New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-27
JOHN BROWNS INVASION
LETTER FROM THEODORE PARKER
TO A FRIEND IN BOSTON.

foaId Capt Brown guily and passed seotsn's upo"
bim II is sad Friday, Dee . Ia faxed as The day ''f
lar Ripg him. so, iong be this reaches 'ou, my
friend will have Iasseo tO the rswari OF h's mag
psuimous pubic ervices md his pnre, upright PrIvhe
EIe I'M not Ell enough 10 be che IN Mister TO amy
coners eariog eas OF all like that Which, FOR 40
many yesrs beIpsd my sou while II hstened to my
words Surely, the 2S,h Congfeg ,tonal Seeist' III
Boston needs mIIssF, nos blf oeai, bat alive All
over; aud yet while reading the ar cunts OF the aae
at HsIpers Fer y, and of the sayings OF certain msn
Ut Boston, whom you and | know only too weu
could rot he p whiting ! was ut home az Ia to ny
wha, poor n mnsnt OF is left IL IL defense Of
the True and The Right
Auenca il ri h in all, men, in skilfu writers, 10
ready and accomplished speakers. Bnt lew men dare
tr, at pu Bile affairs wih 10 the great PetneI-
ples Of iurtiee, and The American DeOocsac3; nay,
few with referrbce sny mote future " even with
a comprehensive survey Of Ihe present. Our fuoue
" ilers arb wbgt effect will this opDiln haze on the
Democratic party or The Republican party how VIII
it sfett the next Presidential election whr wilt toe
@ eat State of Penney lVana Ohio, or New York,
Say to Tits very unfortunate fos us al, espec-
tally hen be people bave to deal practically and thus
speedily with question concerning the very eXisteuce
Of Democratic institutions ia Americas for Il not 10
he denied that We must give up DEMOCRACY, II we
leep SLAVERY; or give up SLAVERY, if We keep
DIHOcRAcr.
greatly derlore this state of thigs. Our able men
fail To ,rfoIm their natural function, to give valuable
instruction and advice to tbe peoples and at the same
tine uey debsse aDd d grade the mseIyes. The hir-
rabs the Offices get are poor compensation fof
fahen.ss 70 their Own epnscences.
In nv bert estste, do not p"tsnd TO much political
wisc,n, and stili le.s while sIes, bu, wish yet
to ret down few thoughts for your private eye.
They are At least the result OF long meditation on the
subject; beside tbsy not at AL new nor pecutae to
me- but are part OF the Public knowledge of all en-
hgbeDsd men.
J. A MAN BELD AGAINST HIS WILL AS A SLAVE HAS
NATURAL RIGBT TO KILL EVERY ONE WHO SEEKS TO
TRLyEhT HIS ENJoYhLST or LIBERTY. This has long
been recognized as seli-eyden proposiuon, coming
20 directly from tie primitive instincts of human MT
ture that it neither requires proofs admitted them
g IT MAY BE NATURAL DUTY oF 1HE SLAVE
TO DEVELOP THIS NATURAL RIGHT IN PRAcri-
CAL sAsSKR, AND ACTUALLY KILL ALL THOSE WHO
SEEK TO PREVENT HIS EsJoYhEST, OF LIBERTY.
For if he continue patiently in bondage: First he en-
tails ibe fouest of his children and, second
he encourages ether men TO commit tbe crime againrt
natuIe wbch he allows his own master 70 commit.
1t is MY duty 20 preserve my body from st,rva-
ton. If fail thereof through slOtb, not only die,
but incur the contempt and loa'hing Of my acquaiot
apces while 1--we. IL is not lefs my duty to do all
,ho, - ;NoW CT to preserve my body and son from
ona r. snh,'' ~ that through eowardiee,
-. = t-,.a,,ar or,i suter what thral-
dom nics, but incur also the contempt am
of nv acquaintance. Why do freemen scorn aud
despise a slave Because they think his condition is
Hi th h...a ,lf 10
nefer deaib TO bondage. The Southerners hold the
Africans in great contempt though mothers of their
children. Why Simply because the Africans are
slaves that is, beeaure the Africans fail perform
tho duty of securing freedom by killing their
orrressors.
g. TEE FREEMAN has A NATURAL RIGHT TO HELP
THE SLAVES RECOVER THEIR LIBERTY, AND IN THAT
ENILRFRlsE TO DO FOR THEM ALL WHICH ThEf HAVE
A RI6BT TO DO FOR THEMSELVES.
This stat. ment | think, requires no argument or
iu,traion.
A. In NAY BE A NATURAL DRY ToR The
FEIINAE 10 HELP IHE SLAVES TO fHE EsJoYhEsr
OF rHlIR LIBERTY, AND AS MEANS TO THAT Esd, TO
AID THEM IN KILLING ALL SUCH AS OPPOSE THEIR
NATURAL FREEDOM.
II YOU were attacked by vol, should not only
have right 10 ad You N getting mi Of that enemy,
bul il woulo be my DUTY To- help you III proportion 10
nv power If it were MURDERER, and not wolf,
pho attacked you the duty would be still the sa1me'
Snppote it s not murderer who would kill you, but
a KIDSAPFER who would enslaye, does that make ii
lets my dury to help you out of the bands Of your
enemy SuIpose il Is not q kidnapper who would
III .le You "a bondmin, but STAKEHOLDER VINO would
keep ou one, does tiat my obligation to help
you
5. The PERFORMANCE OF THIS DUTY IS TO BE
CONTROLLED BY THE FREIMAs's POWER AsD OPPoR-
1usi1r TO BELP THE sL.vrs tbe impossible is never
the Obligatory cannot help the slaves in Dahomey
OF Borneo, and am not bound try. help those
who escape to my own neighborhood and ought to
do 70. My duty is commensurate with my poweri
and Oh my power Increases, my duty ena'geS along
with il. II | conid help tue bondmep in Virginia to
tL,r fIe.dom easily and efecluiy MS can aid the
rDpsw sy at my own door, then OUGHT 10 do 40.
There FIVE nsxims have direct application to
America a this day and the people OF the Free States
have certain d,n PERCEPTION thereof, which, fortu-
nat.ly, Is becoming tIescer every year.
Thus, the people a. Massaehusetfs feel that they
ought 10 protect tie lLgIye slaves who come into
State. Hence come ~ irregular attempts TO secure
their liberty, and the jcaraiions Of noble men, Ike
Timothy Gilbert aud otbets, that they will do even
at great personal risk ssd 2o The statute laws made
by the Legislature accomplish that end.
Now, if Massachusetts bad the power 20 do as much
for Il slaves in yirs ipia for the runawsys her
own territory, We should those tw sets Of
m.stuIes st work III tSa! direction aIso.
find it is eaid In toe Democratic newspapers that
"CaPt Brown had many friends a. the Norb, VINO
"symya,hized wilh him III general ana i'll special sp-
proved Of this particular scheme of his; but they