Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-02-14
Letter from Richard Realf-Hi. Opinion .f Brown
and took.

| Ihe following Is copy Of a letter from
/ Richard Realf, Old Browns Secretary OF
State, 10 the brolher-in-Iaw of Cook. who
was executed for participating IN the
4 Brown ra:d:
/ WAsuINcrox, D. c., Jan. 30, 1850.
! DEAR SIR:-Your favor Of the 27tl
instant, addressed in care Of the Senate
investigating Committee, IS received. auI
hasten to assure you Of nay sympathy
and coincidence W IN yourself aud family
IN your recent sorrowful bereavement
fou will, am sure, pardon rne fol saying
that IN relation to your deceased brother,
| cannot consent to adopt as my own thr
sentiments with Feinca you app ar % re-
| gard him. | cannot. that is. consent to
call hun unfortunate. Doubtless life Is
dear and liberty sweet, and 10 die by the
execGuoner's hand is an iyuomInious
doom; yet when in the lapse of tiIne The
deed for which John Edwin Cook iucurr-
ed the extreme penalty Of The law shall
be seen IN IT'S true proportions, ,9nl calm an
alyss shall be substituted tor loui-mou.aed
horror, and the motives which lmpeIled 10
lhe act Shall, as they Will, determine the
/ =
Your dead brother may become unto YOU
a glorious inheritance forever | take no
shame unto myself liz that dissolved my
connection with that mistaken and I.l-fat-
ed enterprise; and yet, III justice 10 the
solemn dad, | must confess that Ihe Sp.T-
II of benevoleuce, and selt-sacriice, and
high au1acIty of courage, upon which ];
rested, ECLIPSE 50 surprisingly my careful
prudence and polite caution. that though
the result has confirmed the Justice Of my
ju-iiclous fears. cannot choose but d.
homage 10 their memories, as beings who
IN all noble attributes OF fscAaracter, were
infinitely above myself.
The fatal error OF John Brown consis-
ted IN taking for granted the premises
upon which his movement was predicaled,
and without the ahso!Dte colrec,ueos oil
which II could not possibly succeed. Ii
was based on the mistaken sappositio.l
that the slaves themselves were ANXIOUS
ly awaiting au opportunity Of striking for
their freedom, and John Brown labored
under an lutatuatIon Of intellectual obtu-
Sly in attempting to execute his prpJeCt
before having thoroughly assured himself
that he tni-,Il rely upon their coop .ra-
ton. lie was oWayed by other trrors.-
He cJnfouuded his own Intereuc 5 as 10
duty with duty It>-if, believing that
the conclusions which bound his con-
sclence were Uludlng On the coAscIeucas
Ot all ot.4er men, and he translated the SEN
siuveuess OF his heart aud the su-rg >
lions of his idlosy yuoracIes IL be I com
mand unto hru from Heaven. Thcss
things impaired his reason, ani prevent
ed hlm eilher from thinking IapartIaliy
or Judging accurately and wisely.
Blt IS ne poss IS ID tina, strange pyyer
which enables one man TO iAdict miIr /.
with his views. he 50 Psychological ms
asso Iates that, eng only through hls
medium OF vision. they consequently were
unable to controvert his theories; there
fore the movement went blIndiy on. For
myself. too. il IS certain that had l not
been sent 10 New York, where, on, o.
the reach OF hIs great mesmtric influence
| could IA some sort master the questions
involved | should have been with the en-
!erprise down TO the bitter end. should
indeed have had 10 other choice. Had
John Brown sent man on an rrrand to
Hades he mast have started lhlther, Tor
he was one of God 5 own commanders.
knew your brother. We have been
friends. Permit me 70 say Of hin. that
his fauils were such as belong to warm,
impuIs.ye, ch.va,rous nature. IL was
quick hearted, swift blooIed, brave unto
rechIessness, generous ua.3 prodigajny.
We have been together on the stump, IL
the solitude of the tar praIrles, IN the 50
ciaI circIt IN the retirement Of out own
homes, ard | never knew hun other Khan
that which have stated. In the hls-ory
OF Kansas he Lo.e an honorable record,
and YOU mus, rog, in your sorrow Al The
manner of his recent death, for. ct 10
consider the causes that led thereto, for
50 shall vol be comLorted ana cousOled
bv the ref .ctlon, that all the c,anoroDs
noise aad pas.ioa which The lnsagfecuon
has engendered, the sure and true inter
prela,ion t Will receive from time Is even
now 'teiug rendered, aud that, to-, IN the
spirit which sooner or later causes ever
the truth to come uPpermosl, and makes
Justice ever be done.
With much respect, yours truly,
RICHARD REALF.
r CE0yvtEY. ESQ New York Cay.