The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-01-13
His Soul Is Marching On.

The talent of the average Bourbon
Democrat for laundering was never
more conspicuously illustrated than it
was in the open attack made in the
Senate by Senator Vest, of Missouri, on
the memory of "Old John Brown"
the hero of Harper's Ferry. Senator
Vest is Democrat of small stature, but
large capacity for hating. He was
nodded in small pattern, has revolved
in a narrow sphere, and mistakes his
malignity for genius. He served in the
Confederate Congress for two or three
years, and on that bloodless field alone
won his title of Colonel" as well as
his right to abuse Old John Brown.
But perhaps we should admit that he
draws his latter right from a higher
source-the indefeasible right of Bour-
bon Democrat to make fool of himself.
The question before the Senate was
that of appropriating sum of money
to pay the Clerk of the Territorial Leg
islature of Kansas, in 1855, for compil-
ing the slave code enacted by Demo
cratic Legislature. The laws never be-
came the law of the State, and were
publicly burned after the State was
admitted to the Union. Senator Cock
rell urged the allowance of the claim.
Senator Ingalls,. of Kansas, opposed it
and explained its true character. Sen
ator Vest jumped into the discussion,
and, according to the Associated Press
report, said:
.'He did not propose to revive the questions
and he had no wish to bring it TO life. But he
could not refrain, since the subject had been
bronght up. from saving that violence beSa, M
people sent out by Plymouth Church, and
other pillars of God and morality, headed by
that old scoundrel, John Brown, who after
| wards justly expiated his crimes on the scat
| fold at Harper's Ferry, were responsible fol-
much of the violence of that unfortunate
time.
1t is rather late in the day for Sena.
tor Vest, of Missouri, to be attacking
the memory of John Brown. If the
name of Senator Vest has ever been
identified or connected with any Ma
tional, patriotic, humanitarian or phi.
lanthropic movement, we are not aware
of the fact. Born and bred under
slavery influences, he has never been
other than defender of that institu-
ton and its logical sequences. 1t fol-
lows. of course, that he took part in
the rebellion against the Government.
Relieved of his political disabilities, he
has, by the grace of the Bourbon De.
mocracy of Missouri, found q seat ir
the United States Senate, where he
makes use of his position to attack John
Brown.
| Who was John Brownp A man whose
shoe-latchets Senator Vest was never
worthy to unloose; a man who graspeC
the problems of q century and the in
terests of posterity. In the quiet O
| private life he absorbed the doctrines
of a statesman and the ideas of phi
lanthropist. A born patriot, he became
a developed hero. State lines and Stat,
laws, fused in the crucible of his grea
soul, left nothing but human rights
and to this idea he devoted himself ant
sacrificed his life. Subjected to thu
blazing light of his rugged intellect
slavery was simply the sum of human
villainies, the aggregation of human
wrongs, and as such he attacked it
Attacking it he died, victim of al
accursed system of laws, hero of al
time. John Browns soul is marchin,
on. His work is done. His name ha
been echoed in a thousand battle-songs
and will be repeated with reverenc
when that of Senator Vest shall hav
been forgotten. In view of the facts
how puerile and contemplate appear
the attack of the beetle-eyed little Sen
ator from Missouri upon the memor
Of the hero Of Harper's Ferry @jndt0n
spols yearsdli