The Portland daily press., 1899-08-10

Buesb az frout's NECK, 1s tne Clergyman
who otficlated at John Browns funeral,
forty years ago. His home is at Groton,
Mass, but he is native of Ran dolph,
Maine, grad nate of 3owGoin college in
the GLASS Ct fSsb, and of the divinity
school Of Harvard In ie4S. He was passor
at Bnrulington. VT, when the raid en-
darper's Ferry occurred. His participa-
tion in the affair, as told by himself to n
correspondent of the Boston Herald, gives
an interesting view Of what 1t cost to be-
friend the slave. even In New England: |:
~ nad never met John Brown, but was
finn abolitionist, and thoroughly In
sympathy vita his purpose. Fer II years
| was member of the Vigilance 90 mmit-
tee, and belonged to the abolition school
at the time the fugitive slave act was
under consideration in Boston. In Bur-
lington 1 was what was termed the
station keeper of the underground rail-
road. taking a part In the transfer of
| fugitive slaves from one state to another.
harbored at my home many a slave. Il
was not difficult for me to render assis-
tance to escaping slaves, for was very
| near the Canadian border.
after Browns execution. and 1
learned that his body WIS TO be brought
to his home at North Elba, was deter
mined 70 attend the funeral / was no.
oompanled on the trip by MIR. q. Bige-
low, one Of my Burlington parishionsrs.
an enthusiastic abolitionis5. 1t was a
long, hard, midwinter journey. Ne
startei In the midst OF northeast raj in,
and when we reached there 1t was snow
Ing hard. We Travelled by cart roads
through the blazsd woods. and nearly
persisted fron the cold. Had not been
a young and vigorous man, l never
could have withstood the rigors of that
long and psrilous ride.
"We reached North Elba about o O'Clock
in the morning, and tine burial took place
at O'Clock in the afternoon. happened
to be the only minister there, and at the
earnest request of the family perfor med
the usual funeral seryics. There were
present at the service the widows of four
members of Browns party. When the
remains were escorted from the house to
the great bowlder, beside which the grave
had been dug. Wsndsu Phillips took the
arm of John Browns widow, Mr. Nc
Kim supported the widow of Oliver
Brown. offered my arm to Mrs. Watson
Brown, and MIR. Bigelow of Burlington
escorted the Widow Thompson to the
grave.
Zone incident i bad cause TO particu-
larly remember, because it was SO often
afterward hurled in my face. At the
grave John Browns widow gave way to
her sorrow, and as a solaoe to her grief 1
repeated the scriptural passage: 4 have
fought good fight, have finished my
course, have Kept the faith; henoeforth
there Is laid up for ma crown of right
sousness
The newspapers published very fully
the details connected with the funeral
service, and my critics wanted to know
how could claim thai John Brown had
fought coed fight, and what he had
done to entitle him to a crown of right
eousness. 1t is not pleasant to recall the
treatment received from former friends
after the funeral. Being naturally SEN
sitiye man, suffered great deal from
/ the rebuffs received. Many persons who
had been exceedingly friendly to me
Stunned me ON the streets, and some Of
my parishionsrs would pass me without
sign of recognition. My professional
brethren volunteered the opinion that 1
had ruined for life my chances as MIN
lister of ths gospel, and was informed
that some people of the town had ex-
pressed the sentiment that ought to be
STRUNG up as high as old John Brown. :
"A dissolution of my relations with
ths church at Burlington was an outcome
! Of my connection with ths Brown fun
eral. but / continued in the ministry,
despite the predictions that would never
again find q pastorate. The feeling
against aholitionists was as,strong:in some
portions Of the North in those days as Ii
WAS In the South. The sentiment was
stronger In Vermont than In Massachu-
! setts, for, owing to their nsarness TO New
York, Vermontars natural ly followed in
New York's trend OF sentiment, rather
than pattsrning after the people or Maasa-
chusstts."