Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-28
Meeting in Jefferson.

TIE Witness Stand
: Alarcs meeting was held at Jefferson
Ion Friday the Ieth, to sympathise viii
Stephens and Hazlett, who were executed
on that day, at noon.
We make the following extracts from the
Ashtabula Sentinel OF the 2lst inst:
The Meeting was addressed by John
Brown, jr. who gave a shoyt sketch of
AARON ID. STEVENS and ALBERT HAzLErT,
~reco1nting the manner in which Stevens
first became interested in the Free State
cause in Kansas. Mr.. Brown read extracts
from a number Of letters written by Ste
veus from Charleston Jail to different per-
sons in this vicinity.
He was followed BY James Redpath well
known to our readers and every one as a
bold and fearless opponent of slavery and
oppression. His delivery was very fine
and effective. and the speech was well re-
cefFed, radical as it was.
Owen Brown, then took the stand, and
by his odd speeches and capital hit. kept
the house in a roar of laughter for half an
hour, and completely dispelled the melan-
choly feelings which at first pervaded t tle
assembly. He convinced his hearers of
one thing, that he was IN earnest in the
work he was cng1ged in, that he did not 60
into It from any selfish motive. Nothing
but the prGinptings of his good big heart,
eso-y throb of which beats in sympathy.
for the poor and oppressed slave, urged him
to embark in the great and glorious fight
of freeing them.
Q Q . o
Barclay Coppoc, who is suffering with
Asthma, could not be heard, and spoke
but a few words. He is quite young and
is a person that would Immediately i'm
press you favOrably.
Deacon Grey, of the Cleveland PLAIN
Dealer, who had come to report the meet
ing for his paper, was loudly called for, he
arose and said:
He could not believe, after the courtesy
he had met in jefferson, that this audience
called him out for the purpose of kissing
him down. (Cries of No! No! Go on, &C.
If they could see his heart they would
know that he was not so far in feeling from
any Of them, as they might think. He
mad nothing 70 OBJECT 70 IN the remarks of
John Brown, or in the quaint, odd, speech
of Owen; and although be could not endorse
the position of Mr.. Redpath,- he had no
quarrel with him. He would not make a
speech, but ask to be let off by telling 4
story. They might well know that there
were two Greys-J. ". Grey of the PIcil-
dealer, and himself or Deacon Grey, as PC
pie called him. (Laughter) He (the
speaker,) was once a Deacon of the Pres
bytcrian Church. at Pittsburg. One day
he saw a negro limping along and a white
man following with adrawn revolver in his
hand. Now, said the speaker, mind you.
I'm not talking of my theories but practice.
daughter This negro was a fugitive,
who had once before escaped into Penn,
but had been followed. shot down and Ia
ken back. This was the second time he
had been captured.
These two men-black and white-were
crossing a covered bridge at the end of
which was the Presbyte ian Church As
the negro was somc ways ahead, he (the
spcaker,) managed to push him into the
Church door, at which the Sexton happen
ed to be standing. They then locked the
door and ran the negro up the steeplc; and
there they look down upon the STAKEHOLDER,
who was passing about in all directions, in
trying to find where the negro had gone {
70. ]
Three cheers were given for Grey'sD DEM E
'cratic practice. S,
This speech was wonderfully well re-
The Deacon's humorous style Of !
the story, and his cool confession of I
practical hypocrisy were inimitable in their ;
way.
John Brown, jr., rose and asked Mr.. ]
Grey if he would be willing to answer a :
e
The whole audience became still, and the I
Deacon rose with a rather uneasy and de- 9
serious face, and said-certainly. :
John Brown, jr., Well, sir, let me ask 2
if you did not feel nearer Heaven when
were up in that steeple with the ne
.ro, than while standing on the Cincinnati
lat orm? C
The Deacon dropped as if he had been t
hot through the heart, and the whole au- t
Hence rose and cheered. The hit was SO c
Unexpected and complete that it was long a
quiet was restored. We suspect it t
viii be some time before the Deacon hears
he last of that question.
The interest of the meeting was kept up
lntil a late hour, and the people seemed |
oath eTcn to dispcrse then. '