The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-09

she talked. She spoke simply. but the
statement seemed TO invest her with the
garb of another age. and Immediately
she seemed to stand in the midst of a
wonderful array of distinguished fig
ures, while the most dramatic period OF
our nations history passed before the
eye of memory like panorama. Here
was a woman who had been cOnfided in
by man who had attempted, almost
single-handed, to compel a nation to go
to war They had read the same books,
learned the same religion, Obeyed the
same parents feared, WeDt and laughed
together. and it was to her that he
wrote that last letter of farewell from
his prison cell the day before his exe ecu
ton. She is known in the community
where she lives as Mrs Martha Davis
and the town has honored her by beg
ging her consent to hang her picture in
its high school building, but never be-
fore has one of her pictures been repro
duced in a paper.
Mrs. Davis talked very freely con-
corning her brother and his deeds. "Oh,
yes" said she, Il am willing to be quo
ted, but 1 wish no notorfety for myself
or for my family, for we have never
earned it, and probably we would never
have had the courage to do what John
did, and the fact that I am his sister is
only accidental, you see.
AS l look back upon the events of
my early life and think of John and
what he did 1 am, perhaps, as much
surprised as anyone at his raid on Har-
per's Ferry. 1t did not seem like the
man that l had known. and then, al
though he had called on me at Graf
ton. Ohio, when on his way to Kansas
with cattle and guns in 50 he did not
tell me that he harbored any such
thought as organizing small band for
an aggressive campaign against the
south. In choosing a man for such a
deed one would not ordinarily have
picked him from among all the aboli-
tionistS of his time He was never rab-
Id about anything else but slavery. He
was a mildmannered man, who, though
determined to have obedience in his
own family, was yet the kindest posi-
Bile father and husband. He was not
public speaker at all. but he had
strong personality which others trusted
and followed. We were all abolitfonists
and called ourselves Christians, but
some of US were more tolerant than
John toward others who wanted to be
called lave-hOldfng Christians He
would not tolerate any mans Christian
ity which permitted its possessor to
keep slave"
When asked if she thought that his
tory had done Justice to her brotheEshe
/ replied: No, [ don't History has been
( very foolish. one class of historians has
/ called him a saint, but he was far from
] being one. There were thousands. Of
other men who worked with him and
heio the same convictions who were just
/ as good as John. but they have never
/ Deen mentioned for a place in the cal
endar of saints
Another class of historians has made
| MN out a fanatic and fool. He was
hetner he was a great strong man,
! with strong convictions who did not be-
| lieve that he could conquer the south; but
/ thought that the Harper'S Ferry stroke
would arouse both the north and the south
! ana would crystalline sentiment into ac-
tiV1ty. never have believed that John
| mad much to do with the choice of his ca
reer; The times demanded some one who
would act, and he was but the instrument
IN the hands of some superior power. If
II had not been John it would have been
some one else at that time and it was
| very natural that the man. whoever he
might be. would be prepared for such a
task in Kansas
1t is war that makes warriors, and the
only war we had then was in that state.
The man for such a deed could not have
come from any other part of the Union