The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-06-20

John HruWn-nOt because they wish
ed to abolish slavery, but on account
of the means they have ever endea7or-
Ell th U.S. 10 effect that abolition. If
Brown were living | doubt whether
he himself would set slavery against
the Union. Most, or many of the
North do, and openly curse the Union
if the South is To return and retain a
single right guaranteed to them by
every tie which We once held as
sacred. The SJuth can make no
choice. 1t is either determination or
slavery for themselves. Worse than
death to draw from-I know my
choice. | have also studied hard to
discover upon what ground the right
of a State to secede has been denied:
when our very name, "United States, "
and the Declaration of Independence
both provide for secession. But this
is no time for words, write in haste
[ know how foolish | shall be deemed
for undertaking such step as this :
Where on the one side 1 have many
friends, and everything to make
me happy; where my profession alone
has gained me an income Of more than
twenty thousand dollars a year, and
where my great personal ambition in
my profession has such a great field Of
labor. On the other hand, the South
word; place where l have no friends
except beneath the sod; place where
l must become a private soldier or a
beggar. To give up all the former for
the latter, besides my mother and sis
ters, whom l dearly although
they so widely differ with me in opin-
ion-seems insane, but God is my
judge. [ love justice more than I do
a country that disowns it; more than
fame or wealth; more (heaven pardon
me if | am wrongD than a happy
home.
l have never been upon a battle
field; but oh! my countrymen, if you
coulo all see the effects of this horrid
war as | have seen them in every
State save Virginia, know you would
think like me, and would pray the
Almighty to create in the Northern
mind a sense Of justice and right,
even should itpossess no seasoning or
mercy, and that He would dry up the
sea of blood between us, which is daily
growing wider.
Alas! poor country; is she to meet
her threatened doom? L would give a
thousand lives to see her remain as |
had always known her. powerful and
unbroken. And even now, / would
hold my life as nought to see her as
she was. Oh! my friends, if the fear
ful scenes of the past four years had
never been enacted; or, if what has
been was but a fearful dream, from
which we could now awake. with what
overlooking hearts could we bless our
God, and pray for his continued fav
ors. How l have loved the old flag
can never now be known.
A few years since the entire world
could boast of none SO pure and spot
less - .
But | have of late been seeing and
hearing of the bloody deeds of. which
she has been made the emblem, and
would shpdder to think how changed
she had grown. Oh! how / have
longed to break from the mist of blood
and death that circles around her
folds, spelling her beauty aud tarnish
ing her honor But no, day by day
she has bten.s-aragged deeper and
deeper into cruelty and oppression ill
now in sniy eyes her onees bright red
strips seem Tike abl,ody gasTes in the
face of heaven.
| look ksnow upon my early aslmira-
ton Of her gloriessls q dream. afMt
My love as things stand to-day is
for the South alones Fgrs ~
Nor do l deem it dishonor to at
temptzto make tor her a prisoner OF
this man, to whom she owes 50 much
of misery. ? kw NAE 4
Ifsuccess attends me, 60 penniless
TO her side.
They say she has found that last
ditch" whic the North have so long
desired, and been endeavoring to force
her in. Forgetting they are brothers
and that 1t is impolitic to goad an
enemy to madness. =
I b Should l reach her in safety and
fnd it true, | will proudly beg per,
mission to triumph or die in the s'lasi
ditch" by her side, a Confederate
doing duty upon his own responsible
flfy. j. WILkEs BooTH.
When the John Brown raid ocourr.
ed al Harper's Ferry, Va, in the fall
EofS1859, Wilkes Booth, was in Rich.
mond carrying out an engagement a,
the theatre. As soon as. Governor
Wise made call for troops he imme-
diately left his party and enlisted
with one of the Richmond companies
and went with them to Harper's Fer
~, and was there at the execution .ol
Brown. 1t is this to which he makes
] reference in the foregoing communica.
tion.. --
It will be. lrepembered that afteI
shooting Mr.. Lincoln Booth fractured
his ieg in leaping to the stage. Thii
rendered him wen nigh helpless HI
escaped. into Virginia. and was over
taken IN Carolina county, near Por1
Royal and was.shos by Federal cav
lalrymen in the ~barn Of Mr.. Jact
lGn.s~oS t&4 - SS=ssl@k ssH $50 -ts~ : =
ssssssss ~ sSssE - 1ssss so $
Iexs - 4hA III ~ ~