a plea for captain john brown-第4部分

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It　was　as　if　a　publisher　should　reject　the　manuscript　of　the　New

Testament；　and　print　Wilson's　last　speech。　　The　same　journal　which

contained　this　pregnant　news；　was　chiefly　filled；　in　parallel

columns；　with　the　reports　of　the　political　conventions　that　were

being　held。　　But　the　descent　to　them　was　too　steep。　　They　should

have　been　spared　this　contrast；been　printed　in　an　extra；　at　least。

To　turn　from　the　voices　and　deeds　of　earnest　men　to　the　cackling

of　political　conventions！　　Office…seekers　and　speech…makers；　who

do　not　so　much　as　lay　an　honest　egg；　but　wear　their　breasts　bare

upon　an　egg　of　chalk！　　Their　great　game　is　the　game　of　straws；

or　rather　that　universal　aboriginal　game　of　the　platter；　at　which

the　Indians　cried　hub；　bub！　　Exclude　the　reports　of　religious　and

political　conventions；　and　publish　the　words　of　a　living　man。



But　I　object　not　so　much　to　what　they　have　omitted；　as　to　what　they

have　inserted。　　Even　the　Liberator　called　it　〃a　misguided；　wild；

and　apparently　insaneeffort。〃　　As　for　the　herd　of　newspapers　and

magazines；　I　do　not　chance　to　know　an　editor　in　the　country　who

will　deliberately　print　anything　which　he　knows　will　ultimately

and　permanently　reduce　the　number　of　his　subscribers。　　They　do　not

believe　that　it　would　be　expedient。　　How　then　can　they　print　truth？

If　we　do　not　say　pleasant　things；　they　argue；　nobody　will　attend

to　us。　　And　so　they　do　like　some　travelling　auctioneers；　who　sing

an　obscene　song；　in　order　to　draw　a　crowd　around　them。　　Republican

editors；　obliged　to　get　their　sentences　ready　for　the　morning

edition；　and　accustomed　to　look　at　everything　by　the　twilight　of

politics；　express　no　admiration；　nor　true　sorrow　even；　but　call　these

men　〃deluded　fanatics；〃〃mistaken　men；〃〃insane；〃　or　〃crazed。〃

It　suggests　what　a　sane　set　of　editors　we　are　blessed　with；　not

〃mistaken　men〃；　who　know　very　well　on　which　side　their　bread　is

buttered；　at　least。



A　man　does　a　brave　and　humane　deed；　and　at　once；　on　all　sides；　we

hear　people　and　parties　declaring；　〃I　didn't　do　it；　nor　countenance

him　to　do　it；　in　any　conceivable　way。　　It　can't　be　fairly　inferred

from　my　past　career。〃　　I；　for　one；　am　not　interested　to　hear　you

define　your　position。　　I　don't　know　that　I　ever　was；　or　ever　shall

be。　　I　think　it　is　mere　egotism；　or　impertinent　at　this　time。　　Ye

needn't　take　so　much　pains　to　wash　your　skirts　of　him。　　No　intelligent

man　will　ever　be　convinced　that　he　was　any　creature　of　yours。　　He

went　and　came；　as　he　himself　informs　us；　〃under　the　auspices　of

John　Brown　and　nobody　else。〃　　The　Republican　party　does　not　perceive

how　many　his　failure　will　make　to　vote　more　correctly　than　they

would　have　them。　　They　have　counted　the　votes　of　Pennsylvania　&　Co。；

but　they　have　not　correctly　counted　Captain　Brown's　vote。　　He　has

taken　the　wind　out　of　their　sails；the　little　wind　they　had；and

they　may　as　well　lie　to　and　repair。



What　though　he　did　not　belong　to　your　clique！　　Though　you　may　not

approve　of　his　method　or　his　principles；　recognize　his　magnanimity。

Would　you　not　like　to　claim　kindredship　with　him　in　that；　though

in　no　other　thing　he　is　like；　or　likely；　to　you？　　Do　you　think　that

you　would　lose　your　reputation　so？　　What　you　lost　at　the　spile；

you　would　gain　at　the　bung。



If　they　do　not　mean　all　this；　then　they　do　not　speak　the　truth；

and　say　what　they　mean。　　They　are　simply　at　their　old　tricks　still。



〃It　was　always　conceded　to　him；〃　says　one　who　calls　him　crazy；　〃that

he　was　a　conscientious　man；　very　modest　in　his　demeanor；　apparently

inoffensive；　until　the　subject　of　Slavery　was　introduced；　when　he

would　exhibit　a　feeling　of　indignation　unparalleled。〃



The　slave…ship　is　on　her　way；　crowded　with　its　dying　victims；　new

cargoes　are　being　added　in　mid…ocean　a　small　crew　of　slaveholders；

countenanced　by　a　large　body　of　passengers；　is　smothering　four

millions　under　the　hatches；　and　yet　the　politician　asserts　that　the

only　proper　way　by　which　deliverance　is　to　be　obtained；　is　by　〃the

quiet　diffusion　of　the　sentiments　of　humanity；〃　without　any　〃outbreak。〃

As　if　the　sentiments　of　humanity　were　ever　found　unaccompanied　by

its　deeds；　and　you　could　disperse　them；　all　finished　to　order；　the

pure　article；　as　easily　as　water　with　a　watering…pot；　and　so　lay

the　dust。　　What　is　that　that　I　hear　cast　overboard？　　The　bodies

of　the　dead　that　have　found　deliverance。　　That　is　the　way　we　are

〃diffusing〃　humanity；　and　its　sentiments　with　it。



Prominent　and　influential　editors；　accustomed　to　deal　with　politicians；

men　of　an　infinitely　lower　grade；　say；　in　their　ignorance；　that

he　acted　〃on　the　principle　of　revenge。〃　　They　do　not　know　the　man。

They　must　enlarge　themselves　to　conceive　of　him。　　I　have　no　doubt

that　the　time　will　come　when　they　will　begin　to　see　him　as　he

was。　　They　have　got　to　conceive　of　a　man　of　faith　and　of　religious

principle；　and　not　a　politician　or　an　Indian；　of　a　man　who　did　not

wait　till　he　was　personally　interfered　with　or　thwarted　in　some

harmless　business　before　he　gave　his　life　to　the　cause　of　the

oppressed。



If　Walker　may　be　considered　the　representative　of　the　South；　I　wish

I　could　say　that　Brown　was　the　representative　of　the　North。　　He

was　a　superior　man。　　He　did　not　value　his　bodily　life　in　comparison

with　ideal　things。　　He　did　not　recognize　unjust　human　laws；

but　resisted　them　as　he　was　bid。　　For　once　we　are　lifted　out　of

the　trivialness　and　dust　of　politics　into　the　region　of　truth　and

manhood。　　No　man　in　America　has　ever　stood　up　so　persistently　and

effectively　for　the　dignity　of　human　nature；　knowing　himself　for　a

man；　and　the　equal　of　any　and　all　governments。　　In　that　sense　he

was　the　most　American　of　us　all。　　He　needed　no　babbling　lawyer；

making　false　issues；　to　defend　him。　　He　was　more　than　a　match　for

all　the　judges　that　American　voters；　or　office…holders　of　whatever

grade；　can　create。　　He　could　not　have　been　tried　by　a　jury　of

his　peers；　because　his　peers　did　not　exist。　　When　a　man　stands　up

serenely　against　the　condemnation　and　vengeance　of　mankind；　rising

above　them　literally　by　a　whole　body；even　though　he　were　of　late

the　vilest　murderer；　who　has　settled　that　matter　with　himself；the

spectacle　is　a　sublime　one；didn't　ye　know　it；　ye　Liberators；　ye

Tribunes；　ye　Republicans？and　we　become　criminal　in　comparison。

Do　yourselves　the　honor　to　recognize　him。　　He　needs　none　of　your

respect。



As　for　the　Democratic　journals；　they　are　not　human　enough　to　affect

me　at　all。　　I　do　not　feel　indignation　at　anything　they　may　say。



I　am　aware　that　I　anticipate　a　little；that　he　was　still；　at　the

last　accounts；　alive　in　the　hands　of　his　foes；　but　that　being　the

case；　I　have　all　along　found　myself　thinking　and　speaking　of　him

as　physically　dead。



I　do　not　believe　in　erecting　statues　to　those　who　still　live　in

our　hearts；　whose　bones　have　not　yet　crumbled　in　the　earth　around

us；　but　I　would　rather　see　the　statue　of　Captain　Brown　in　the

Massachusetts　State…House　yard；　than　th