Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1905-07-11

[Republished by request


Mr.. A. D. Barr. of this place. on the
occasion of his recent birthday anniver-
sary celebration, produced composition
written by him when but a lad of Ia years
of age, which his sister had recently
found and forwarded to him from his old
home at Hollidaysburg, Pa. John Brown
had just been executed at Charles Town,
and feeling ran high all over the country.
A boy in Albert Bars school had taken
John Brown as subject for a
composition and had written one dlstaste-
full to the teacher, who was not one
of the John Brown hero worshipper.
He requested Albert Barr. who was of
sturdy Democratic stock. to write COM
position on this subject. and young Barr
produced the following:
JOHN BROWN.
Dear Teacher and fellow school
mates. stand on this platform to-day
and beg leave to differ from some of the
scholars in our school on the subject OF
Old John Brown. l find he has sympa-
thisers in school as we'll as out of it. but
| am glad to say to them that the
tide is running the other way. reaction
has taken hold of the minds of the people,
and large union meetings has been held
all over the northern states denouncing
Browns actions and those who have been
shrieking for him. Now l never could
see why John Brown could or should be
eulogized for his conduct at Harpers
Ferry. Had justice overlook him he
would have been hanged for the crimes
he committed in Kansas and Missouri.
What, fellow school-mates. would YOU
think of the man that would come with
a mob in the night and break into your
house and in spite of your mothers cries
and entreaties, drag from their beds your
innocent fathers and brothers and cruelty
murder them in the midnight hour.
John Brown did that, and is there a boy
in this room who would not say that
hanging is too honorable death for him.
He then went to Harpers Ferry his next
place of hostility and was there over one
year preparing for the attack in accumu-
lating pixies, guns. and revolvers to fight
with and commit murder and treason.
though he was taken prisoner in the
attempt but not until some lives of inno-
cent men were taken. That was also
done in the dead hour of night when all
was quiet and in their beds. Brown
was tried honestly and fairly by jury of
his country of his own choice and doubly
committed for murder and treason. He
had the privilege of pleading insanity
but laughed at the idea OF it. He was
found guilty and hanged, though he was
man of courage and held out to the last
but it made the offense no less. He had
to die on the gallows as a murderer and
traitor to his country. | cannot SYM
pathize with any of his followers for /
think no felon's carcass ever pulled hemp
more justly than did John Browns.
Last Friday through the folly of Brown
some half dozen more black and white
men had to suffer the same penalty of
the law, down in Charles Town, that
Brown died for, and among all the SYM
pathy we hear not one word tor the poor
widows and orphans that Brown and his
associates have made. l hope we will
hear no more from the sympathisers of
Brown. and what sympathy they have to
give l hope they will give it to the inno-
cent widows and orphans that was made
by Brown and his assassns.
A. d. BARR.
Prof. Henry Badger Wilmington. Teacher
Hollidaysburg, Blair Co. Pa.
December, 1889.
1t is rather coincidence in this connec-
ton that the author of the above. after the
close OF the War between the States,
should have come to the very place of
John Browns execution. married
Charles Town girl. and become prom.
nent citizen of our town.
The Baptist Sunday School in Charles
Town has decided not RI oo ~ leland