Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-19
Letter from DR.. q. q. Howe.

Rumor has mingled my name with the events
At Harper's Ferry, So long - II rested on such
absurditiss letters written TO me- BY Col. Forbes
or others Il was too idle for NOTICE; but when oom-
engaged. my fricnds bossech me !. define my po-
siton, and l consent the less reluctantly BE-
cause dive.t myself Of what. In time. might bs
considered an honor. aud want no undsssrvsd
ones.
As regards Mr.. Cook, 10 the best Of my knowl.
edege and belief never saw him. never CORES.
ponded with him, never even heard OF him until
since the outbreak at IIarpsr's Ferry. That event
was unforeseen and unexpected by me; nor docs
nil my previous knowledge Of John Brown enable
me to reconcile it with his characteristic prudence
and his reluctance to shed blood or exotic servile
insurrection. II 10 still 70 me- mystery ana
marvel.
As to tho heroic man who planned and led that
fnrlorn hope. my relations with him in former
times were such as M one ought to be afraid or
ashamed to avow. II ever my testimony 70 HE
high qualities can be OF use TO him or his 10
.hSll be forthcoming at me proper time and place
But neither this nor any other testimony shall
be extorted for uurghteous purposes, i'll can help
1t.
There are, among the statutes Of our Union,
certain weapons, concealed ~ arc the claws OF the
, cat, in a velvet paw, which are soomingly harm
less, but nre really deadly Instruments by which
We ofthc North may be forced 10 uphold and de-
iand tho barbarous system Of human slavery
For instance. dishonest judge In tho remotsst of
South. In far of California, may. upon tho Am.
d avit of any white person, that the s.tmony Of
Nny citizen Of Massachusetts 10 wanted In q crimt-
al suit, scnd a Marshal. who may haul such citi'
snn before the judge, and there. among strangsrs,
70 recognise for his appearance In c0es4, or bs
CO ommitted 10 jail.
Upon the stand such expressions Of opinion
~ nv be drawn from him a. will mark him for An
al olitionst. and turn him out OF the court house
to the tender merces Of people once called ohiv-
al rous and generous but among whom the love Of
fair play seems rapidly dying out.
Such mnrtyrdom might bs coveted by some II
any high purpose were to be gained by III but II
il especially undesirable when tho testimsny 10
not sought with open and righteous. bat with
fal 40 AMI rcveugoul purpose.
am told by high legal authority that Massaoh-
usstts is trammrlled by the bonds OF Union that
as matters now stand. she cannot or dare not pro.
tect her citizens from such forcible extradtion,
and that cnch one must protect himself M best he
mnv Upon that hint Shall act. prefsrring to
fo,rgo anything rather than the right to free
Thought and free speech SO. HOWE.
THE INSANITY OF dERRIT SMITH.
From the Albany Journal. Nov. IA ..
With those who have known Gerrit Smith long
., and most intimately, his present melancholy
&C nition is more matter Of regret than OF sur
| y, i-e. His mind has hoverod upon tho borders Of
in unity for more than quarter Of century
III ~ physical 0ohttn was u6Strnyeu, hhny years
ng !. bv his peculiar habits and views in regard to
temperance and diet
Gcrrit Smith was by nature muniieently en-
do we'd. We knew him first In 1884. then w0ong
m winning Wealthy Backus, his first wife. and
nei tller before nor since have we seen u nobler
pps,cimon of manhood. To the high intellectual
gtfte. ho added u form and face Of surprising
beauty.
Whose red aud white
Natures own sweet and cunning hand laid on
Th,m ardent, generous. and as over. impulsive.
he lv cd for several years in the quiet enjoyment
of ref ned social and domestic happiness. Though
early bcrehved Of nm accomplished wife, hc was
subse 1ucntly restored to all the endearmentn Of
home by mnrroge with daughter Of the late
Col. lFitzhngh. an equally estimabe lady.
so',e thirty years ago then young man Of
great promise. buoyant in spirits aud looking ct
tn bright side fall the scenery of life. he was
an unsuccessful candidate for the State Senate
I hat disappointment disturbed the heretofore
'eyen tenor of his way," and tinged the future Of
his whole life. IIo looked less hopefully upon
men and things. lilo became, as he believed,
philant ropist. but it was the philanthropy less
Of charity than Of force. From an ardent coloni
zationis he became an ultra abolitionist. and his
persuasive zeal for temperance changed to coer-
Give measures in favor Of prohibition. or his
ample fortune he dispensed Of in aid ct abolition
| ism and temperance with moIe libcrality than
wisdom. Both his perverted talents and his mis-
| mote
| Mr. Smith has lived for nearly thirty years in a
state of political hallucination. The delusion cul
minated last year, when, greatly excited. he dcvo-
| ted his time aud money to canvass which no be.
lieved was to result in his election rs Governor,
while every other person in the State knew that
he was wasting his strength and his means. That
disappointment left him too well prepared, in body
and mind, for the shock which has Overthrown his
too long unbalanced intellect f..
The lIarpcr's Ferry insurrection was an at
tempt to carry the teachings Of prominent aboli-
tionists into pra ctcal effect. 1t was foreshadow-
cd in n letter from Mr.. Smith to the Jerry Res
cuers." That no ever intended slaves to rise, rob
and murder we do not believe; but in speeches
and letters be INDUCED IN language which bears
no other construction. Unfortunately, "Ossawa.
tonic Brown" driven to madness by slavery OPP
precision and out,a was tco ready to carry into
practice tho principles which others were only
reckless enough TO teach.
Old Brown and the Mesmerizer-A Curl
GUS Anecdote
A