The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-14
JOHN BROWN.
Rev. i. Clayton PoweII's Remarks
 About Great Americans.


 About Great Americans.
 To the Editor Journal and Courier:
 In an editorial of May Il you repres- ent me as having said at the John Brown celebration in Hartford last week this: 'The three greatest Aemri- cans were Fred Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown, and the greatest of these was John Brown. Q I am sure you did not know that the quotation was incorrect. At the begin ming of my speech l said T have made a special study of three great Ameri- cans, William Lloyd Garrison, Fred erick Douglass and John Brown, and the greatest of these is John Brown. {" As for Washington, Lincoln and Grant" here is the way the 'came trailing afterward,
 Had l the power l would proclaim the ninth day of May. which marks the birth of John Brown at Torring- ton, Connecticut, 107 years ago, as a holiday among the colored people of the United States. With fire-crackers, skyrockets, brass bands and spread eagle speeches we celebrate the fourth day of July The birth of John Brown means more to the negro Americans than all the fourth of July celebra- tions in the past. We Join with other Americans in the celebration of the birthdays of George Washington, Lin- coin and Grant. I would not deprive, if 1 could, either Washington or Lincoln of a single one of their well deserved enconiums. I would not for my life speak disparaging word of General Grant, but il is only truth and jus tice to say that Brown did more out of pure, unselfish love for the negro than any of these men we worship as national heroes. The Father of our Country, as great and magnanimous as he was, was not great and magnan- imous enough to use his mighty in duence to iiberate the race which shed the first blood for American in3epen- dence. Lincoln was elected to the presi- dency by the vote of his fellow citi- zens and was forced by the stern and inexorable logic of events to issue the emancipation proclamation. Grant, great soldier that he was, fought for pay undar a commission from the chief executive and the war, department. But John Brown, without vote o1 the people, without the protection of the stars and stripes, without a salary, without commission from anybody except frcm Almighty God, went to Virginia, willingly and gladly poured his blood upon the black altars of slavery of our Lord and Master, Greater love hath no man than this, that man lay down his life for his friends"
 I have no apology to offer for call ing John Brown one of the worlds 5 greatest heroes, benefactors and mar tyrs. Before I came on the stage of action the good and learned people of New England had canonized him a hero and saint and hung his picture in 'the Hall of Fame.
 Thoreau wrote: ''He is the bravest and humanest man in the country" Alcott said. "He is the type and syn onym of the just" and Emerson de- clared him to be the truest hero-man he had ever met.
 l agree with you that ''the one thing to be more and more insisted upon in this country is the observance of the law" but more than one man ''who de- liebrately broke the law in John Browns time is eulogized as a hero. General Lee, who deliberately trampl- ed upon the constitution of the United States and shot the American flag to pieces, was extolled as a world-hero few months ago before the Yale law school by Judge Speer.
 New Haven. May 13. 1907.
 A. CLAYTON POWELL.