The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-06
JOHN REowN,s FAITH
a Hitherto Unpublished Letter Written
From the Charleston ,JaiI & Week
Before his Exeeuxfon

Before htS Execution.
The following striking and character
istic letter written by John Brown from
the Charleston jail week before his
execution, has just been published for
the first time IN the New York Tribune
and will prove of special interest just
at th1s;time:
CHARLESTON, Jefferson Co., Va,
% Nov. 1859.
Rev. IIEMAH HUMPHREY. D. d NY dear and
honorci kinsman:
Your very sorrowful, kind and faithful
letter of the Doth inst. is now before me.
| accept il with all kindness. I have
honestly endeavored TO profit by the
faithful advice 1t contains. Indeed
such advice could never come amiss.
You will allow me to say that deeply
sympathize with you, and all my sor-
rowing friends, in their grief and terri
BILE modification. l feel ten times more
afflicted OIe their account than on &C.
count of my own circumstances. But
must say that am neither conscious Of
being Infatuated or mad" You Will
doubtless agree with me IN this. that
neither imprisonment, irons or the gal
lows falling TO ones lot, are OF them
selves evidence of either g1ilt, s'infatua-
ton or madness"
discover that you labor Under 3
mistaken impression as to some impor-
tant facts, winch my peculiar circum-
stances will in all probability prevent
the possibility of my removing, and [
do not propose to take up an. argument
10 prove that any act or motion OF my
life Is right. But will here state, that
| know it to be wholly my own fault as
Il leader that caused our disaster. Of
this you have no proper means of judg-
ing, not being on the ground or practi.
cal soldier / will add that it was in
yielding to my feelings of humanity, (if
/ ever exercise such a feeling in leav-
ing my proper place. and mlngling with
my prisoners TO quiet their
fears, that occassioned our be-
ing caught. l Armly believe
that God reigns, and that he OYer-rules
and in that view of the subject, try to
be In some degree recOnciled to my own
weaknesses and follles even. II 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 tothe ignominlous death
/ am about to suffer, and to mitigate
your sorrow. am to say the least quite
cheerful. "He shall begin TO deliver
Israel out of the hand of the Philis-
tines This was said of a poor erring
servant many years ago, and for many
years l have felt a strong impress
sion that God had given
me powers and faculties, un-
worthy as I was, that he intended to use
for similar purpose. This most an
merited hOaOr. he has seen fit to bestow.
and w other lIEa fhn frQi1
man 10 whom allude my death may
not be of vastly more value than my
life is, think quite beyond all human
foresight l really have strong hopes
that Notwithstanding all my many sins,
l too, may yet die "in faith" If you do
not believe had murderOus intention
(while | know had mott why grieve so
terribly on my account? The scaffold
has but few terroTs for me. God has
often covered nay head in the day of
battle, and granted me many times de
liverances, that were almost so miracu.
lOus, that | can scarce real
ize their truth, and now when
IL seems quite certain that He intends to
use me in a different way, shall not
most cheerfullY go? / may be deceived,
but humbly trust He will not forsake
me Till have showed His favor to this
generation and His strength to every
one that is to come" Your letter is
most faithfully and kindly written, and
/ mean to profit by il. | am certainly
quite grateful for it. | feel that great
responsibility rests upon me, as regards
the lives of those who have fallen and
may yet tall. | must IN that view cast
myself on the care OF Him, whose mer-
cy endurrth forever" II the cause IN
which engaged. IN any possible degree
approXimated TO be ''infn-
rely better" than the one in which Saul
of Tarsus undertook, ! have no reason
to he ashamed of it, and indeed can
not now, after more than "A month for
reflection. find in my heart {beiore God
within another week. any cause for
shame.
got long and most kind letter from
your pure hearted brother Luther. 10
which l replied at some length. The
statement that seems to be going around
in Il newspapers that told Coy, Wise,
that / came on here 20 seek revenge for
the wrongs OF either myself or my fami-
ly, is utterly false. ] never intended TO
convey such an idea, and | bless
God that l am able, even now,
to say, that have never yet har-
bored such feeling. See testimony
of witnesses who were with me while I
had one son lying dead by my side. and
another MORALLY wounded, and dying
on my other side, do not believe that
Gov. Wise so understood. and think
he ought TO correct that impression
The impression that we intended gen.
eral Instruction is equally untrue.
Now, NV much beloved and respected
kinsman, Farewell May the God of
orr fathers save and abundantly bless
you and yours. JOHN BRowN.