The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-23

aienist. however might End traces OF
insanity IN Browns propensity for vio-
lcncc.
Political Expedieucy.
Apart from the hundreds OF letters
from OH classes OF citizens in the North
who looked upon John Brown as a hero
and martyr. and who. for this reason.
irnplored his pardon there was another
class OF men who wished to see Brown
pardoned on the score Of political OK
pcdiency AS matter Of fact. there
was a good deal ~ reason IN this at
utude The hystcrical letters pouring
In upon Wise. the denunc'afory articles
IN the newspapers, the militant sermons
OF the Northern clergy. the town meet
tngs-aU showed tho intense interest taken
in the North in TIE fate Of Brown Con
seouently number Of letters came 10
Governor Wise from Democratic editors
and other persons. claiming 20 be I'm
sympathy with the South asking for
hrovn's pardon. tho communication ~ his
sentence 20 life imprisonment or his
confinement In an insane asylum. in
order 20 placate the DANGEROUS feeling
evident throughout tie North
One or the most singular Of all The an
0eais FOR Pr1wn's pardon came fror, a
rather humorous 0e~son 20 ouisiana who
declared that Browns rad vas under
taken ONLY because OF HIS utter ignore nee
of the negro character and rrorosfng as
on
than halter that he should so made the
over7eer unou "A Southern plantation
X Is di~culf % see how WISE could
nave narc onei Brown even FOR th- RUIZ
pose ~ qufefin0 the North. and thus
preventing "a further breach hetv-ee-- .-a
two notions now fast drifting on toward
var. The South demanded Brown blood
as was natural To tho So.,tr - -as8
was nothing less than an anarchfstic at
tack uron society. II had aiwavs eea-ed
above eve-vfhfne else slave Instructions
Tho SorfNerTeT bnew tha frrosnor s'hle
and hi0odtr'rsfv nature ~ the raIf-farr7ad
sava~e which underlav the nexro's usual
docili-v In some ~ eos '~1eod .-ts s9,-
age nature Rad been eraff~afed by close
contact v~th white men ems there were
MANY reliable and honorable negroes az
th's time. But they were vastly IN the
minority. most hl4~ts vero ve. good
deal savage Al insurrectfon then pre-
pared and led bv white men would have
been such q thing we shudder TO
imagine
The Ideal and the Real.
Why should Browns Iife be SHARED
The Governor may have asked himself
the question He was not insane or did
not appear 80 and he refused 20 per-
nit his counsel 20 conduct his defense on
this nlea II MIGHT b. asted - be acted
in ignorance. The answer must be no
Brown was a man % intelligence and he
was well acquainted with tho history Of
former slave instructions lie knew tho
tragic story OF Santo Domingo. that fair
land in which black men had almost
destroyed civilization. Toussaint Lower
ture and Nat Turner. the leader in a
bloody little slave-ris'ng IN Virginia I'm
1891 were two OF his heroes II must
le added IN justice that Brown decreed
death 70 any OF his followers who should
assault women. but the imposslbnity Of
enforcing any such rule over a mob OF
r-'.ol Stoves IS evident
The North. however. did not fully
realize this. did not know the negro. and
consequently could not by any possibility
have understood the views Of the South.
and the horror with which the latter
country regarded Brown. And this same
appreciation was impossible for many
Europeans. The South thought of Browns
raid an attack upon the very roots OF
civilization In the interests Of enslaved
savagery. The North looked upon the
raid IN much the same way as IL looked
upon the skirmis at Lexington, as a
futile but glorious blow struck in the
great cause OF hum~n liberty These real
and ideal views OF Brown showed the men
Of the times how antagonistic the two
halves Of the republic had become.
Threats Did Not Scare.
AS the fatal day. the % OF December.
n.
the appeals for the pardon Of Brown and
his associates grew in number and pas
sion, and were frequently accompanied
by threats Anonymous writer's declared
that thousands Of men were arrning over
the Northern frontier to rescue Brown or
avenge his death Violence was threat
ened against Wise threats mingled with
cntreaty. All IN vain. The torrent OF
appeal. reproach, menace, argument,
subtle exposition OF expediency. failed to
move the Governor.
The ID OF December. 1859. and John
Brown was hanged He went to his
death with a noble courage which moved
the admiration OF the witnesses. Wise
maintained the large militia force a,
Charlestown TO the last. and IT was per
haps well he cid. for the threats and
warnings OF attempted rescues we're in
Vulnerable. and there may have been
something in them, though most Of them
were rather vague. After Browns execu-
ton appeals for mercy for the other con-
spirators poured in upon Wise. as well as
many letters full Of vile denunciation for
his refusal to save brown. These let
ters threatening violence and death and
breathing iAdescriabie abuse show what
Wise had to undergo until the last exc
cution had taken place, and the excite
ment caused by the affair had begun to
sui side.
Not all the letters that Wise received
concerning Brown were petitions for par
don. Some OF them we're appeals TO exc
cute the law. and after execution OF the
law came letters OF approval one OF them
dated December Sth begins in hearty
fashion: Good and faithful servant. en-
ter thou into the Joy OF Northern Demo
Gratis This letter goes on to say thai
the Union must be preserved. and that
the North must aid the South In main
tanning IT, Meetings were held in some
places for the purpose or assuring the
South that conservative citizens did not
support the abolitionists In their approval
Of Browns deed. Among the archives Is
an address from citizens OF New Haven
pledging the support Of Connecticut to
Virginia IN case OF further slave troubles.
This document makes strange readt,r A.,