Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-02-14
JOHN BROWNS REPLY.
DORSET, Ashtabula County, O.,

Jan. 25th, 1860.
NJ. JOHNSON, Esq, q. S. Marshal,
1ataL go Cleveland, O. {
SIR: I have received your favor Of
the 24th inst, informing me that you
had left at my house summons from
the Select Committee of the U. S. Sen.
ate, commanding me to appear. before
that Committee on the 30th inst
After full and careful consideration
of the reasons which you offer why
should obey that. summons, l have fol
two reasons resolved not to do so. The
first is, that in going to, and returning
from, Washington, must Of necessity
pass within the jurisdiction of either
Maryland or Virginia. The latter State
has especially exhibited of late such a
remarkable facility of perpetrating the
grossest injustice under the forms oflaw,
that no sane man would, in the circum-
stances in which am placed, trust her
for moment. Even if that State could
not crush me by judicial process, the
widest enthusiast would not dream her
power would be thrown between me and
the violence of her mobs. .as- s.r.:-
The protection under the law of Con-
gress to which Senator Mason refers, you
will see if his language is correctly re-
ported, applies only to "a person who
has been examined as Witness" but
supposing otherwise, what regard has
the Nullifying State of Virginia for a
law of Congress which would interpose
between victim and the malice of her
shareholders? ] have experienced too
much of slaveholding perfdy to rely on
the faith of State whose honor and
magnanimity are represented by the Au-
thor Of the ,FUgitive Slauc Bill, and whose
chief revenue is derived from the sale OF
her oaoa, sons and daughters. -a5 i
The second reason why refuse to ap-
pear before that Committee, is: that in
swearing to 'stell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth, - SO far
as my knowledge extends in reference to
the facts sought for in that investiga.
ton, 1 should obligate myself to make
known that which would implicate 9th
ers, which as the Lord iueth I ,ciU ,,o
do. You say that by giving my testi-
nony I can exempt myself from further
trouble. In answer, | would say, that
cannot purchase immunity from further
prosecution by an act of treachery. To
that system of piracy which reduces to
chattels every sixth man, woman and
child of our land, owe no obligations
It t'has no rights which | am bound to
respect" but, to the noble men and wo-
men, who, in the same spirit which
prompted effort in behalf Of Greece, It
ally and Hungary, labored by word and
deed to aid "Native Americans de
scenda,sts Of the first families Of Vir-
ginta, " to throw off their yoke-to them
lowe answering fidelity. Some ofthem
reside in slave States, and my testimony
would place their lives in jeopardy. On
their account, if for no other, l refuse to
appear and answer, and shall patiently
wait for the infiction Of tthe pains and
penalties in such cases made and pro-
vided." a.@"
And now to save unnecessary delay in
pouring out upon me the s'vials' of pro-
slavery wrath" I will say that business
does not now call me to Canada. Should
I revisit that temporary home of our
American Exiles, it will be from other
than those of personal
safety. Possibly, at some time, may
''leave my country for my country's S
good" but. never for the good of the
slave power. With due respect,
' I remain, &C., T@3 .T
-. I0HN. BROWN In