Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-13

ten by John Brown from the Charleston
Jail, a week before his execution, to his
kinsman, the Rev. Or. Heman Hum
phrey, the prominent clergyman and
author, who was at one time president
of Amherst College. This letter has
been Kindly furnished to the Tribune
for publication in advance of its appear
ance in DR.. F. Humphreys genealogy
of the Humphrey family.
CHARLESTON, Jefferson Co., Va.
70 Now, 1859.
ReY HEMAN HUMPHREY, d. D.
My dear and honored kinsman.
Your very sorrowful Kind and faithful
letter of the Goth inst. is now before me.
1 accept it with all kindness. have
honestly endeavored to profit by the
saithful advice 1t contains. Indeed such
advice could never miss. You will al
low me to say that deeply sympathize
with you, and all my sorrowing friends
in their grief and terrible modification.
/ feel ten times more afflicted on their
account than on account of my own Cir
cumStances. But must say that am
neither concious of being infatuated or
mad'' You will doubtless agree with
Inc in this. that neither Imprisonment,
Iron or the Gallows falling to ones lot,
are to themselves evidence Of either
guilt, ''infaSuation or madness -
1 discover that you labor under mis-
taken impression as to some important
facts, which my peculiar circumstances
will in all probability prevent the posi-
biIty of nly removing and don't pro
pose to take up any argument to prove
5hat any motion or act of my life is
right. But I will here state that know
it to be wholly my own fault as a leader
that caused our disaster. OF this you
have no proper means of Judging, not
being on the ground, or a practical sol
dier. l win only add, that it was in
yielding TO my feelings of humanity, Gf
1 ever exercise such feeling) in leav-
ing my proper place, and mingling with
my prisoners to quiet their fears, that
occasioned our being caught. I firmly
believe that God reigns, and that ne over
rules all things in the best psssible man
ner, and in that view of the Subject,
try to be in some degree reconciled to
my sown weakness and folies even.
If you were here, here on the spot and
could be with me, by day and by night,
and know the facts and know how my
time was spent here, think you would
find much to reconcile your own mind
TO the ignominiouS death am about to
suffer and to mintigate your sorrow.
am to say the least quite cheerful.
seize shall begin to deliver Israel out OF
the hands of the Philistines.'' This was
said of poor erring servant many years
ago, end for many years 1 have felt a
IL strong impression that God had given
me powers and faculties, unworthy as ]
was, that he intended to use for similar
purpose. This most unmerited honor
he has seen fit to bestow, and whether
like the same poor frail man to whom
allude my death may not be of vastly
more value than my life is, think quite
beyond all human foresight. really
have strong hopes that Notwithstanding
all my mary sins too, may yet die iii
faith" If you do not believe l had I
murderous intention (while know 1 haC
not) why grieve so terribly on my &C
COUNT The scaffold has but few ter
rOrs for me. God has often covered NJ,
head in the day of battle almost so mir
.aculOusly that can scarce realize thei
truth and now when it seems quite Ger
tain that he intends to use me quit
differently, shall not most cheerful.
go? 1 may be deceived, but 1 humbl
trust that tIe will not folsake me ''ti
have shown His favor to this gencrs
tiOn AND His strength to every on
that is to come" Your letter is mos
faithfully and kindly written, and
mean to profit by it. I am certainl
quite grateful for it. I feel that a gfes
responsibility rests upon me as regard
the lives of those who have fallen, an
may yet fall. I must, ia that vie,
cast myself on the care of Hin
whose mercy endureth forever
the cause in which engaged, ia an
possible degree Appropriated to |
infinitely better" than the one i
which Saul of Tarsus undertook,
have no reason to be ashamed of i
and indeed cannot now, after mo-
than month for reflection, find in n
heart (before God in whose presence
expect to stand within another weel
any cause for shame.
1 gotta long and most kind lett
from your pure hearted brother L,
Their, to which I replied at some lengtl
he -F,k, a.