Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-15

horses, oxen and mules.
One of the most remarkable utter
ances of Mr.. Hawley, was that of the
Chicago Republican convention that
nominated Lincoln and resolved that
Brown was one tof the greatest
criminals of the age. The platform
does not mention Brown. Lincoln's
Cooper Institute speech only declared
John Brown monomaniac.
He read from Hinton's "John Brown
and his men," page 81. quoting John
Doyle, that party led by an old man
in brown coat and straw hat COM
mitted the Pottawatamie massacre.
Threatened assaults had been feared
by Brown against his family and the
families of Kansas settlers and Brown
, and his band had retaliated. There
were worse things than the taking of
human life, and this writer justified
Brown on high moral grounds.
The histories establish one fact
that many outrages were committed
by both sides on the dark and bloody
grounds of Kansas and that John
Brown and his sons held their own
against great odds. There was no
state government and there was
armed conflict between the free state
settlers and the pro-slavery invaders.
Springs "Kansas" refers to the i'm
mense vibration" caused BY Browns
career. Brown went 70 Kansas to
strike blow at the slave power. He
was prepared to sacrifice his enemies
and himself if necessary to abolish
slavery. He stood almost alone in
Kansas. The free state leaders
Stunned violence. Brown feared
nothing. He undoubtedly determined
to expel pro-slavery squa tiers on
Pottawatamie creek. 1t was fright
full example and was never admitted
by Brown to his family. He de-
nounced the peace policy and as the
town of Lawrence had been wiped
out, Brown thought an unforgetable
example must be struck that would
involve the country in war and result
in the overthrow of slavery.
He struck blow that made Kansas
free state. John Brown twas called
the sold terrifyer."
James Schouler, hist. Of U. s.,
page 437, described how Brown pre-
cipitated the "irrepressible conflict"
by the assault on Harper's Ferry. He
became a martyr hero and an inspira-
tion.
In his first volume Won Hoist de-
clares the superlatiYe needs OF the
occasion justifies John Browns ter
rible deed at Pottawattamie, but says
the act never was proved. In his
second volume he says the deed was
proven but that Brown was not him
self the murderer.
He closed by reading from Nicolay
and Hays life of Lincoln, on the in
vasion OF Harper's Ferry. Defensive
retaliation was the crime but declares
that his hand did not deal blow at
Potta wattamie Creek. =
President Hawley said he had been
forced to give this lecture against
his wishes. 1t was the most painful
hour he had ever put in on the plat
form ard be expressed regret over and
over at having caused any one any
pain at what he had said. He did
| not caan tn realiZe that Lincoln re-
ferred as much to the lawless inya-
sions of the border ruffians as he did
to Browns invasion at Harper's Ferry
or IN Kansas.
All the excuse Mr.. Hawley made
for his Eugene lecture was that all
he ssaid about Brown unfortunately
occurred at the end of the lecture and
rot at the beginning, as though that
would have made any material differ.
ence.
Pres. Hawley has still to remoye
the charge OF the Eugene paper that
he compared John Brown to Guiteau
John Wilkes Booth, and Judas Iscar-
lot. That is serious charge.
II Pres. Hawley did make that com
parison at Eugene he should still take
some public opportunity TO correct
it. History does not bear him out iI
that aud he owes 1t TO himself to re
tract the statement il he ever made
= it.