The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-12-08
ness, and that have their support from ad
ventitious power.

but, my uear Slr, the concern winch IN
duces me to trouble you with this, is from an
other source. Those scenes which had their
origin at Harper's Ferry, and their denoue.
ment at Charlestown, have an interest aside
from and beyond all these considerations.
To these higher considerations, beg your
attention. Justice has its changeless foun.
dation in changeless rights. Injustice is the
violation of those rights, and whether perpe,
tiated under the pretext of law, and the sane,
tons of human governments, or against law,
it is injustice still No official tampering
can change its character in the sight of God
and all injustice God wiU a0enge. John
Brown is a good man, noble man. He is
no traitor to any law which God sanctions.
If he dies, he will die for the noblest emo
tional principle that ever inspired man. If he
dies, be will die martyr to the rights of our
common nature. While human governments
are ''a terror to evil-doers," they have the
sanction of God; but for any wrong inflicted
upon the least of his creatures, they must
one day reckon with justice on the same
ground as the meanest slave. Nor will the
wrong be di0ided by their concrete action
1t will be multiplied, in its abstract whole
ness, into each individual actor The follow
ing syllogisrn will set this matter in a fair
light: -s
In the death of John Brown, Virginia mur-
ders a good man. The act is multiplied into
every voluntary participant. Every volun-
tary participant is responsible for the deed.
My dear Sir, l pray God his blood be not
found in your skirts. John Brown is ply
sically imperiled. But yourself and all the
actors with you IN that matter are morally
imperiled. OF the two, your danger is in
finitely the greatest. To die for principle is
not dreadful. To die fr sympathy for poor,
crushed, and down-trodden humanity is not
dreadful. But to shed the blood of such a
one is quite another thing. To shed the
blood of such one that thereby the hands
Of the oppressor may be made strong, is a
deed that shall find no covering, neither
from the sheltering wing of human govern
ments, nor from the rocks or the mountains
in the day of God.
My dear Sir, it is for you, not John Brown,
plead. Spare yourself know not that
it is in your power to save him. But If IL is
IN your pooer to save him, and he dies, the
day of his death is the day of your DOOM
The death warrant of John Brown will con-
yict both the hang man and its author in the
day when God shall make inquistion for
blood. That day that sees John Brown on
the scafold, sees your horizon obscured by a
cloud that no sun shall ever chase from your
skies. No matter with what scenes you may
surround yourself, from that day the Crap
ping iron Of your own doom will have fas-
tened upon your soul. Thence onward,
John Brown, with his calm, honest. loving
serene, but sorrowing face, is to be your COM
panion. Waking or sleeping, at home or
abroad, that strange man who could forget
vengeance for the cruel murder of his own
sons, in his compassion for the poor slave, is
to be your companion. You shall see that
patient face in the sparkling cup of earthly
pleasure. You shall hear the soft foot fall of
his gentle spirit around your domestic board,
reminding you of the home you have made
desolate. And in that last lone hour, to
which we are all fastening, when the SUM-
mons shall come which calls you to yolr last
account, the voice of John Brown will strange
ly mingle with that summons. And to that
dread account the scenes of Virginia will fol-
low you. Then the weak will be as the
strong. There the wrong -doers, and the
wronged ones of the earth will stand togeth-
er before the impartial Judge. There the
blasphemies of those who have spurned the
higher law, will be hushed forever, and jus
tice will fulfil her pledge to the universe.
These are not chimera of dstempered
imagination. The things that God has said
in his word are verities There is world
where the fictitious distinctions of earth are
unknown, and where justice reigns think
of you as man. love you as brother
man. God forgive me if it is not in my heart
to do good to my brother-men involved in
the meshes and even guilt of slavery, with
as tender and selfsacrificing zeal as would
to any friends | have on earth. love John
Brown. | revere him as noble specimen
of my race. He may die victim to partial
and unjust legislation. But rather envy
than regret his lot. / trust that he who
made the noble victims of Roman law and
Phillipian magistrates to sing in their prison
at midnight, will not forget John Brown in
his American Phillippi. But have not the
same comfort for those who are seeking his
blood. fear the day of his death will be the
day that seals their ruin. NV dear Sir,
Brown is already saved. Save yourself. Sla-
very is madly rushing upon its own doom.
You can not save that In Gods name save
yourself.
With very great respect, remain your
friend and humble servant,
NATHANIEL CoLvER.
A wife looks prettier, if she did but know
it, in neat morning dress Of calico than in
incongruous piles Of finery. and which she