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Show Willian1 A. Phillips. It is not n eccs~ary, in admiring the h c ro i ~ m of Brown's ~acrifi c"', to indor:c tbe plnn his judgment a dopt etl as the best mean ~ ol' getting rid of S lav ' ry. In r rj e<' ling it let 11.· merely sec that we effi ciently carry out. our b(' tter onr, a nd Gocl, and humanity, ay, and J ohn Brown, wm -mile on our e ffo r t~ . ' Ve 11cetl not imagine him an ogre, for many of n.' knew him. lie clrc sed in plain and humble appare l. lie waR a close economist of all the nccc sitics of life, so that a little as po siblc of the grand moments of life houhl be , pent. in acquiring them. In all the dreary ICa nsa" struggle he was a fearless soldier, a cool and shrewd captain, -careful of his men,- kind and considerate to his pri -oncr -. Un ~ cHi s hly he consumed !tis own means in the Mruggle. N e ver for a moment ac;kcd, or would receive, r eal or nominal plnce or power. IIe held himself aloof from the intrig ue. of politicians, was obscure when words or " r c1'olutions" were in vogue, and in the day of stern a ction was the first man in ICansas. 'Vhilc g ingerbread gene rals issued quire::; of commissions to all who would bow down and wor ·hip them, he made th e enemy quake at hi$ name. I t1o not forget that we ha ve had many other b rave men - we ha ve them now; but who can look back to the Kan. as war of freedom and dare to tear the first laurel from ,John Brown of Osa~ watomic ? l-Ie lives to-day, my fri enus- he will li,·c forever. I jike Enoch and Elijah he did not me1·el!J have to die. He sublimated, and gave all the life that was left in him to an immortal lesson. The country i so much under the influ ence of its South<.'rn ruler~, tha t it scarcely dares to ay that it admires the heroic old P urita n. Age· will yet come, not subject to such infiucncc; they will r ead that a poor old ma n, with a handful of bra,·c companions, threw themselves away in a protest again t Slavery. Th<'y will r ead the old man's letters. They will ponder on his words : " Ilau I done what I have done for the great and powerful, instead of the poor and William A. Phillips. oppressed, it would all have been ri rrht " 1~1 e 'II 1 • . b • l Y WI ponc1er ?ver h1s coolly brave C' timatc, that his martyrdom by Slavery, 111 the cau c of Freedom, " would fJ 'tY " 'V' tl _, · · • • • < • ' 1 aum1rat10n wdl thry tl11nk of hun, a · he calmly walked on the . caffold. cheerful, ~ .cau, e in pired with tlwt ]of'ty idea. They wil~ SCC the md1tnry 1)0 \VCl' of the '·' l·t\'" '-'t 'l{" of' y· · · .1 (} f ""'~<") < v lrg lllla ra nrrc>u around his gallow . They will sec how .1 d·. 1 1° • ::> ll lOU, y t l ('Y strove to wr1ng one emotion of fc'· u· fi·o1n tlt'' lL 1u.t .a vco1u-1m an. The S lave aut ho ritics had brow-beaten and int imiua ted so many Northern men, that they we re frantic at the idea that one could die, calmly despi · in rr their {JOwcr A 11d \ VI t (' o · . 1a a re mc-ment of cru •lty and culmination of heroi~m doc. that last sc.cne .reveal! The ma rty r to the cau e of Libr rty stands With lw; hands bound behind his b·1 cl· the ] • :ttl • · • • "'- l ee: 1 cap over h1s eyes, - the rope around hi~ neck. I t j · a solemn mo-ment in which the bravest and be t human soul meets death filCc to face. It was hi Ja. t moment of life_ the next for ctcmity: Bu~ . that moment i protract d, _ eunningly, crucl~ y. 'I he mditary power of Virg inia is wheeling and circlmg around the ba e of the scaffold. The a rtillery rattles - the arms clank. John Brown docs not ce it. IIe can hear, bu.t knows not what it i~. It is only the S lave powe 1 • pr~tmctmg that solemn mome nt, in hopes of wring ing one qun·er of feat· from that bmvc old man. One g roan - one sp.a 'm, would be worth all the manacles in Virg-inia. They failed. lie died calmly and humbly without a qui,·cr on his lips. ' But Con crvatLm say , All this is dreadful. Could not the old man have followed ome money-making bu. inc:::s, and not brought such a torrent of trouble ou e ve ry body? 'Vhen ~lgcrnon Sydn y was brought to the scaffold his noble r e latives reproa ched him for the misery he had occas ioneu. Could not the son of an Engli ·h E arl let R epublicanism alone, and be happy? Calm and unmoved, the brave Sydney stepped on the scaffold. lie quailed not before the '' regu- |
