Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-05
"OId John Brown. I"
His Record Was Not So Black as
Painted.
History of the Musical Composition That
Bears His Name.

severe 'denunciation of John Brown
attracted great deal of attention.
Both the lecture and the editorial
from the Eugene paper were calcu-
lated to create new character in
history for the old hero.
Under the headings "Another
View," and "John Browns Record
Lot so Black" the Eugene Register
prints the following from a citizen of
Eugene:
l did not have the pleasure of list
ening to Pres. Hawley's excellent
lecture Of "Kansas and John Brown"
Saturday evening, but if the reports
of it are true it seems to illustrate
how easy it is for a careful historical
student to. be misled in his judgment
of a mans character, if he judges him
not by direct knowledge of the mans
character, but by the attitude he as
sumes toward the events in which he
participates. l assume that Pres.
Hawley could not have had the op-
portunity to know john Brown di-
rectly. Why? The firstStwenty-One
years of my life were passed in vii
lage which John Brown employed as
his headq uarters in preparing forthe
Kansas struggle. My grandfather's
house was fused by Brown as an
armory and drill room. 1 have known
intimately all my life number of
John Browns personal friends, men
who knew him not at second hand but
intimately and while many Of them,
most of them, did not agree with
Brown in his plans, yet with one ac-
cord they bear witness to his manly
character and his unquestioning 10y
atty to right as he conceived it.
Whatever may be said in criticism Of
Brown, of this much feel confident,
he can never be classed as murderer,
nor a traitor, nor liar.
r. Q. BROOKS. =
The editor of the Register was also
mistaken as to the music Of John
Brown when he said:
"As we read history, the most sem
sible part Of the north advocated
Browns execution. They have meyer
eulogized him nor held him up as an
exemplar for rising generations. He
has been given place in history as a
victim of misguided conscience, prac-
ticing his fanaticisms on avid border
frontier, where guerilla methods were
somewhat more eXcusable than in the
streets of Baltimore, Richmond or
Vicksburg, but which by no means
justified him in his atrocities. The
north did not seek to make Brown
a hero. The song which every school
boy knows as "John Browns Body"
is all that has kept his name before
the nation, and that would never have
immortalized him, had it not been for
the saucy, catchy words being set to
that ringing baUtle-hymn with which
Julia Ward Howe had just enriched
the world"
We are not concerned to correct the
estimate of John Brown held by
Hawley and this editor. Time will
do that if they are men Of brains, as
we assume they are, but as to the
music of John Brown the Register
needs correction.
The statement that the great bat
tie song, to which million Union SOL
diers marched to bat tie, and which is
the favorite musical gem of seventy
millions of Americans, received its
greatness from Julia Ward Howe's
sacred battle hymn, is absurd. The
latter was not thought of until its
author had heard the Union soldiers
sing 80 JohD Brown" and had in fact
sung it with them herself. Mrs,
llOWC WOiuS arc OSduOllul, Ouu OllSy
long remained unknown, and then
only gained generalrecognition by be-
ing set to the music of"John Brown" "
The music of this great war song was
modified to march by the musicians
Of the Union army. Some say it was
originally negro wedding song.'
Other say it was an old New England
camp-meeting song, while careful
students Of musical history claim
that it originated from the old South
ern yoodoo airs and dances. Let this bt
as it may, it never became a nationa
song until it was supplied with The
words of the great "Marseillaise ol
Emancipation" These words were
written by young newspaper man
Frank E. Jerome, editor Of the Rus
sell, Kansas, Record,
4