The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-12-08

desperate as that for which his life is
now SO sadly imperilled. What INC.
tive controlled him to this actiony A
crime without a motive cannot exist.
Was it the motive Of bloodshcdi Was
it the motive Of disloyalty to a Gov.
crnment .%ccmentcd by the blood
o fhis ancestors, and defended by all
who arc near to him by the ties of
kindred? Not a syllable Of proof
warrants such a conclusion. Was
bis motive robbery and unholy gain !
Other fields are more inviting to the
land pirate; but the thought Of plum
der never crossed n mind like his
One answer, and one alone. is to be
Given to all those questions. John
Brown was the despotic leader, and
John j.. Cook was an i'll latcd follow.
or Of an enterprise whose horror he
nov realizes and dcplorcs. ! defy the
man, here, or elsewhere, who has ever
known John f.. Cook, who has ever
looked oEce fully into his face, and
learned anything ofhis history, to lay
his hand on his heart and say that he
believes him guilty of the origin orthe
results Of the outbreak at llaiper's
Ferry.
Here, then, are the two characters
whom you are thinking TO punish
alike. Can it be that Il jury OF Chris,
tian men will find no discrimination
should be made between them! Are
the iemptcr and the tempted the same
in your eyes? Is the bcgui!cd youth
to die the same as the old offender
who has pondcrcd his crime for thir.
ty.slX years? Are there no grades in
your estimation ofguilt! lseach one,
without respect Of age or circum'
stance, to be beaten with the same
number Of stripesy Such is not the
law, human or divine. We are all to
be rewarded according to our works,
whether in punishment for evil or
blessings for good that we have done.
You are here to do justice, and il JUS.
lice acquires the same fate to bcIall
Cook that bclals Brown, know noih-
ing of her rules, and do not care to
learn. They are as widely asuldcr in
I'LL that constitutes guilt US the poles
Of the earth, and should be dealt with
accordingly. 1t is in your power to
dose, and by the principles by which
you yourselves arc willing to be
judged hereafter, | implore you to
do it,
Come with me, however, gentle,
men, and let US approach the spot
where the tragedy Of the l7lh Of Oc>
tobcr occurred, and anaIyzc the con
duet Of the prisoner there. 1t is not
lrur that he came as a citizen to your
State aud gained a home in your
midst to betray you. lie was order
ed, to take his position at llarpcr's
Ferry in advance Of his party for the
sole purpose Of nsccrtniuing whether
Col. Forbes, Of New York, had diyul.
ged the plan. This order came from
John Brown, "commander.in-chicf,"
and was doubtless IA matter Of as much
interest to others Of prominent station
as TO himself. Cook simply obcyed-
no more. There IS not IL particle Of
evidence that be tampered with your
slaves during his temporary residence.
"a the contrary, 1t IS admitted on all
Ii'ndS lhat lc qua not. His position
mere Is well defined. Nor was he
from under the cold, stern eye Of his
Leader. IRON the top OF the noun.
IAN ms enc looked down upon him,
and held INN us within a charmed
circle. would Cook had lived Il day
had he 'r'cd to break the mcsheS
Wh ca environcd him! Happy the
hour IN which he had made the AZ
tempt even had ne persisted, but, in
iXlnS the measure OF his guilt, the
circumstances by which he was sur
rounded must all be weighed. At ev,
cry step we sec him as the inslru.
mcnt IN the hands OF other men, and
not as originating or advising any
thing Ills conduct towards that Gle.
CANT and excellent gentleman, Col.
Washington, is matter OF sore regret
to his friends and also to himself. /,
is the n act most difficult OF all 9TH
crs to reconcile with the welI-known
character Of the man. But even there
his %olicnse is palIiatcd by the dictA.
torship which governed him. At first
glance we see a high.touel gentle.
mans hospitality abused This has
been used to aggrsvate us acknowl.
edged o~ilenscs. But III: truth is, that