Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-02-24
JOHN BROWNS DAY.
Another InstaIImezt of Unpub-
lished Correspondence
Between Lydia Maria Child AMI
Governor Wise"
A Scathins Letter From Mrs.
James Y. Mason.
Interesting Capital Talk Fr,'m
Charles SeIby.
Special Corespon dence.

ernOr henry a. lse, relatlVe 70 JoAu
Brownr and Mrs. Aason's letter to Mrs.
Child.
Reply Of Governor Wise to Mrs. Child.
RICHMOND, Va, October %, 1859.
Madame:
Yours OF the e6th was received by me
yesterday, and at my earliest leisure re-
spectfully reply to il that | will forward
the letter for John Brown, priboner un.
der our laws, arrsigned at the Circuit
Court for she county OF Jefferson, at
Charlestown, Va, for the crimes of murder,
robbery and treason, which you ask me to
transmit to him. l will comply with your
request in the only way which seems to me
proper, by inclosing it to the Common.
wealth's Attorney, with the request that
he Will ask the permission Of the Court TO
hand il to the prisoner. Brown, the pris.
oner, is now in the hands of the Judiciary,
not OF the Executive, Of this Common.
wealth. You ask me, further, TO allow you
to perform the mission ''of mother or sis
ter
Ts Dress HIS Wounds.
aud speak soothingly to him" By this, Of
course, you mean TO be allowed to visit
him in his cell, and TO minister 10 him in
the offices of humanity. Why should you
not be allowed, madam Virginia and
Massachusetts are involved in no civil war,
and the constitution which binds them in
one confeceracy guarantees TO you the
privilege and immunities OF a citizen OF the
United States in the State Of Virginia,
That constitution / am sworn TO support,
and am, therefore, bound to protect your
privileges ard immuni les as citizen OF
Massachusetts, coming into privileges for
any lawful and peaceful purporse. Com
-. 10 NH nj 81. n n n N
tive in prison, you vii! be met, doubtless
by all our peop!e, not only in a chivAlrous
but in q Christian spirit. You have
right to visit Charlestown, Va, madam;
and your mission being merciful and hu'
name will not only be allowed but respect
ed. If not welcomed. A few unenlightened
and inconsiderate persons, fsnatical in
their modes OF thought and active 10 main
tain
Justice and Right
might molest you, or be disposed to do so;
and this might suggest the the impru
dence OF risking any experiment upon the
peace OF q society very much excited by the
crimes with whose chief author you seem
TO sympathize 90 much. But still, | re.
peat, your motives and avowed purpose
are lawful and peaceful, and | will, as far
as am concerned, do my duty in protect
ing your rights in our limit Virginia
and her authorities would l.. weak in
deed-weak in point OF folly, y .ik in point
OF power-if her State faith aLI constltu-
tion OF obligations cannot be redeemed in
her own limits 10 the letter Of m orality as
well as of law, and il her chivalry cannot
courteously receive lady's visit to pris
oner, every arm which guards Brown from
rescue on the one hand, and from
Lynch Law
in the other, will be ready TO guard your
person in Virginia. could not permit an
insul, even to woman in her walk of char
ity among us, though it be to one who
whetted knives of butchery for our
mothers, sisters, daughters, and babes. We
nave no sympathy with your sentiments
OF sympathy with Brown, and are snr-
prised that you were taken by surprise
when news came Of Captain Brown s recent
attempt" His attempt was Eatural con.
sequence OF your sympathy, and the errors
of that gym pathy ought to make You doubt
its virtue from the effect on his conduct
But it is not OF this | should speak. When
you arrive at Charleston, II you 90 there,
il will be for the court and its officers, the
common wealth's attorney, sheriff aad
TAILOR 10 say whether you may see and wait
on the prisoner. Bat, whether you are
thus permitted or not-and you will be, il
my advice can prevail-you may rest as
sured that he will be humanely, lawfully
and mercifully dealt by in prison and on
trial. Respectfully,
HENRY A. WISE
Mr.. John Y. Mason.
I'..e :. ne LITTER Of Mrs. Mason, wife OF
-,Inu . ..L Y Mason, to Mrs. Child:
'AL1o KING GEORGES Co Va,
November II, 1859.
"Do you real your Bible, Mrs. Child?
II you do, read there Woe unto you hypo.
critics, and take TO yourself with twofold
damnstion that terrible septeDce: for resi-
assured, in the day OF indkment II shsl! b,
more tolerable for thuse thus sC.thed by
the awful denuncistion of the S N of Gld
than for you. You would sooths with sis
terly and motherly care the hoary headed
murderer of Harper's Ferry man
whose aim and intention was TO incite the
horrors OF servile war-to condemn wo'
nen OF your own race. ere death closed
their eyes on their sufferinys, from vlo.
lepce and outrage, to see their husbands
butchered, the ground strr~ed with the
brains Of their babes. The antecedents OF
Browns band proved them to be the OIL.
scouripgs OF the earth; and what would
have been our fate had they found as many
synpathizers in Virginia IS they seem TO
have in Massachusetts,?
Now compare yourself with those your
sympatLy would devote TO such
Ruthless RaiB,
ard say on that word Of honor which
never has been broken" would you stand
by the bedside OF an old negro, dy-
ing OF a hopeless disease, to alleviate his
sufferings as far as human aid could?
Have YOU ever watched the lest lingering
illness OF q consumptiye, 10 soothe, as far
as in you lay, the inevitsbie fate? Do you
grieye with those near yOu, even though
their sorrovs resulted from their own
misconduct? Did you ever Sit up until
the wee hours to com pleie dress for q
motherless child, that she might appear on
Christmas Day iu a pew one, along with
her more fortunate companions?
We do these and morr for our servants,
and why' Becsuse We endsavor to do our
duty in that state OF life it has pleased
God TO plsce rs.
In His revealed Word We read our
duties TO them--,heir's TO Us are there
also-"Not 20 the good and gentle bat also
| 10 the frovard."-l Peter Ills Go thou
and do likewise and keep away from
Charleston.
| II the stories read in the public prints b
true of the suffering CT the poor OF the
| North, you need not 90 far for objects oI
charity. Thou hypocrite? take hfst th1
beam out of thine own eye, thsn shah
| thou zee clearly 70 pull the mote ont Q!
Thy ntighbor's" Bot IL, indeed, you 4
i,ck bjects Of sympathy near Jon, 60 z
| Jefferson county, to the family Of GeesR'
| Turner. a noble, true-hesrted man, who's,
| devotion 70 his friend (Colonsl Washing
toni causing him TO lose bis life, va. sho
down like Q dog. Or to that Of old Beck
i ham vhoae erief at ths murder OF hi,
negro subordinate made him nssdiessil
expose himself 10 the aim Of the ASSASSIN
Brown. And when you can equal IN ceed
i of love and ehsTity around you, what
shown by nine tsnths OF tbs Virginia plan
tAt,ons, then by your sympathy "she
the knives for opf throats snd kindls to
torch bat fires our bomeA"
You reverence Brown for his clemsnc
to bis prisoners! Prisoners! And hol
taken, Upsuspecting workmen, going :
their daily duties:
Upspued 6entie8en
taken from their beds At the dead hour
anA