The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-03-10
deemed it an act worthy of reward rather

| deemed it an act worthy of reward rather
| than punishment.
| This court acknowledges as | suppose, the
| validity of the Law of God. l see a book
! kissed here whM | suppose to be the Bible,
or, at least. the New Testament. That
teaches me that all things whatsoever L
! would that men should do unto me, j should
do even SO TO them" 1t teaches me, further,
TO remember those that are in bonds as
bound with them" / endeavored to act upon
! that instruction. l say, / am yet too young
to understand that God is any respecter of
persons. / believe that to have intertered as
| have done, as / have always freely admitted
have done, in behalf of His despised poor,
was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is
deemed necessary that | 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 disre-
garded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enact
ments-I submit; so let it be done.
Let me say one word further
feel entirely satisfied with the treatment
/ have received on my trial. Considering all
the circumstances it has been more generous
than / expected. But | feel no consciousness
of guilt | have stated from the first what
was my intention and what was not. /
never had any design against the life of any
person. nor any disposition to commit treason,
or excite slaves to rebel, or make any general
insurrection. / never encouraged any man
to do so, but always discouraged any idea OF
that kind.
Let me say, also, n word in regard to the
statements made by some OF those connected
with me ! hear it has been stated by some
of them that | have induced them to join me.
But the contrary is true. do not say this
TO iniure them. but as regretting their weak
ness There is not one Of them but joined
me of his own accord, and tie greater part at
their own expense. number of them /
never saw, and never had a word of converse
ton with till the day they came to me, and
that was for the purpose have stated.
Now have done.
LETTER TO MRS. CHILD.
Among the many letters addressed to
him while in prison was one from Lydia
Maria Child, who sought, but did not
obtain, from the Virginia authorities,
permission to visit him in his prison.
Her letter to Brown was answered as
follows:
Mrs. L. MARIA CHILD.
My Dear Friend (such you prove to be,
though stranger): Your most kind letter has
reached me- with the kind offer to come here
and take care of ME. Allow me to express my
gratitude for your great sympathy, and at the
same to propose to you different course,
together with my reasons TO: wishing it.
/ shoald certainly be greatly pleased to be-
and so kind; but / cannot avoid seeing some
objections to it, under present circumstances
First, | am in charge OF most humane gen.
tlcman, who, with his family, have rendered
me every possible attention | have desired, or
that could be of the least advantage; and /
am so far recovered from my wounds as no
longer to require nursing. Ten, again, it
would subject you to great personal incon-
vcnience and heavy expense, without doing
me any good.
Allow me to name to you another channel
through which you may reach me with your
sympathes much more eifectually. / have |
at home q wife and three young daughters
the Youngest but little over five years old, the |
oldest nearly lG ] have also two daughters
in-Iaw, whose husbands have both fallen near
me here There is also another widow, Mrs.
Thompson whose husband fell here. Whether
she is a mother or not cannot say.
All these, my wife included, live at North
Elba, n. Y. l have midde-aged son, who
has been in some degree a cripple from his
childhood who would have as much rs he
could well do to earn a living. He was a
most dreadful sufferer in Kansas and lost all
lie had laid up. He has not enough 10 cl0the
himself for the Winter comfortably. / have
no living son or son-in-law who did not suffer
terribly in Kansas.
Now, dear friend would you not as soon
contribute 30 cents now and a like sum
yearly for the relief of those very poor and
deeply afflicted persons, TO enable them to
supply themselves and their children with
bread and very plain clothing, and to enable
the children TO receive a common English
education? Will you also devote your ener-
gics TO induce others to join in giving like
amount, or any other amount to constitute
a little fund for the purpose named?
| cannot sec how your coming here can do
ne the least good, and | am quite certain you
can do me immense good where you are. /
am quite cheerful under all my affecting
circumstances and prospects; having, as /
humbly trust, 1.-THE peace Of God, which
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