National Republican., 1873-11-19
JOHN BROWN.
HARP RS FERRY STORY FULLY TOLD

Lecture Last Might By Fred. Deusisss-
John Brewa'. Year, OF Bsdurance-
ThrtiiIns History Of the old Martyr
m. Personal saeriacss and Devotion.
Last night largo audience, composed Of the
most respected and cultivated OF the colored |
population Of our city, with q generous repre- |
entatlon Of white ladies' and gentlemen, greeted
Fred. Douglass, at the Fifteenth-street Preshyte-
ian church, 10 hear his lecture on John Drown,
he Monomaniac," whose history aud ffenzied
ievotion TO the liberation OF the recent slaves OF
his country from bondage have become so Inter
woven with the record OF abotionlsm that his
name Is a synonym Of the cause to which he
sacr,nccd himself. Tue lecture was delivered In
the interests Of the 1nances OF this the only col.
orcd Presbyterian church Of this city, which, In
its architectural beauty and elegance OF nnish,
forms q distinctive Improvement to tho central
norton Of the city In which II IL located. Tho
hcncncence OF the object, united 10 the personal
integrity and orstorical ability OF the speaker,
sucrcc,Ied In 1lllng the house.
The speaker was introduced by MI. Matlhews.
with few eulor,stir remarks.
Mr.. Douglass said he was not here 10 renew
any sectional animositles-not to recall the
shame OF a great national crime, now happily
washed out, nor even TO recount the wrongs OF
his long dOwn-'rodden race; but to pay y debt
long and Justly due to q noble man now still IN
dcaih, by impartlug his recollcctions and remin-
lscenccs Of the record of the good old man and
his raid upon Iiarpers Ferry, as he was person.
ay s%s osr1e ." ihe iS,S Of ostoBer is, and
It's record II fresh In your memory, ss old John
brown, with nineteen men, held the situation
for thirty hours against the combined militia
to succumb To the United States forres, under
General X. 4. Lee. All save three died In actual
nsht, and thesc-of whom Captain John Brown
Brown was given TO his widow, through the ln-
tercession OF Wendell Phillips, and is now en-
tombed In the snowy grandeur OF his home, In
niiem Human % ieeina m /. averc to the shedding Of
blood, and reluctantly gives the power OF life
anil death even TO society, and this sen,l-
mcnt Of respect fot human nc Is ihe
Individual lives. but society, and It's laws and
customs, were the criminals at Harpers Ferry
rather than the band OF raiders. The ea,t there
was tho bloody fruit OF human selnshncss
ripened by the tears and heat OF two hundred
years OF bondage-the nnal protest OF outraged
Justice which came from above, and no act 10 70
longer remembered as OF portcntous importance
than this mad and sudden event. A social eN-
pioson almost DO predicted In the date OF its
occurrence by the signs OF the times.
Browns deeds must ever speak for him, rather
than verbal euogics. ! was then accused Of
being implicated with him. and my arrest sought
deserved honor. az was neither "ognizant Of u
nor advised the act.
am actuated In this lecture by . vcncration
man. How to be Just 10 the dead, and yet kind
to the living In treating this subject, has been
fmatter OF careful study. Many OF the Creates
men and women Of Nss & fagiana an have preSedee. ,e.
| event and character through the murky atmos
| phere OF slavery, the shadow OF which We feal
yet fingers upon us. Though fourteen year
near ihs times Of the life OF John Brown Il
form Q Just appreciation Of his merits aud char
acter, and We must patiently wait the poilshinl
bcautify his character. II has ever been so witt
martyrs, they were In advance Of their times
such was tho case even with Christ, the Son 0
God, but time has wrought for Him miracle IA
| exceeding all human events.
VIM II. Seward said that John Brown wa
'.justly hung" John A. Andrews said that JON
Brown IVA, rghh 0ne gave gs ~ me e,,n yeGniGl
OF noble Massachusetts. one was the verdict Q
The times OF John Brown; the other the yerdlc
OF the broad and iimitless future.
Brown had slgnali5ed his valor on two pre-
yi.us occasions, In Missouri and Kansas, b
lighting 1900 men with his sons aud 100 con
, patriots.
the whole soclsl fabric OF virginia; brought
his standard In one night nfty slaves, with whoI
he arrested and held nfty OF tho chivalrOu
gentry OF the nrst families OF Virginia. Ills nj
! taught tho forces OF freedom
WHERE TO srsIkE AND now TO CONQUER,
AMI had not our eyes been so dull we would nc
to-day see SO many one-armed veterans on ot
streets. Had We struck at slavery thsn, the sui
sequcnt strokes Of slavery at tue heart OF III
nation would have been averted.
The constitution found In Browns carpctba
was written At my house, and have the copy Il
hts d-wr,ting. IL has been Interpreted rs 10
he Wni,ed states Il he had been successful, hu
IL WAS not 80; II was only Intended as write
| protection to the millions OF slaves he hoped
, rally around him In the mountains OF virgin
| nd froa hQqn aniI Inv Othpfa that h
, sought plunder, only Intending 70 get possesslo
OF the money recently sent to Harper's Ferry
, pay on the Government employees there. IN
! is untrue In the extreme. HIS character an
. purpose Of hts raid has never been understoo
, , properly. lie has been taken as bold robbie
rather than generous liberatOr OF uespise
and hated race from slavery.
. such was the Judgment OF Virginia, where h,
citizens' own guilt caused them 10 sleep on pl
, |, tolls for pillows, for she had that within h
which made her u coward. Her mountains al
plains were studded with the elements Of insu
reclion, which one breath might fan TO name
IL IL fortunate for the world that the sab
wounds did not touch John Browns lie; but
was ordained by God to tell hls own story.
has made him q strangely eloquent preacher
the cause OF liberty. IL "a q piIy that no Inlste
artist was there 70 paint Tue picture OF thT dJ
his sons stretched dead, and he reading his dea
!. warrant in the faces Of nil around him,
, Ills bravery In accepting the responslh,iily az
. | refusing, In reply To questions OF Nnllaudighaf
4 | 10 lmpllcate others at the North who had Kiyt
MIN monetary aid, was q true expression
I danntless herolsm. Ills ayowal OF his purpo
/. bolts Of their wrath, caused Henry A. Wise
say that Brown was the 'gamest man he cy
A saw Such was the dying courage which y
. | wrung eulogies from hts bitteIcst enemies. B
a he WAS doomed to die, and eloluence might ha
= plead with throbbing heart aud streaming ey
q for the benefit OF legal doubts; but to no ene'
a for
9 LIFE TO HIN WAS DEATH TO SLAVERY.
The grandeur and blcssedness OF his idea
liberty exceeded The nre-nashing sentiment
! Patrick Henry, "give me liberty or give Il
death. for his exclamation was, give the bla
Inan liberty or give me death. No freer ma
,, hal ever been known 10 New England lie WI
foreigner tO shacklc or yoke, anti came d0w
i from the heaven OF freedom " be u sacrifice
, slavery. The hour OF his need found Jol
. brown near At hand. Personally he was
mild aud genial temperament, even tempere
!, of refined speech, In every way calculated
|, follow smooth path through life.
: When boy he had been sent 10 Kentucky
: brutal logging OF a colored lad whose acquail
|, ance aud friendship he had formed, until ne 4
= beneath the blows Of the iron shuttle, used as
!. whip by his master. From that hour
Q THE sEEDs OF HARPER's FERRY STRUNG.
This teaches US never to have contempt
: small things. The beating OF the Hebrews ga
,, the world Moses, 40 tho nogping OF color
! lad gave the world John Brown.
: The speaker said he had talked over the pla
i OF JOuu DFUWu WIN tWtltt \
. tragedy at IIarper's Ferry. The plan OF Bro'
| then was not general insurrection among !
l slaves, but contemplated placing bands OF ngi
ing men In slave-holdlng sections, who ahou
! secTete themselves In the ten thousand SebAsi
: | pols OF the mountains. and encourage and
: the escape Of slaves In large numbers-to q
| mand Of masters ut midnight the mauumissi
Of their slaves and sending them away on
!, | masters horses, but TO avoid bloodshed exec
!, where It could not be avoided. The hleghani,
\ with their natural forts, were TO be the base
y operations.
Brown changed his plan In latter years,
= which the speaker was unaware until su
y mOned from his home In Rochester 10 Join h
J, In q stone quarry near chAinbersburg, on
= !, way 10 Harper's Ferry, which he DID with q c.
= ored man named Shirlds Green, Of South Cal
y lima, who lived In his family. lie spent
y aud night In the quarry, seeking TO di4sua
~ ~ 10 Join him, aud did SO, and was hung by
4 side.
IL brown had lived penuriousy for twenty yea
i, to save money to aid his cause. lie wore
y leather crayat made with his own hands, VIII
y he said would last hym for life.
u During twenty-years he waited and labor
. during which time he crossed the ocean twi
N married two wives and was the father OF twei
children. He saw slavery through no mist, |
10 the light of infinite brightness, In which
one OF the thousand lines OF It's deformity
hidden. lie is to be judged by the law OF a.
, written on his heart, before which legal enn
ments are as cobwe6s. Whether you cal 1t
ligious enthusiasm or insanity, the power u
D, made John Brown was the same that in all al
haa uI tn the world thnsa liOhta which hI