The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-15
OLD JOHN BROWN.
The Last Letter Written by the
Abolitionist Before His Death.

(From the St Louis GlObe-Demccrat-)
Cincinnati, Sept. 5.-The following IN
published letter from the pen of the great
liberator, John Brown, will be of unusua!
interest. The letter was written 10 an
old friend and relative Rev. Luther Hum
phreys, of Windham, O.. short time be-
fore his execution and while Brown was
under sentence of death. The letter fol-
lows:
"Charlestown, Jefferson County, Va,
Nov. 13. 1S59.-Rev- Luther Humphrey,
Windham, O.-My Dear Friend: Your
kind letter of August % is now before me.
So far as my knowledge goes as TO our
mutual kindred, l suppose l am the first
since the landing of Peter Brown from
the Mayfower that has either been sem
fenced to imprisonment or TO the gallows-
But, my dear old friend let not that fact
grieye you. You cannot have forgotten
how and where our grandfather Capt.
John Brown fell in lT76. and that he, too,
might have persisted on the scaffold had
circumstances been but very little differ
ent. The fact that the man dies under
the hand of the executioner or otherwise
has but little to do with his true charac-
ter.
John Rogers. a great and good man,
as / suppose. persisted at the stake but
his doing does not prove that any other
man who died in the same way was good
or otherwise Whether | have any rea-
son to be of good cheer or not, in view
of my end, can assure you that | feel
so. and that | am totally blinded If 1 do
not really experience that strengthening
and consolation You SO faithfully implore
in my behalf The God of our fathers
reward your fidelity. l neither feel NOR
titled, degraded nor in the least ashamed
of my imprisonment. my chain nor my
near prospect of death by hanging / feel
assured that not one hair shall fall from
my head without the will of my heavenly
Father. / also feel that / have long been
endeavOring 10 hold exactly such 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 l have spent here and / huInDiy
trust that no part has been spent to
bette purpose / would not say this hest
tatingly. but thanks be unto God, who
giveth us the victory, through infinite
grace.
II should be sixty years old were 10
live until May g. 1860 l have enjoyed
much of life as it is. and have been re-
markedly prosperous, having early learn
ed to regard the welfare and prosperity
of others as my own / have never
since / can remember, required a great
amount of sleep. so that 1 conclude that
/ have already enjoyed an average num-
| Der of waking hours as those who rea n
; their three score years and ten / have
not as yet been driven to the use of
glasses but can see to read and write
quite comfortably. More than that. l
have generally enjoyed remarkably good
health might go on to recount I'M
numbered and unmerited blessings
among which would be some very severe
Affections. and those the most needed
blessings of all. And now, when | think
how easily l might be left TO spoil all 1
have done or suffered in the cause of
freedom, l hardly dare wish another
voyage, even if 1 had the opportunity. 1t
is long time since We met, but we shall
soon come together in our Fathers house,
l trust. Let US hold fast that We already
have remembering We shall reap in due
time if we faint not.
Thanks be ever unto God. who givetn
us the victory through Jesus Christ, our
Lord, And now, my old warm-hearted
friend. good-by. long farewell Your
affectionate cousin, JOHN BROWN"