STILL MARCHES ON

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 21

STILL MARCHES ON

JOHN BROWN'S SOUL

FAMOUS SLAVE REFORMER

HIS LIFE AND DEATH

John Brown, in song at leaat, seems to be immortal. His body may lie amouldering; his story may have been dimmed by tho passing years, but his name still marches indomitably on (says a writer in "John o' London's Weekly"). He was not a great man; probably he would have been quickly forgotten had he not been hanged, N but his death inspired thousands of men to wage war for a great reform.

He was born in Connecticut in 1800. A direct descendant of one of the Mayflower pilgrims, he maintained the rigid piety of his ancestors, and while yet a lad became a violent hater of war and slavery. Most of his life was frankly humdrum; ho was employed successively as ' a tanner, a land-sur-veyor, and a,postmaster; then he lost his- fortune in land speculation, and was glad to work as a shepherd. Also he contrived to be married twice and to have twenty children.

ORDERING MURDER.

He -was middle-aged when lie began wandering through the country on antislavery missions. In 1854 five of his sons settled in Kansas, and John Brown joined them, in the following year, soon after border skirmishing between slave-owners and abolitionists broke out. Ho at once assumed command of the latter, and became notorious when, after two of his sons had been, arrested by the United States cavalry, he ordered the cold-blooded murder of five of the most despicable slave-owners at Pottawatomie.

He was utterly fearless. Again and again a price was put upon his head, but he used to walk carelessly past the bills which advertised the reward and bore his likeness. His home at Ossawatomie was razed and his son killed. John Brown went doggedly on, nnsmiling, puritanicaJ, purposeful. When the border fighting died down, he read books on guerilla warfare, began drilling his own troops, and drew up a plan for establishing a stronghold in the mountains, from which he could swoop*:down on slave settlements and return without danger. Though the scheme1 received little support, he was definitely appointed commandor-in-chief of the abolitionist forces.

A MAD EXPLOIT,

Soon afterwards came the mad exploit which cost him his life. One dark, chilly Sunday, night in October, 1859, he marched with twenty men, six of whom were negroes,' on Harper's Ferry, where a Government arsenal was situated. To attack Government property was an offence punishable by death; the slaves in the neighbourhood were well treated, and the town could be approached only by a narrow bridge. But John Brown was intent on startling the whole country:

For a time all went well. The arsenal was taken without much difficulty, a guard installed, and John Brown and the rest sallied out in search of prisoners. The alarmed citizens armed themselves, firing broke out—though Brown constantly restrained his men from using their rifles — and, ironically enough, the first man to fall was a free and inoffensive negro.

Five miles away lived Colonel Washington, a gentleman farmer, who owned Lafayette's pistol and a sword which had been presented by Frederick the Great to his great-uncle, George Washington, and used by him in the War of Independence. John Brown, ■with an eye to effect, determined to possess these weapons, and an escort was accordingly sent to secure them. The Colonel was taken prisoner and his slaves invited to join the raiders. Much valuable time was lost in this way, while the commander-in-chief made a further stupid error in permitting a train to leave the town. By eleven next morning, hours before he had counted upon the news becoming known, the President had been informed of the insurrection and columns of militia were on the march. John Brown still lingered in the engine-house of the arsenal, seeing that breakfast was prepared for his men and the prisoners, while one 'by one his ways of retreat were cut off.

HEAVY FIGHTING.

The town was stormed, and in the heavy fighting which ensued the abolitionists who fell into the enemy's hands were atrociously treated. Soon the engine-house was surrounded. John Brown, with the Emperor Frederick'ssword dangling at his side, stood calmly directing operations all day, treating his prisoners with great courtesy, and cheering on his small band of defenders.

When night fell only four of the original twenty remained, and two of his sons lay dying, one, in his agony, bogging his father to shoot him. Next morning the regular troops arrived, commanded by the Eobert E. Lee who later was to lead the North to victory. For the second time Brown refused the extremely generous terms of surrender offered him, and the doors were battered down. A young lieutenant was the first to enter. John Brown, kneeling, one hand feeling the pulse of his dying son Watson, and the other gripping his rifle, fired and missed. The lieutenant sprang unon him and severely wounded him with his light dress sword; the siege was raised.

CONDEMNED TO DEATH.

Brown was examined immediately upon recovering consciousness. He answered firmly and almost triumphantly. "Upon what principles do you justify acts?" someone asked.

"Upon the Golden Rule. I pity the poor in bondage that have none to help them; that is why I am here; not to gratify any personal animosity, revenge or vindictive spirit. It is my sympathy -with the oppressed ana wronged, that are as good as you .ana as precious m the sight of God." Despite his weakness,' he was tried a week later ana condemned to death. And as he was taken from his 'cell to the gibbet on 2nd December, he gave a' friena a note which contained the following sentence: "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that' the; crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood." Within eighteen months this prophecy was fulfilled, and the victorious troops of the North marched to the rhythm of the famous song.