The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-11-16
John Brown.
Oregonldn.

The last number Of the North american
character Of John Brown, written by Rev,
Daniel n. Utter, formerly the editor Of 0
Unitarian journal at Olympia, and known to
many Of our readers. The article, which is
seven years ago, Is a virulent attack upon his
character, made wholly for an iconoclastic
purpose. Its anlmus Is simply that of de-
traction, and as an argument to show that
John Brown ought not to be regarded as
hero in any sense, 1t refutes ITSELF The
charges with reference to the Pottawatamie
slaughter are made without giving any au-
thority for them other than the confession
of John Brown on the scaffold and the insane
mutterings of his son. They may be true,
but they constitute but "a small part of the
mans history, and ought not to be singled
out aud treated as the sufficient exponent Of
his character. John Brown was fanatic, as
all limit. He was devoted In the complete
sense of that word; but he was not coward,
aud no one will believe, without the most
positive testimony, that che ran away from
Kansas to save his life." Many extravagant
things were said about him at the time of his
execution, twenty four years aso, but they
were said by extravagsnt people. What II
Emerson did speak of him as the "saInt
whose maryrdom would make the gallows
glorious like the cross?" What IL Thoreau
did say, ale could not have been tried by
his peers, fnr his peers did not EXIST" Sup
pose Theodore Parker did write from
tyr, and also like q saint. None of the
Christian martyrs died In vain; and from
Stephen, who was stoned at Jerusalem, to
Mary Dyer, whom our fathers hanged on =
bough Of ths great tree on Boston Common,
/ thiRk there have been few spirits more pure
and devoted than John Browns, and none
that gave up their breath In q nobler cause.
Let the American state hang his body and
the American church damn his soul, still
the blessing of such as sre ready to perish
will fall on him, and the universal justice of
of the infinitely perfect God will make him
welcome home. The road to heaven Is Is
short from the gallows as from throne, per-
baps also as easy" All these INDUCED In
extravagance or raphsody, and they have
never carried many people with them in this
statement of their estimate on John Brown.
He is not improperly exalted in the popular
conception. The people regard him with .
certain awe, such % ell devoted characters,
like Joan Of Arc and, not to name others,
Stonewall Jackson, inspire. He was uot .
nihllist. He did not wish to destroy any
thing but slavery. He saw clearly what the
plain common sense of the nation could not
see at the time, that slavery could not be
removed except by war, and therefore he
sought TO inaugurate war. In support of
what he believed to be q Just war he fought
desperately and sometimes cruelty, and when
he reached ths limit Of his sndesyor he gave
up his life with heroism which impressed
the whole world. he set the example for
the Union hosts who shortly Afterwards vol
unteered to save the Union, which the slave |
holder said must die In order that slavery
might live. II Is vain now, and will always
be vain. for any writer successfully to hold
him up TO execratioB, much less to con- |
tempt. So long as men are moved by ex.
smples of self sacrifice, 1t will not be posi- |
ble To abste from the fame which is inspired |
by the monumental character Of such des-
persle deyation to the cause Of human free
diam