The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-21
JOHN BROWNS LAST DAYS.

The following letter from John Brown,
written only a few days before his ex-
ecution, has recently been made public
by the Boston transcript" 1t was
addressed to the great grand-uncle Of
Miss Julia King, of the faculty of the
Emerson College Of Oratory.
Charlestown, Jefferson Co., Va,
Nov, 10, 1859.
Rev. Luther Humphrey:
My Dear Friend: Your kind letter of
the 18th inst, Is now before me. So far
as my knowledge goes as to our mu-
tual kindred, l suppose I am the first,
since the landing of Peter Brown from
the Mayfiower, that has either been
sentenced to imprisonment, or to the
Gallows. But my dear old friend, let
not that fact alone grieve you. You can
not have forgotten how and where our
Grandfather Capt. John BROWN fell in
1776; & that he, too, might have perish
ed on the scaffold had circumstances
been but very little different. The fate
that a man dies under the hand of an
executioner Cor otherwise) has but little
to do with his true character, as I sup
poSS' oOiill IhOSeIS pellSHeu dl lHc
stake great & good man as suppose;
but his being so does not prove that any
other man who has died in the same
way was goood or otherwise. Whether
/ have any reason to "be of good cheer"
Cor not) in view of my end, can assure
you that I feel SO; and that I am totally
blinded if I do not really experiencethat
strengthening & consolation you are so
faithfully implore In my behalf. God Of
our Father reward your fidelity. /
neither feel mortified, degraded, nor in
the least ashamed of my imprisonment,
my chain, or my near prospect of death
by hanging. / feel assured that mot
one hair shall fall from my head with
out my heavenly Father" I also feel
that 1 have long been endeavoring to
hold exactly such a fast as God has
chosen" See the passage in Isaiah
which you have quoted. No part of my
life has been more happily spent than
that l have spent here, and | humbly
trust that no part has been spent to
better purpose. I would not say this
boastingly; but Thanks be unto God
who giveth us the victory through in
finite grace"
/ should be sixty years old were l to
live till Many 9th, 1860 1 have enjoyed
much of life as it is; and have been re-
markedly prosperous, having early
learned to regard the welfare and pros
-perity of others as my own. I have
never since / can remember required a
great amount of sleep, so that 1 con-
clude that l have already enjoyed full
an average number of working hours
with those who reach their Three
Score years and Ten" l have not yet
been driven to the use of glasses, but
can still see to read and write quite
comfortably; but more than that. I
have generally enjoyed remarkably
good health. I might go on to recount
unnumbered and unmerited blessings,
among which would be some very Sc
we're Affections, and those the most
needed blessings of all. And now,
when 1 think how easily l might be left
to spoil all have done or suffered in
the cause of freedom, hardly dare risk
another voyage, even if I had the OPP
portunity.
1t is a long time since we met, but we
snail now soon come together IN our
Fathers house." I trust. Let us
hold fast that We already have"-re-
membering that we shall reap in due
| time if we faint not Thanks be ever
unto God, who giveth US the victory
| through Jesus Christ our Lord. And
| now, my old, warm-hearted friend
goodbye. Your affectionate cousin.
JOHN BROWN.