Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24

refused the counsel assigned him by the court
In the beginning Of the trial and was defended
later in the proceedings by George H. Hoyt
ESQ.,. OF Massachusetts, and perhaps others. He
frequently aroused from his pallet 70 protest
against the proceedings and refused en-
Phatically to avail himself Of the plea Of
Insanity.
When called upon by the court to say why
sentence Of death should not be passed upon
him he replied: I'm the first place, deny
everything but what / have all along ad-
mitted-ths design on my part to free the
slaves. 1 intended certainly to have made clean
thing Of that matter. as did last winter, when
1 went into Missouri and there took slaves
without the swapping Of a gun on either side,
moved them through the country and finally
left them in Canada. I designed to have done
the same thing again on larger scale. That
was all intended. never did intend murder
or treason or the destruction Of property or to
excite or incite slaves to rebellion or to make
instruction. This court acknowledges, as
suppose, the validity OF the law of God.
III see book kissed here which suppose to
be the Bible or at least the New Testament. That
teaches me that all things whatsoever l would
that men should do to me, should do even so
to them. 1t teaches me further to remember
them that are in bonds. as bound with them. 1
endeavored to act up to that instruction.
say am yet too young to understand that God
Is any respecter OF persons. / believe that to
have interfered as / have done-as have al
ways freely admitted have done-in behalf Of
His desPised poor. was not wrong but, right.
Now, II 1t is deemed necessary that I should
forfeit my life for the furtherance Of the ends
OF justice, and mingle my blood further with
the blood OF my children and with the blood Of
millions In this slave country whose rights are
disregarded by wicked, cruel and unjust enact
ments-I submit; SO let it be DONE"
THE EXECUTION.
The third act Of the tragedy swiftly followed.
No appeal was prayed to the supreme court of
the state. notwithstanding it is and has long
been the practice to take such appeal in all
capital cases, even where the proof Is evident
and the conclusion foregone, as in this case.
1t is done az a mere act Of humanity in the
prisoners behalf 1t is probable that in this
case the defendant did not desire it The tenor
OF his declarations during the trial and the fol-
lowing thirty days would seem to indicate that
he regarded the whole proceedings as q mere
formaity, about the result Of which there could
be but one conclusion.
1t Is more than likely that before his e1ecu-
ton Brown came to believe that his dc ath upon
the scaffold would do more to advance his
scheme than would have resulted from the most
unqualified success Of his carefully brooded
campaign of guerrilla warfare. 1t is doubtful
II he would have walked out had the door Of
his cell been left open during the latter half OF
those swiftly flying thirty days. He refused
religious consolation from the clergymen who
visited him on account OF their sympathy with
the institution Of slavery, and on the I'd day Of
December, surrounded by large body Of
armed troops, went unfalteringly to his death.
His fellow-prisoners were executed later. OF
course these events created the widest excite
ment throughout the country. but it will always
be impossible to form definite estimate as to
what influence they actually exerted in precipi-
tatlng the civil war which SO soon followed
THE EFFECTS OF THE RAID.
One eminent abolitionist looking down into
Browns grave on that bleak December day of
the funeral at North Elba said, "He has abol-
ished slavery" Thoreau, Theodore Parker and
X. W. Emerson Landed him as a saint, while
Wendell Phillips declared that "the lesson Of
the hour is insurrection." The slave holders
saw In the movement the crystalized fruition Of
the abolition crusade. How much was be-
hind this visible entering wedge they were I'M
able to judge. Looked at from the impartial
standpoint Of today the Brown invasion would
seem to be a mere episode-a leaf floating upon
the swift current Of events. The conflict was
"irrepressible." 1t would have come had John
Brown never lived. But would it have come
without the idea Of which he was the exponent?
Many relics Of the famous raid" are shown
by the residents. One citizen Of Charlestown,
the son OF Browns jailor. is the owner of the
Bible which belonged to the old abolitionist,
which the latter presented to the father lust
before the execution. 1t is . cheap volume,
such as sold in that day for Is cents. and shows
that many passages we're marked by Brown in the
course Of his reading. He seems to have par
ticularly dwelt upon those parts Of the Old
Testament which in any manner denounce op-
preston.
John Brown ''pikes' are also very common
relics in and around Harper's Ferry. 1t is es-
tmated that enough Of these have been sold rs
genuine to supply large army. These we're
the weapons with which Brown expected to arm
the untutored negroes that were expected to
flock to his standard. Another enterprising
citizen shows with considerable pride the
identical cook stove which served the culinary
needs If the party during their sojourn at the
Kennedy farm. The old engine house known
80 long as John Browns Fort" has been sold
to some Chicago parties, who have torn it down
and removed 1t bodily to that city az a nucleus
for John Brown" exhibit during the period
OF the world fair. MILTON T. ADKINS.