The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-04-26
John Brown and his Associates.

A correspondent of the Rochester
! (N. Y.) Et"ming Erprcss, writing from
! llarpcr's Ferry, thus alludes to John
Brown, whose latter days were so init
matclv connected with that place
Here, too, right under my eye, is the
engine house where John Brown and his
associates took refuge and held out so
long against the frightened firginans.
1t is a notable fact that all those who
participated in the capture aud execution
Of JOHN Brown and his men were the
first to ,tuke sides against usin the pres
ent rebellion. Old Gov. Wise was the
foremost, and we find at this day that
John Brown is spoken Of among Union
Firgiuians as noble and honorable
mau"-a martyr to human liberty,
Sc, while old Wise is s,igmati2ed as an
q" infamous traitor" and IN "opprc.Sor
Of the ens!aved as well as the poor white
Mau.
We at the North speak Of John
Brown as " fanatic for undertaking
the overthrow Of slavery with mere
hundful Of men. Not SO here. Men
speak Of him az one who we'll knew what
he was about, and his associates as being
men Of character and respectabili;y, who
had tho good Of their country at heart,
and sincerely believed their plan was
the only one that would bring the cursed
institution to an end. They did not
believe they themselves would bring it
about. but that it would be the begin
ming of the end" At their last meet
ing, the night before the attack, they
talked the matter over calmly, and came
to the solemn conclusion that none
would escape death that their numbers
were TOO smaN to succeed but that they
must lay down their lives for the cause
Of human freedom. John Brown as
surcd them that they were marching
on to death, but that they would lay
the foundations Of freedom to the en-.
shaved, which would in time spread over
the whole South and if there wos any
man among them who feared to die, he
VAS at liberty to leave them: Not n
man ial,cred. Regi, his Adjutant.een.
eral, then rose, aud said he was satisfied
tha, he should not escape death, but
that he loved the cause and was willing
! to die for it. John Edwin Cook, captain,
addressed the solemn ussemblage, and
seemed to be moro sanguine Of success,
but was willing to take the consequences.
One after another then spoke, till oil
had done, and not one besitated to 60 on
with the great undertaking. Their final
preparations were made, and all know
the result. The most Of their arms and
ammunition, of which they had an
abundance, we're secreted in a farmhouse
in Maryland. They got over in the
night enough for present use, and lett
the rest there. All these men were in.
tcliscnt, of refined manners and Of re-
spectacle parcntage. When John
Brown was hung be uttered the follow
ing language: at is glorious to die tor
ones country, but more glorious to die
for priacph."
The facts above written are derived
from an eyewitness. and one who was
admitted to all the meetings Of this de.
voted band. b1rs. Cook, the widow Of
Capt Cook, is now vioiting her mother
ut this place. Her residence is N New
York, with her father.iu Law, who ID q
wealthy man. She has one child, Eve
years old. John Brown is dead 'and
gone, but
"us soul ii marching on"