New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-25
JOHN BROWNS FAITH.
A HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED LETTER.
WRITTEN FROM THE CHARLESTON JAIL WEEK
BEFORE HIS EXECUTION.

A HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED LETTER.
WRITTEN FROM THE CHARLESTON JAIL A WEEK
BEFORE HIS EXECUTION.
Below is printed for the first time striking
and characteristic letter written by John Brown
from the Charleston Jail, a week before his exc
cution, to his kinsman, the Rev. DIR. Heman
Humphrey, the prominent clergyman and au-
thor, who was at one time president OF Amherst
College. This letter has been kindly furnished
to The TRIBUNE for publication in advance OF
its appearance in DR.. F. Humplreys's genealogy
of the Humphrey family.
CHARLESTON Jefferson Co., Va, !
20 Now, 1859.
Rev. HEsIAN HUMPHREY, DID.
My dear and honOred kinsman:
Your very sorrowful kind and faithful letter OK
the goth inst. is now before me. / accept it with
all kindness. have honestly endeavored to profit
by the faithful advice il contains. Indeed such adj
vice could never come aniss. You will allow me to
say that deeply sympathize with you, and all my
sorrowing friends in their grief and terrible mOrti-
cation. feel ten times afflicted their account
than on account of my own circumstances. But L
must say that am neither conscious of beng in
fatuated or mad" You viii doubtless agree with
me in this, that neither Imprisonment, Irons tho
GallOws falling TO ones lot are of themselves evil
dence of either guilt, nfatuaton madness"
discover that you labor under mistaken impress
sion as to some important facts, which my peculiar
circumstances will in all probability prevent the
possibility of my removing, and do not propose to
take up any argument to prove that any motion
act of my life Is right But Will here state that
know it to be wholly my own fault as leader,
that caused our disaster. OF this you have no
proper means of judging, not being on the ground,
practical soldier. will only add, that it was
in yielding to my feelings of humanity, IF ever
exercise such feeing) in leaving my proper place,
and mingng with my prisoners to quiet their fears.
that OccasiOned our being caught. / firmly believe
that God regns and that he overrules all things in
the best possible manner, and in that view of the
subject, try to be in some degree recOnced to my
own weaknesses and follies even. If You were here
on the spot and could be with me, by day and by
night, and know the facts and how my time is spent
here, think yOu would find much to reconcile your
own mind to the SYNONYMOUS death am about to
suffer, and to mitigate your sorrow. l am to say
the least quite cheerful He shall begin TO deliver
Israel out of the hand Of the Philistnes." This
was said of poor erring servant many years ago,
and for many years have felt a strong impression
that God had given powers and faculties, I'M
worthy as was, that he intended TO use for SINH
lar purpose. This most aHmertcd honor he has seen
fit to bestow and whether like the poor frail
L
vastly more value than my life is, think quite be-
yond all human foresight. really have strong
hopes that Notwithstanding all my many sins, too,
may yet die " in faith" If you do not believe had
a murderous intention while know had notl why
grieve terribly on kmy accOuntf The scaffold
has but few terrors for me. God has often covered
my head in the day Of battle and granted me many
times deliverances that were almost so miraculous.
that can scarce realize their truth. and when
it seems quite certain that he intends TO me in
different way, shall | not most cheerfully got I
may be deceived, but humbly trust that He viii
not forsake me till have showed His favor TO this
generation and His strength to every one that IL to
come" Your letter is most faithfully and kindly
written, and mean to profit by it. | am certainly
quite grateful for it. feel that great response.
bility rests upon me- regards the lives Of those
who have fallen and may yet fall 1 must in that
view cast myself on the care of Him, "whose mercy
endureth forever" If the cause in which engaged,
in any possible degree Appropriated to be infin-
itely better than the one in which Saul of Tarsus
undertook, have reason to be ashamed of it,
and indeed cannot now, after more than month
for reflection, find in my heart before God in whose
presence I expect to stand within another week. any
cause for shame.
got a long and most kind letter from your pure
heart d brother Luther, TO which replied at some
length The statement that seems to be going
around in the newspapers that told Gov. Wise,
that came on here TO seek revenge for the wrongs
of either mself or my family is utterly false.
never intended to convey such an idea, and bless
God that am able even now, to say, that have
never yet harbored such feeling. See testimony
of witnesses who were with me while had one
lying dead by my side, and another mortally
wounded, and dying on my other side. | do not be-
leve that Gov. Wise so understood, and / think he
ought to correct that impression. The impression
that we intended general inspuectiOn is equally
| untrue.
Now, my much beloved and much respected
| kinsman, Farewell May the God of our Fathers
save and abundantly bless you and yours.