The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-12-02
John Browns Case.

sand lives, not one would bespsred
Slavery demands that he pay the ut
most fsrthing, and he is doomed to
do 90 literally and strictly. Now
We hold that no individual, or sci Of
individuals, has any right to go into
q neighboring state, ana violate Its
laws, not even those relating to tho
institution Of slavery. Every state
is sovereign in the regulation Of its
own domestic affairs, and should
have the right to protect itself
against interference by outsiders
John Brown, by going into Virginia,
and engaging in an unlawful act,
rendered himself obnoxious to the
laws; and no one could have found
fault had a punishment been i'm.
posed, ih keeping with the oHenso.
But how wac itP Why, he was con-
victed Oh three chargee: melting
slaves to insurrection, treason, and
murder in the first degree, all capi
tai ofenses. Now, any one who
has read the trial with any care,
knows that not ono OF these charges
was sustained by the evidence. In
the first place, the prosecution failed
to prove that any slaves were melted
to insurrection. And that was the
TACT. Whatever might havo been
Browns intentions, no insurrectiop
OF slaves resulted from his move
ment. In the second place, as he
was not a citizen of Virginia, he
could not be guilty Of treason, in the
legal and technical sense Of that
term. In the third place, no evil
ferce was presented to prove that
Brown premeditated the killing OF
any one, and much less those who
did lose their lives. 1t was proved
m the trial, by the Virginians them
selves, who were held as prisoners
by Brown. that during the whole
siege he expressed an earnest desire
to prevent the shedding Of blood;
and to this end, repeatedly sent out
flag Of truce, with the view Of ne
gotiating terms Of surrender that
would not involve the killing of any
one, and that the bearer Of this fl ~
was repeatedly fired upon, and in
one case shot down. The fret shed.
ding Of blood was done by the vir.
ginians themselves, and Brown re.
turned the fire, as he viewed it in
self-defense. Cook, in his confess
ion, which was brough: out by Gov
ernor Willard, with the purpose Of
the sympathies of Governor
Wise, and which OF course was 30
shaped as to throw the weight of the
responsibility on Brown, bears testi.
mony 10 the fact that before Brown
entered upon his mad project, he
cautioned his confederates to hold
the lives of their opponents sacred.
Here is what he says in his confess
ion:
/" I'm closing, he (Brown) said, 'and now
gentlemen, let me press this one thing on
your minds; you all know how dear lie is
to you, and how dear your lives are to your
friends; and in remembering that, consider
that the lives OF Others are as dear to them
as yours are TO you do not, there fore, take
the lie OF any one II you can possibly avoid
II; but II 1t Is necessary to take life in order
to save your own, then make sure work of
it,"
Yet, on the flimsy evidence pre-
'ented, the Virginia Jury found
Brown guilty Of all the charges pro.
ferred against him, and of course he
was sentenced accordingly. Had
he been found guilty Of riot and
lnanslaughter, and been punished
accordingly, the punishment woula
have been regarded as just, and John
Brown would have had but few 10
sympathize with him in the North. -
But he had laid violent hands on the
"peculiar institution" AMI nothing
bat his hearts blood woul,l satisfy
the demand for vengeance by the
minlons OF slavery. But what makes
this transaction still more disgrace
full and despicable, is, that the par.
tizan Democracy of the North -
those who have an interest in con-
ciliating the South, 70 secure tn
spoils of of1ice-these mon, we say
join in the clamor for Browns lite
These men, and snch rien have beeu
playing upon the fears OF the Virgin
ians, by sending at THE critical tim
all kinds OF groundless reports, to tho
effect that the Northern people ar,
preparing for a grand demonstration
on the South.
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uELPINa To KEEr VI THE PANIC. =
The following from the Xancoc,
Courier shows the insincerity o