Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-12-23


the old way ever since. -f
II was the only one who really made any
thing out OF that load of wood"
The Last Hours of John Brown.
From the Hon. Thomas RUsseVs Address at
the Massachusetts, Clu6's ComnsemOrGtiOn.
My first acquaintance was made with him
in November. 1856, in the Republican head
quarters, and, in few days, he was in
trouble
He learned that a warrant was issued against
him, as he presumed, for high treason. He
did not know exactly where to 60, aud sug-
gested that he should 60 to my house. He
never went out except at night, and then
David Thayer and other fighting abolitionists
accompanied him. He took out every night
before going to bed his revolver and repeater,
and unloaded and reloaded them. saying that
there were eighteen lives. remember his
once saying to my wife: eff you hear noise,
put the baby under the pillow. should hate
to spoil the carpets; but you know can't be
taken alive"
He used to walk. the floor with his hands
behind him, and occasionally brought out an
idea. One remember very distinctly, ut
would be better that a whole generation should
the Sermon on the Mount or the Declaration
of Independence should be forgotten among
men," .........
He gave an account one dav of the death of
his son who was shot by the border rufiaus-
by Methodist minister; for you know there
are black sheep in every fold-and my wife
broke out and said IF were in your place,
Mr.. Brown, would fight those fellows as
long as lived" ''lhat." said he, ''is not
Christian spirit. If l had one bit of that
spirit, would never lift my hand. do not
make war on shareholders but on slavery"
He carried out this idea in Missouri, where
he passed over the border rutf1ans, and ran
of the slaves of the quiet gentlemen, SO that
nobody could think it was revenge he was
fighting for. He was battling for principle
and against a system.
One Sunday morning George L. Stearns
came into my house to see him with Mrs.
Stearns on the way to hear Theodore Parker,
and gave him 81, 500 to organize and equip a
company for Kansas--and remember Mrs
Stearns asked to sell her carriage and horses,
that she might add $4,000 more to the gift
That morning received characteristic let
ties from Theodore Parker, which ran as fol-
lows:
SUNDAY MORNING.
"MY DEAR JUDGE II John Brown falls
he is sure either of the gallows or something
yet worse. ..,r
1T were in his position / should shoot
dead any man who attempted to arrest me
for these alleged crimes; then l should be
tried by Massachusetts jury; and be &C.
quilted. ..I
"Yours truly,
TIP.
"P. ST. do not advise John Brown to do
this but it is what should do"
John Brown was always very agreeable.
He used to hold up my little girl, eighteen
months old, and say: Now, when I am
hung for treason, you can say that you used
to stand on old Captain Browns hand r. and
when he came to Boston on his way to Har-
pers Ferry, he brought to her and one or two
of Mrs Stearnss children two or three little
cakes of maple sugar. ;s
Let me mention the fact that his ancestor,
Peter Brown, who came over in the Mayfiow-
er, left a son who was made commissioner of
the four colonies and when something was
planned against the Indians of that day
some internal scheme, no doubt, but not half
as bad as some that have been connected in
our day-he learned that if he went to the
meeting of the comm issioners he would make
a quorum. and he stayed away instead of 90.
ing and voting for the.l. And 80 the scheme
failed 7s.fts ... ~ -. -
When John Brown had been taken pris on
er, he wrote to me from Jail asking me to
come and visit him. / was unable to 90 at
once, not finding any associate to take my
place in court. But John A. Andrew. Or.
Howe, and others attained counsel; young
Hoyt hurried on, got admitted to the Virginia
bar, stood up In a lawyers Office and studied
volumes of practice in the Virginia courts I'M
til he tainted away on the floor, and then
went in and obtained such delay as was nee.
essary until Carlisle cot:ld 60. I was Just in
time to hear the sentence of death passed up
on john Brown, and to hear that magnificent
speech which he made when asked why SEN
tence of death should not be passed upon him.
Instead of assuming that they were Christians
at once, and arguing on that basis, he said {:
Il have observed that during this trial wit
nesses have been required to kiss the New
Testament from which infer that Chris
tianity is not unknown here"
then went with Mrs. Russell to see him in
the Jail, and he was In the best Of spirits. I
remember his saying: 81 have no kind Of
| fault to find about the manner of my death.
The disgrace of hanging does not trouble me
| in the least. In fact, / know that the very
errors by which my scheme was marred were
decreed before the world was made" a,
He was thoroughly orthodox man. Il
had no more to do" he said, with the course
pursued than shot leaving cannon has to
do with the spot where II shall fall" Wheth-
er that be good theology or not, it is good the
ology for martyr. He gave US full ac-
count OF the affair, and said 1t was through
his mercy tn his prisoners that he had not
taken thousands of men out of bondage; but
he stayed to protect them until he was over
powered. Captain Avis, his Tailor, who was
always his friend. left the cell at once, so that
we might have him alone. but one of his un,
derstrapperso renamed until Mrs. Russell
| sewed up the holes in the old mans coat.
where the sword had cut through, and then
she asked him to brush it, and he went away
| in disgust, for he could not refuse, because
lady asked him. The old man expressed
himself gratfied at what he had done, and
| the only thought that troubled him was his
wife, and what would become OF her after he
was gone.
The nnaccanntable eagerness of the people
| OF the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific,
| to attack and kill foreigners, which was rep
resented in the British press as pure pagan
bloodtnirstiness, only to be cured bypionsly
destroying them all, has received another ex-
| planation, and the usual one II seems that
| the natives were set upon and HORRIBLY mis-
| used and slaughtered by lsngliig party OF
foreigners. and they now, inagine that all
landing parties may do the same The
British PROPOSE TO lombard this notion ont 81