New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS
Won HOIST ON JOHN BROWN.

tied by frank Preston ctcdFne. kohio' ~ ~o~'
Boston: Cupples q Hurd
The translation and publication of Won Holsts
interesting and luminous essay upon John Brown
results as the editor states in his preface from
desire 70 meet and Offset certain recent attacks
upon the memory Of the Ossawatome nero ana
notably what Mr.. Stearns and others CONSIDER
a sighting and depreciatory account OF Brown
in the life of Lincoln written by Messrs Hay ana
Nicolay We can almost be thankful for any
provocation which has enriched the literature OF
the most stirring period OF American history win
SO admirable q paper IL is not o1ten that men
are able to deal penetratingly with the events OF
foreign countries, but Dr. Won Hoist long since
proyed that he was one of the exceptions to the
general rule by writing the deepest and broadcast
constitutional history OF the United States ex-
tart His studies for that great work naturally
prepared him to apprehend in its full significance
the John Brown episode, and in the essay here
translated he has treated it with clearness and
grasp to be sought in vain among the contem-
porary comments on the subject published in this
country.
That this should have been possible Is how
ever In no way mysterious. 1t was the part OF
John Brown, as the event proved to force the
hands of both North and South. American poll
tics had for years been sinking into deeper and
more ab1ect degradation. The efforts Of the North
ern politicians to concilate the South had bred
in their own ranks Generalization the extent
of which cannot perhaps be better measured than
by Daniel Webster's 9TH Of March speech Web
ster was head and shoulders above his contem-
poraries in mind and aspiration and when such
n man could find il in his conscience to palter
not only with his own but with the Nations
honor the condition Of weaker and meaner poll
ticians may be guessed In truth they nad
reached the end of their tether. The ubiquitous
Mexican War had shown that they were ready
for any infamy provided IL promised to serve
their ends There was nothing the truculent
South could ask which they were not willing to
Weld, and only when the Northern people-then
sluggish enough in all matters connected with
slayery-showed signs of restiveness at the extent
of the concessions proposed did these tme-Serv-
ine demaqoaues pause The South fatally urged
on by it's peculiar institution, the requirements Oh
which rendered peaceful development side by SIDE
with a free democracy fundamentally Impossible
could not accept as final any settlement attain
able II was in the very nature of slavery tnat
il must rule or ruin, and it was no less innerenp
IN it that it must ruin where it ruled Compro-
mise and concession was from the first futile
From the day when the Constitution Of the
limited States was ratified with slavery in 1t the
,rrepressible conflict proceeded. AS Won Hoist
obsarves two mutually destructive principles
ware embodied in the organic law of the Uni"i
and there could be no peace until one of them
had expelled the other.
All the efforts of all the statesmen North and
South to patch up truces failed, one after the
other Slavery proved too intactable for par
Iamentary treatment 1t was like the magic
skin in Balzac's famous story, which could Dc
neither crushed by the most powerful machinery,
nor reduced by the strongest chemicals, nor al
fected by any Of the agencies of science After
~41A aad hQd
the burning question remained, only more menac-
ing, more hopeless than before. But in eluding
the arts of the politician, it was really tentung
toward final settlement in the only way that
remained While the Congress at Washing
ton was making believe that peace existed, the
curtain rose on bloody drama in Kansas TINS
also was the outcome of Southern aggression and
Northern pusilhnmity. Congress, ID making
the Territories ostensibly rented ground invited,
almost necessitated, the desperate struggle that
ensued. Into the struggle John Brown threw
himself He, TOO. had been educated Tor his
life-work by study in the National disgrace
Reams Of paper have been FLIED with disquiSi-
tion. upon this man, and bbored attempts to
tn+ernret his character and divine his motives
Tbis very difficulty of comprehending him is
significant of the atropby which slavery imposed
pnon the National conscience For John Brown
was one of the simplest most hmpid souls ever
fncarnated. There was no mystery about him.
The mystery was in the millions who found it
so easy to rise and go about their ordinary az
fairs. and eat and drink and take pleasure, while
a.. blasting curse and infamy Of human slavery
aourished, and while the very honor and man
hood of the North was prosttuted to the sup
port and defence of the abominabie system. Inc
mystery lay in the fact that the North imagined
itself free while all the time the foot OF the
STAKEHOLDER was on its neck John Brown
vvas no sphjnx. He was solely and simply what
every American ought to have been: that is,
man who dscerned right from wrong, who Glove
20 the yipht and abhorred the wrong; whose con-
sc;ence would not let him make terms with
slavery or live as IL it did not exist or refrain
from doing all he could to overthrw 1T. lie
was n man, in short, in time when most men
did not seem to De aware of their manhood OF
to value it.
His death reused them. Whether he was
indeed insured to follow the path he took, as
he certainly believed. there can be no question
as TO the profundity of the influence ms taxing
of produced upon the situation. Nor' pefnal"'
can the sceptc altogether escape some quesuonlnes
within himself upon this point wnen ne reneoS'
,,v.on the one moment in John Browns life which
is wholly inexplicable from the ground OF reason
.lore When the attack upon Harpers Ferry
la hesn made. what moved Brown to simply
stav there. doing nothing, until his enemies
Gathered and enclosed him and made his escape
snrossible ? Viewed in worldly way, mourning
could have been more foolish. 1t was In iac.
madness Yet. what were the actual results
AS IL proved, the capture trial. and execution OF
John Brown did more deadly harm to Tue cause
Of slavery than his raids could have enected nau
they been successfully carried on Tor hah
century.
John Brown was not in Won Holsts opinion
fanatic. When, while in prison, slavehoider ac-
cused him of being fanatic. he repned' No,
but you are one" and be was right 10 see anu