Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-04-13

] NruuEA OF A hhdndrui or Africans upon me faf'
OF shores Of a continent beyond the Atlantic
Bet Il is necessary in charity to remember
: that the degradation and wrongs OF the one
are familiar with them from Youth to old age
! II Is an OFT told tale, 10 which they have be-
come accustomed, familiar, and, perhaps. In
different from iis constant repetition pbsI
are probably spnailed BY the magnitude Of thl
evil, and ask to forget iss existence and tell
( obligations by the exhibition OF TedoubledEsa
IN the cause Of those whom their Imagination
excited by hsart-rsnding romances, pictures al
the victims Of sorrow and oppression in far.
distant land.
From this brief but not unnatural depression
I will return to the SUBJECT Of the invitation
which was given to you, to participate IN the
( celebration Of John Brown, the great Ameri-
can murderer. Permit ms TO refresh your mem
ory with the first lines OF your response to the
committee in your own language;
"SIE: feel honored by the invitation 10 al.
tend the Boston convention"
Upon reading these few emphatic words.
paused and re-resd the letter Of invitation
which had been addressed to you, to discover
Z il had not, in my hssty perusal thereof, mis-
understood its import and object. beg t'
quote its words:
''MY LORD A number Of young men. earn
estly desirous of devotiHg themselves to ths
WORK Of ersdicating slavery in The United
/ pub.ic convention, TO be held In this city OF
Monday, the 81 day Of Se7tember.
1 Il seems 20 them that tbe anniversary OF the
. death Of John Brown, who was killed for at
tempting to decide this problem IN the mode
{ that be believed to be the most eficient, is an
occasion peculiarly sppropriste for the discus
sion Of cur duty to the race for whom be suf-
fsred. Il would be a work Of su-
. pererogation now to defend John Brown, and
Lac - tina 10 nrffna
( ing both these duties to the coming ages, let
rs seek to continue his life By striving to ae-
z complish what be left ne to finish"
It i true, my lord, that you modified some
. what the only legitimate Interpretation OF Your
/ first emphatic Endorsement. True, as ''the
/ representative or toe anti-slavery party ia
Z England" you avowed a wide difference OF
4 opinion between those you represented and the
I promoters OF the Harper's Ferry expedition.
True, you denied that John Brown was a real
Z martyr. True, you declared your opposition
/ 10 the encourage OF negro insurree;ion,
because "they might prove less hurtful to the
/ master than the slsve.D Truly, vou intimated
I that the surest means Of accomplishing your
J cherished schemes OF American negro eman-
I cipttion was under the form Of law, thr Iugh
I the instrumentality Of recent political change
! in the Government OF the Republic But PIE
] en- 'nent above all other considerations which
/ are suggested By a perusal Of your letter,
stands forth the declaration that you "fesl
I h0E0red bT the invitation to attend the Boston
! convention :"
What spectacle is here presented, and bow
( fruitful theme for rejection An English
| n1bleman shaking hands across the ocean, and
/ transmitting pleasant messages 10 such an as
/ { fnblage, convened for such q purpossi
It is, perhaps, not unworthy Of a passing
| thought, that whi some OF yolr admirers
! have hailed your letter as furnishing evidence
/ Of the conservatism and moderation OF British
/ abolitionisn, many have regarded your slight
/ deviation from the bloody path Of an extreme
l ftnatieism. as too great a concession TO the
/ dictates OF an uncalculating and weskly-re-
I lenting humanity.
I confess that upon this subject there is a
/ chasm between Us. 90 broad and 30 deep, that
/ have not the hardihood 10 attsmptto ill it up
! cannot hope even that anything will ever
| occur to reduce the breadth OF this impassa bic
/ gulf to smaller dimensions.
But pardon ne, my lord, If I suggest the
/ possibility that you may not have fully appre-
csted the deep significance OF the first sea-
! tence OF your memorable letter. Did YOU re-
/ feet upon the powerful influence which your
slightest word OF encouragement might sxsr-
rise upon the furious madmen you addressed
Do you believe they will fail to infer that
while you d!selaim sympathy with John
Browns plans OF emancipation, " because
they are less likely to result 10 injury to the
master than the slsvs,7 you will, nevertheless.
regard 1t as an honor to be invited 10 attend
the celebrations consequent upon the death OF
other martyrs in the same cause? Do YOU
eXcuse yourself, my lord, with the thought that
it is only the ssssssins Of Shareholders in
America who are worthy to be treated with so
much kindness, respect and forbsarance
1 Have you forgotten from whom, and under
whose auspices American slaves were acquired
as chattels2 May be pardoned for saying
that in the family OF the writer there is
slave, bought and paid FOR BY my ancestor
from a British subject in a British province,
under The solemn sanction and approval Of
British laws, and who Is now held a. a slave
under tbe guarantee Of a British title deed
Should another John Brown, under The preteTt
OF giving freedom to this slsve slsV the owner
thereof, and for bis crime suffer a felon's
death, would your lOrdship Feel honored bv an
invitation 10 attend the anniversary celebrs-
ton OF bis "nsrtyrdom ?' Your lofdsbip has
already answered the intsrrogatory in the
Affirmative
The Day maT esmr, nv lord, when even
handed justice will commend the Ingredients
Of the poisoned esslce to your own lips .
There are more shining marks for the sssas-
sins dagger than the slsve-Owners OF America
Millions Of lives stand between the honored
felon and the accomplishment Of bis bloody
work OF philanthropy; thousand times your
lordship might have the privilege Of acknowl-
edging the honor" Of invitations to attend
and participate IN the celebration OF events
similar to those which were enacted at Hsr-
psr's Ferry, and as often might " English phi
anthropy" palliste or excuse the crimes in
which they bad their origin, and still there
would be a sea oflving blood coursing through
the veins Of slsveboldersl There are millions
Of the human race who, bound IN the chains
OF political servi' 'ude, are ready 70 believe that
they behold but one living man standing be-
tween themselves and the liberty to which they
aspire that one iifeless, and the fsttsrs would
fan from their liberated limbs You NAV
truly believe, my lord, that no such danger
may threaten E5gland'a sovereign. Even mad
men would not strike az one whose noble vir-
tues have added brighter gem to the British
srown than was ever placed there BY the valor
OF British arms. But EBglaad's best and
noblest queen must die, and be sue
cesded By sovsreigns who may not in
itate her virtues. II a British noblsmsn,
Of such worldwide reputation for states
manship and philanthropy as your lordsbip,
endelVors TO instil into ths public mind tie
belief that il Is a real honor for an honorable
man 10 Be invited to join in rendering homage
to the virtues, the moral worth, add The philsn-
thropic services OF an admitted nsi9Highi assas-
sin, whose only virtue or worth, or service in
the cause Of humanity, whose only claim 70
distinction above other cut-thr1sts, bsyOnd
that notoriety which always attaches to the
most revolving murders, consists in the fact
that he killed Ostensibly IL the cause OF the so
called great Humanitarian anti slavery move
ment Of the age; you need not be surprised,
my lord, II others, who have real or imaginary
wrongs 10 redress, may, while rejecting your
peculiar idiosyncrasy, accept this as a means
Of redress. There are those who from the
depth Of their bleeding hssria, and for the re-
dress OF grisvOGs wrongs which they them
selves have suffered at the hands Of their own
race, would feel and say 'ff this be ? great
honor, which a British noblemsn NAV covet,
how much more henors bic to be invited 10 par-
tieipate in a saturnalia OF nobl.r blood % Nav
Heaven grant that neither your lordship nor
another may ever again be called upaa 20 ac-
knowledge the honor Of an invitation 70 ioin in
the celebration such fsarl
But your loTdshiP's response has satisfied
me, that though you may Be a fanafie, Won are
not nadmGH. Though you may move fear
lessiy upOn the brink Of a precin.ce. You will
not plunge bodily into the abyss into which
Vou invite others to descend You will not
place in JEOPARDY that which vou conceive 70
be TIE policy of England, BY permitting it 20
BE- fully identified with The crime OF assassin
alton. The more especially ss you imag'ae
that you perceive IN recent political events
2 NlhAE EuFEAaaE laFAla OF accom- lllHufEu HOur
ends with lsss probability of injury TO the slave
than the master
I come now, nv lord, 90 canslder rsgraph
90 your letter, which, containing, as Il does,
grave personal charge against myself. consti-
tu,es within Itself ny claim and nv apology
for addressing you- Your lordship NAV mem
tally respond to this announcement, that not
the most insignificant thing alive was farther
from your thoughts than the unknown wri' er
who now demands and ersrcises he privilege
Of repelling your unjust imputstons, thai hs
has never once passed between the wind and
your nobility" snd that yon have, therefore
never given bin cause Of oisnse:
IN order to refresh your ioTdship's memory.
beg to refer you to the closing sentences Of
your response to the Boston committee The
f1llowing is your l'nguagei
q In the elevation Of your new President. al
frisnds Of .fHsrica, Of iis c0sffaut3 Unisz.
Of The final extinction Of slavery, hy pescsful
means. az friends Of Ire iumaa race must heart
ilv rei5ios They will, let ne hope, find IN him
a powerfully ally, az bic country may expect
70 fnd an able, a coasiffeuf, and in honest ru-
Ter. "Ihavs the honor to be
q Your faithful servant,
"BRoUeHAMD
Ibave italicissd that portion Of The above
paragraph to wh eh I claim the right Of r.
sroree While I will not nsuse 10 consider the