strong cOnvi elton of duty.
the same fearlessness of danger, the Same re-
gardlessness Of vested powers, the ssme heroic
defiance OF death, and withsl the same show Of
rashness. the ssme betrayal OF human frailty
aud folly, bot over all ana through all this Ne
saue evidence Of Gods hand in the matter, ,
which IS token of his approval, and a pledge
Of success in spite of failure
lHG MEN.
We have necessarily discussed the msn In
reviewing the facts, and the prinOi Piles That
John Baptist was a good man, and a great
prophet we have the testimony net OF the mul.
Christ, who said mo greater Prophet hath
arisen than John the Baptist'' "a prophet
1 Yea say unto you and more than prophet" 4"
Yet there were people found in that genera.
ton who said of him--"Ho hath a Devil
The Pharisses hated him. because he denounced
them az "a generation OF vipers" John Bap-
tlst was the very prin co of radicals; he went
about laying the axe at the root of every cor
rupt utei every COZ Tupt tree, however old,
and houlishing, hOwtNer much an instituton
Was not John Baptis a fanaticl Must he not
have been insanei Did he not labor under a
mental hallueinstioni What strange man,
unlike other men, a hermit, habted in hairy
sack, living on locusu and wild honey. BE was
certainly very unlike Jesus; and that Hgainst
hlm, yet ne was the ordained and trained aud
accredited messengt of Jesus; ne was Just the
man for his scallng- to preach repentance, to up.
turn existing instp uions.tO cast upa hiehBa ay
for the Lord And Wisdom is justified IN sending
this Prophet, JUS gsifed in his life and his death,
There have becg many men of this "Rough aud
Ready" order since John Baptist. And they
have been nestled. Luther was one such, and
Oliver Cromv ell, and John Knox. Very un
courtly men all these, aud very ineausious
slightly inIsus seemingly; but great worfcrI
and brave wa rriors, and mighty aceOmpiahers
| and after endless contradictions of men now
generally allowed to be truo prophets. ofthl'
stamp Of men was John Brown. Ahl 1 find
myself saying sSasl Already John Brown hal
passed iRlO the region of history. We may
now speak freely OF him, IL our Borrowinl
hearts will suffer US to spenk Pause We TO
Q moment, and sils atty mediate on this iFesl
maltyrdom.
Who was this John Brownl He WIS
Christian Of many yeaTa standing; was an oar
| ly aspirant for the ministry; be was man o
prayer, reader Of the Bible, ROdly husband
| and iather lie was business man OF antor
| prise and eneTgy., but unsuccessful, becAus'
God had some bal ter business for him. H'
early went to X nIisas, and there distinguished
himself by HIS ITiwery, his proWesa, his patri
otic services ant [ personal sacrifices He ha
ever been the Ielf.deily ing friend Of tho op
pressed. Like Moses, he was sehooled 10 sym
patiGe with his brethren In bonds and traineC
TO be their Deli .verer. For 90 years he has nurs
ed the purpose. OF a great una srtakiDg 10 libe.
ate the slaves. His wife aud his numerous chill
dron were hia eonfederates la thiss cheme TIL
whole family has been deV0ted 10 this psdOui
hootless pToj bet! Was this all niadnesai Sure
ly there was method 10 itl Yea, there was ia
spiration in it IL was of God. john Brow
was crazy, last as John Baptist was; he wa
insane asalL Gods special messengers are !. q
seem TO be 60 Drutish men. astg
God endowed this man with exlrAordinaT
.
TaTeEt cla'ue' IcY and simplicity. He tempere
his intense hatred Of oppression with human
regard forth oppreSsor. he led him 20 aim Z
she liberation Of the slAves by harmless mean
He was o Insurqenti he was the mediator b.
tive on tn ose dangerous elements which eve
threaten the soutb;he wDnld have prevented 10
aurreetit'n by drawing or the aecumalaiing rus
terials that hasten on the destructive crisis =
, He was the best Friend klins ever knocked
the door of the sleeping stakeholder He WI
I Gods messenger 10 the OppreA sor, sent to spea
! not in whispers but IN thunder tones,
RehaVs been amazed at the maniiold verdict
> which have been rendered concerning the ieli
. dom Of Browns prooeedin ka,by those who VII
deate him from mOTal bla me and lRud his II
roism. Certain prominent pulpils and religion
presses that honor the spitt Of the man NJ
pronounce him christian martyr, Withhold
their sanction from his measures, and keep rel
eating the charges Of folly, absurdty INSANITY
mental hAllueination, dc, do. lah4
We think that what these wiEs men agfea
J praise 10 Tar less praseWOrthy, and of1ar lei
} Importance, than what they censure or dispa
age. The in'pired writer does not tell ua
: word eoneerninl tho heroism with which job
, Baptist met his lnaEtyrdom, does not TeoOTd on
! Of his noble utteTances while in prison; Sll
! sees q. TO mention ls tho rash end suieid
! y 0rds John spake In the Palace before the fas
, of the inoestuOua TetrAroh, Thar tDas fhs de-
which, while it looked like an act Of madnes
really displayed the power and the wisdom
. God. That Sas fks iced which, although u d
oensed Herod W the pitch of madness, imprs
sed him with the moral migAt Of John, and ooi
aiTEinsd him afieIWaTdA To- eselsim, He hl
! risen from the dead, and tho refeFe nighty woTl
. do show forth themselves hn him." Now JOh
= might and We think must have fofeaeen, uI