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A Plea for Captain John Brown



by Henry David Thoreau









'Read to the citizens of Concord; Mass。; Sunday Evening; October 30; 1859。'









I trust that you will pardon me for being here。  I do not wish to

force my thoughts upon you; but I feel forced myself。  Little as I

know of Captain Brown; I would fain do my part to correct the tone

and the statements of the newspapers; and of my countrymen generally;

respecting his character and actions。  It costs us nothing to be

just。  We can at least express our sympathy with; and admiration

of; him and his companions; and that is what I now propose to do。



First; as to his history。  I will endeavor to omit; as much

as possible; what you have already read。  I need not describe his

person to you; for probably most of you have seen and will not

soon forget him。 I am told that his grandfather; John Brown; was an

officer in the Revolution; that he himself was born in Connecticut

about the beginning of this century; but early went with his

father to Ohio。  I heard him say that his father was a contractor

who furnished beef to the army there; in the war of 1812; that he

accompanied him to the camp; and assisted him in that employment;

seeing a good deal of military life;more; perhaps; than if he

had been a soldier; for he was often present at the councils of

the officers。  Especially; he learned by experience how armies are

supplied and maintained in the field;a work which; he observed;

requires at least as much experience and skill as to lead them in

battle。  He said that few persons had any conception of the cost;

even the pecuniary cost; of firing a single bullet in war。  He saw

enough; at any rate; to disgust him with a military life; indeed;

to excite in his a great abhorrence of it; so much so; that though

he was tempted by the offer of some petty office in the army; when

he was about eighteen; he not only declined that; but he also refused

to train when warned; and was fined for it。  He then resolved that

he would never have anything to do with any war; unless it were a

war for liberty。



When the troubles in Kansas began; he sent several of his sons

thither to strengthen the party of the Free State men; fitting them

out with such weapons as he had; telling them that if the troubles

should increase; and there should be need of his; he would follow;

to assist them with his hand and counsel。  This; as you all know;

he soon after did; and it was through his agency; far more than

any other's; that Kansas was made free。



For a part of his life he was a surveyor; and at one time he was

engaged in wool…growing; and he went to Europe as an agent about

that business。  There; as everywhere; he had his eyes about him;

and made many original observations。  He said; for instance; that

he saw why the soil of England was so rich; and that of Germany

(I think it was) so poor; and he thought of writing to some of the

crowned heads about it。  It was because in England the peasantry

live on the soil which they cultivate; but in Germany they are

gathered into villages; at night。  It is a pity that he did not

make a book of his observations。



I should say that he was an old…fashioned man in respect for the

Constitution; and his faith in the permanence of this Union。  Slavery

he deemed to be wholly opposed to these; and he was its determined

foe。



He was by descent and birth a New England farmer; a man of great

common…sense; deliberate and practical as that class is; and tenfold

more so。  He was like the best of those who stood at Concord Bridge

once; on Lexington Common; and on Bunker Hill; only he was firmer

and higher principled than any that I have chanced to hear of as

there。  It was no abolition lecturer that converted him。  Ethan

Allen and Stark; with whom he may in some respects be compared; were

rangers in a lower and less important field。  They could bravely

face their country's foes; but he had the courage to face his country

herself; when she was in the wrong。  A Western writer says; to

account for his escape from so many perils; that he was concealed

under a 〃rural exterior〃; as if; in that prairie land; a hero

should; by good rights; wear a citizen's dress only。



He did not go to the college called Harvard; good old Alma Mater

as she is。  He was not fed on the pap that is there furnished。  As

he phrased it; 〃I know no more of grammar than one of your calves。〃

But he went to the great university of the West; where he sedulously

pursued the study of Liberty; for which he had early betrayed a

fondness; and having taken many degrees; he finally commenced the

public practice of Humanity in Kansas; as you all know。  Such were

his humanities and not any study of grammar。  He would have left a

Greek accent slanting the wrong way; and righted up a falling man。



He was one of that class of whom we hear a great deal; but; for

the most part; see nothing at all;the Puritans。  It would be in

vain to kill him。  He died lately in the time of Cromwell; but he

reappeared here。  Why should he not?  Some of the Puritan stock

are said to have come over and settled in New England。  They were

a class that did something else than celebrate their forefathers'

day; and eat parched corn in remembrance of that time。  They

were neither Democrats nor Republicans; but men of simple habits;

straightforward; prayerful; not thinking much of rulers who did not

fear God; not making many compromises; nor seeking after available

candidates。



〃In his camp;〃 as one has recently written; and as I have myself

heard him state; 〃he permitted no profanity; no man of loose morals

was suffered to remain there; unless; indeed; as a prisoner of war。

'I would rather;' said he; 'have the small…pox; yellow…fever; and

cholera; all together in my camp; than a man without principle。。。。

It is a mistake; sir; that our people make; when they think that

bullies are the best fighters; or that they are the fit men to oppose

these Southerners。  Give me men of good principles;God…fearing

men;men who respect themselves; and with a dozen of them I will

oppose any hundred such men as these Buford ruffians。'〃  He said

that if one offered himself to be a soldier under him; who was

forward to tell what he could or would do; if he could only get

sight of the enemy; he had but little confidence in him。



He was never able to find more than a score or so of recruits whom

he would accept; and only about a dozen; among them his sons; in

whom he had perfect faith。  When he was here; some years ago; he

showed to a few a little manuscript book;his 〃orderly book〃 I

think he called it;containing the names of his company in Kansas;

and the rules by which they bound themselves; and he stated that

several of them had already sealed the contract with their blood。

When some one remarked that; with the addition of a chaplain; it

would have been a perfect Cromwellian troop; he observed that he

would have been glad to add a chaplain to the list; if he could have

found one who could fill that office worthily。  It is easy enough

to find one for the United States army。  I believe that he had

prayers in his camp morning and evening; nevertheless。



He was a man of Spartan habits; and at sixty was scrupulous about

his diet at your table; excusing himself by saying that he must

eat sparingly and fare hard; as became a soldier; or one who was

fitting himself for difficult enterprises; a life of exposure。



A man of rare common…sense and directness of speech; as of action;

a transcendentalist above all; a man of ideas and principles;that

was what distinguished him。  Not yielding to a whim or transient

impulse; but carrying out the purpose of a life。  I noticed that he

did not overstate anything; but spoke within bounds。  I remember;

particularly; how; in his speech here; he referred to what his

family had suffered in Kansas; without ever giving the least vent

to hi

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