The evening times., 1899-09-04
MoLDER1Na IN THE GRAVE.
Incidents in the Refinement of Sol
diers of Ossayatomfe.


NORTH ELBA, N. Y, Sept. 3.-John
Browns followers now lie beside their
leader in the little graveyard on the John
Brown farm. The reburial occurred
Thursday, the fortythird anniversary OF
the battle of Ossawatomie, and fully $500
persons witnessed the ceremonies. This
vast crowd of people Joined in singing the
hymn, Onward, Christian Soldiers" with
which the ceremonies were opened
The Rev. Dr. Joshua Young, of Groton,
Mass, who preached John Browns funeral
sermon forty years ago, made the first
address, and the Epps family, colored, who
were brought to this place by John Brown
many years ago, sang There's Land
That Is Fairer Than Day." Capt. James
H. Holmes, of New York, who also spoke,
fired the first gun in the battle OF Ossa-
watomie. Col. Richard j. Hinton, OF
Brooklyn, delivered an historical address.
and after the singing by the audience of
John Browns Body Lies a-Moldering in
the Grave" Bishop Potter, OF New York,
delivered an address The Bishop spoke
briefly ON the pleasure it gave him that
his summer stay on the lake had brought
him within reach of this most interesting
and touching ceremony. He expressed his
Young had given of the burial Of John
Brown here five days after his execution
al Harper's Ferry, nearly forty years ago,
and wished the doctor could have contin-
ued to detail the circumstances under
which he made his way through the noun
tains and the SHOWS 10 this remote point
at such time on such an errand and amid
such public excitement. After speaking of
the fact that the men to be buried today
had at 1caS sriv a1 thaxr haH- thni- Iirac
to advance the cause which they believed
right, he suggested that in these later days
it wise to widen our horizon and re-
member others who had been conspicuous
in guiding the feeling which led to the
! Harper's Ferry raid into channels Of last
| ing good. He mentioned particularly
| among others two great citizens of the
State William II. Seward and Horace
| Greeley. and then called upon the friend
| and successor of Greeley here present.
! Mr.. Reid disciaimed any place in the
programme, and smilingly questioned the
| irerrancy of the Bishop who could have
made the Interpolation. He was there
simply like the others, in the aud -ence. a
sympathetic spectator of this tender and
! touching return of the scattered ashes
| of the followers to the side OF their leader.
! In the character ascribed to him as the
| friend and successor of Horace Greeley,
his very interesting "reminiscences, hId re-
ferTed to the criticism and disparagement
| of John Browns acts and OF his associates.
| There had, il was quite true, been much
! of this, and one eminent citizen of New
York. a patriot and philanthropist, had
/ been particularly censured. Criticism was
| always easy, especially in the fuller Hsht
OF later generation. But. whatever might
be said, the fact remained that this man
,,Inn
at last in death again beside him. be ieved
they were doing a great deal for human
ity. and were ready to die for it. This
fact barred disparagement and drew a cir
ele around that rough bowlder beneath
which they lie as sacred as any ever drawn
| by Mother Church.
The deed at Harper's Ferry was soon
followed by a continental convu SION. Who
could say Just what started the avalanche!
But none who, like these veterans in the
late war in the audience, or like himself
had seen regiment after regiment march
ing into battle singing thar John Browns
soul was marching on, could doubt that the
spirit of the man carried from the scat
fold and here buried on the rough little
Adirondack farm he had titled, did help 10
inspire and animate that great struggle e
which had abolished slavery and wel3ef u9
into one nation so thoroughly that we late
ly saw without surprise Joe Wheeler and
Teddy Roosevelt. FitZhugh Lee and Frei
Grant, eagerly following the same flag n
their coantry's service on foreign soil.
1t was said that John Browns movement
was premature and uuwise; that it was
useless, Illegal, and bloody. Grant it
if you please; grant anything the critics
care to say. After all the world knows
that they believed that they were serving
humanity, and gladly gave their lives Il
that service No matter, then, what tht
critics say. Admit the worst, and still
in the lines of our present Secretary o
State about another act OF devotion:
He W ant saint, bat at Judgment
I'd take my chance alongside him
He seed his duty, dead thing,
And went for it, thar and then.
And. the speaker said. he could continu
the quotation in all reverence and with al
respect for the clergy here present:
And Christ amt a-goin' to be too hard
on that died fGr