The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-08-12
CBv MRS. NJ. E. PLAssMANN)

~ records a sketch of my fathers life,
and in it mentioned that on re-
quest Of the family, he tried TO see Jonn
Brown while the latter was under arrest
to settle some business matters, out
nothing was said hat explained why my
father, and not another lawyer, was Sc
lected for the .
It seems incredible, but I have a vivid
recollection of the Fremont campaign al
though 7 was very young when IL &C
CURED. Perhaps it made sucn an lhPL
sion on my mind, because OF oeeP
interest taken in it by my father ana
ANYTHING which interested him Interested
me. I probably had what the psychol-
ogists term the Odipus complex, or else
a natural interest in politics.
I can, in imagination, near sIrOhs
mems voices singing Justify;
Well give EN- Jessie,
Well give EN- Jessie,
Well give 'em Jessie,
when we rally at the polls"
And 1 recall the general d1sappolnI-
ment that ensued when h votes were
n and Jessie" the AMBITIOUS
daughter of Senator Thomas H. Benton
and her husband, the western explorer
failed to gain a term in the White mouse
HI sentiment Of the Western reserve,
where I was born, was overwhelmingly
antislaverv The whole slave question
was regarded as a moral issue, hlnglng
not upon love of the negroes, Tor Cney
we're little known in hat part OF the
unit but upon the injustice OF WhaI
was known as 1.-THE peculiar institution:
Never a thought was vouchsa1eo the ecu
nOmic side Of the subject.
Some one once remarked in my pres
ence. You can always make yourSeu pc
lieye a certain course Of conduct Is rlghC'
If YOU want it badly enough. 1here
was no reason why those living on Cns
Western Reserve could desire slavery ahu
they lost little by opposing it. 1 do not
think it was ever popular there. Gar
risOn's Liberator, and the New York Trl-
bune. then edited by Horace Greedy, mao
large subscription lists in that sectlon,
aud were eagerly read. Ministers
preached against slavery, quoJlng the
Bible at length in support OF their stand
while their southern brethren 1ouno III
the same volume plenty OF passages up
holding their side of the queStlon-ano
strange to say, both were right. All oe-
pended upon the Interpretation OF the
sacred writ. Even theological sem1nar1es
we're disrupted by these differing biblical
readings, and a body Of students le1l
Lane Seminary to found Oberlln college
my mothers brother, William WrlghC
being one Of them.
were from the New England states, Oh
were Of New England descent. John
Brown was a native of Connecticut, com
ing to Ohio when quite young. n mos'
Of the early part Of his life was spent IL
the neighborhoOd of the town OF Tall
madge where nv pioneer grandfather
likewise from Connecticut, cleared him
self a hundred-acre farm and made &
good living from it for his wife, himseI
and his eleven children.
John Brown was born in loOO' ana nj
parents moved to Ohio when he was ouI
I'VE years old. Like the majority Of Mon
tana pioneers. the Brown family made
the long Journey principally in covered
wagons drawn by oxen. As a child M
attended school internationally; at ont
time he was a pupil OF my grandnoIneI
Lucy Foster Wright, and when n1neJeel
years of age he entered a school at Plain
feld. Mass. which prepared entrants 10
Amherst college. His stay there was brief
due to an affection of the eyes, which
prevented his studying. Like Abraham
Lincoln, he gained his degre from tn
university Of Hard Knocks"
At first he feared the Indians who wer
all about him, but his father, who wa
singularly free from race prejudice
taught him to overcome his fright WheI
he says, Il used to hang about them a
much as was consistent with good man
ners. and earned a trife Of their talk"
OF the years that followed, a biogra
pher tells us. "John Brown, until the ag
Of fifty, had lived the peaceful, labortou
life of a Yankee farmer with a large lam
ilv. He hated war, and was almost
2AAAhCA a. AAENCA 4AeAAANAAC0 AAAC 0A@ASf NG
was a man Of deep and silent affection
He was deeply religious, read the Bib
daily; Christianity mbued all the act
Of his daily existence"
The acts of his later years were til
OutgrOwth of earnest conviction border
ing on fanaticism. His brother-in-la
thought him insane. When, after h
capture at Harper's Ferry, he was on trii
for treason and murder, his lawyel
plead insanity as his defense, the o.
man arose from his couch, almost des
as he was from the wounds he had n
ceived." and said: Il look upon it as
miserable artifice and preteXt of tho
who ought to a k a different course
regard to me if they took any at a.
and I view it with contempt more the
sclOus Of insanity, and 1 reject, so far
I am capable, any attempts to interfe
in my behalf on that score"
1t is not generally known that amo
those who Intercepted John Brown, aft
he was taken prisoner, were Govern
Wise, J. E. B. Stuart, and the pride
the COnfederacy, Col. Robert E. Lee.
is a strange coincidence that the futu
head Of the Confederate forces and h
bitter opponent on the slavery question
John Brown-were both equally religion
General Lee, so it is claimed, never we.
into battle unless he first prayed; al
prayer was a part Of o Browns dai
routine. How can these facts be recO
Ciled? Let the clergy answer
We are not apt to think Of John Brow
as having been an active business ms
and possessed at times of what in tho
days was called wealth. At one time
was connected with a bank, and he al
engaged in the wool industry, raisi
exceptionally q sheep. On account
these varied business enterprises,
family, learning of his arrest, wished
communicate with him concerning
affairs. My father, who was then a re
resentative in congress. being "