a plea for captain john brown-第2章

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

to　his　pent…up　fire。　　It　was　a　volcano　with　an　ordinary　chimney…flue。

Also　referring　to　the　deeds　of　certain　Border　Ruffians；　he　said；

rapidly　paring　away　his　speech；　like　an　experienced　soldier；

keeping　a　reserve　of　force　and　meaning；　〃They　had　a　perfect　right

to　be　hung。〃　　He　was　not　in　the　least　a　rhetorician；　was　not　talking

to　Buncombe　or　his　constituents　anywhere；　had　no　need　to　invent

anything　but　to　tell　the　simple　truth；　and　communicate　his　own

resolution；　therefore　he　appeared　incomparably　strong；　and　eloquence

in　Congress　and　elsewhere　seemed　to　me　at　a　discount。　　It　was　like

the　speeches　of　Cromwell　compared　with　those　of　an　ordinary　king。



As　for　his　tact　and　prudence；　I　　will　merely　say；　that　at　a　time

when　scarcely　a　man　from　the　Free　States　was　able　to　reach　Kansas

by　any　direct　route；　at　least　without　having　his　arms　taken　from

him；　he；　carrying　what　imperfect　guns　and　other　weapons　he　could

collect；　openly　and　slowly　drove　an　ox…cart　through　Missouri；

apparently　in　the　capacity　of　a　surveyor；　with　his　surveying　compass

exposed　in　it；　and　so　passed　unsuspected；　and　had　ample　opportunity

to　learn　the　designs　of　the　enemy。　　For　some　time　after　his　arrival

he　still　followed　the　same　profession。　　When；　for　instance；　he　saw

a　knot　of　the　ruffians　on　the　prairie；　discussing；　of　course；　the

single　topic　which　then　occupied　their　minds；　he　would；　perhaps；

take　his　compass　and　one　of　his　sons；　and　proceed　to　run　an

imaginary　line　right　through　the　very　spot　on　which　that　conclave

had　assembled；　and　when　he　came　up　to　them；　he　would　naturally

pause　and　have　some　talk　with　them；　learning　their　news；　and；　at

last；　all　their　plans　perfectly；　and　having　thus　completed　his　real

survey　he　would　resume　his　imaginary　one；　and　run　on　his　line　till

he　was　out　of　sight。



When　I　expressed　surprise　that　he　could　live　in　Kansas　at　all；

with　a　price　set　upon　his　head；　and　so　large　a　number；　including

the　authorities；　exasperated　against　him；　he　accounted　for　it　by

saying；　〃It　is　perfectly　well　understood　that　I　will　not　be　taken。〃

Much　of　the　time　for　some　years　he　has　had　to　skulk　in　swamps；

suffering　from　poverty　and　from　sickness；　which　was　the　consequence

of　exposure；　befriended　only　by　Indians　and　a　few　whites。　　But

though　it　might　be　known　that　he　was　lurking　in　a　particular　swamp；

his　foes　commonly　did　not　care　to　go　in　after　him。　　He　could　even

come　out　into　a　town　where　there　were　more　Border　Ruffians　than

Free　State　men；　and　transact　some　business；　without　delaying　long；

and　yet　not　be　molested；　for；　said　he；　〃No　little　handful　of　men

were　willing　to　undertake　it；　and　a　large　body　could　not　be　got

together　in　season。〃



As　for　his　recent　failure；　we　do　not　know　the　facts　about　it。　　It

was　evidently　far　from　being　a　wild　and　desperate　attempt。　　His

enemy；　Mr。　Vallandigham；　is　compelled　to　say；　that　〃it　was　among

the　best　planned　executed　conspiracies　that　ever　failed。〃



Not　to　mention　his　other　successes；　was　it　a　failure；　or　did　it

show　a　want　of　good　management；　to　deliver　from　bondage　a　dozen

human　beings；　and　walk　off　with　them　by　broad　daylight；　for　weeks

if　not　months；　at　a　leisurely　pace；　through　one　State　after　another；

for　half　the　length　of　the　North；　conspicuous　to　all　parties；　with

a　price　set　upon　his　head；　going　into　a　court…room　on　his　way　and

telling　what　he　had　done；　thus　convincing　Missouri　that　it　was　not

profitable　to　try　to　hold　slaves　in　his　neighborhood？and　this；

not　because　the　government　menials　were　lenient；　but　because　they

were　afraid　of　him。



Yet　he　did　not　attribute　his　success；　foolishly；　to　〃his　star；〃

or　to　any　magic。　　He　said；　truly；　that　the　reason　why　such　greatly

superior　numbers　quailed　before　him　was；　as　one　of　his　prisoners

confessed；　because　they　lacked　a　cause；a　kind　of　armor　which　he

and　his　party　never　lacked。　　When　the　time　came；　few　men　were　found

willing　to　lay　down　their　lives　in　defence　of　what　they　knew　to

be　wrong；　they　did　not　like　that　this　should　be　their　last　act　in

this　world。



But　to　make　haste　to　his　last　act；　and　its　effects。



The　newspapers　seem　to　ignore；　or　perhaps　are　really　ignorant　of　the

fact；　that　there　are　at　least　as　many　as　two　or　three　individuals

to　a　town　throughout　the　North　who　think　much　as　the　present　speaker

does　about　him　and　his　enterprise。　　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that

they　are　an　important　and　growing　party。　　We　aspire　to　be　something

more　than　stupid　and　timid　chattels；　pretending　to　read　history　and

our　Bibles；　but　desecrating　every　house　and　every　day　we　breathe

in。　　Perhaps　anxious　politicians　may　prove　that　only　seventeen

white　men　and　five　negroes　were　concerned　in　the　late　enterprise；

but　their　very　anxiety　to　prove　this　might　suggest　to　themselves

that　all　is　not　told。　　Why　do　they　still　dodge　the　truth？　　They

are　so　anxious　because　of　a　dim　consciousness　of　the　fact；　which

they　do　not　distinctly　face；　that　at　least　a　million　of　the　free

inhabitants　of　the　United　States　would　have　rejoiced　if　it　had

succeeded。　　They　at　most　only　criticise　the　tactics。　　Though　we　wear

no　crape；　the　thought　of　that　man's　position　and　probable　fate　is

spoiling　many　a　man's　day　here　at　the　North　for　other　thinking。

If　any　one　who　has　seen　him　here　can　pursue　successfully　any　other

train　of　thought；　I　do　not　know　what　he　is　made　of。　　If　there　is

any　such　who　gets　his　usual　allowance　of　sleep；　I　will　warrant　him

to　fatten　easily　under　any　circumstances　which　do　not　touch　his

body　or　purse。　　I　put　a　piece　of　paper　and　a　pencil　under　my　pillow；

and　when　I　could　not　sleep；　I　wrote　in　the　dark。



On　the　whole；　my　respect　for　my　fellow…men；　except　as　one　may　outweigh

a　million；　is　not　being　increased　these　days。　　I　have　noticed　the

cold…blooded　way　in　which　newspaper　writers　and　men　generally　speak

of　this　event；　as　if　an　ordinary　malefactor；　though　one　of　unusual

〃pluck；〃as　the　Governor　of　Virginia　is　reported　to　have　said；　using

the　language　of　the　cock…pit；　〃the　gamest　man　he　ever　saw；〃had

been　caught；　and　were　about　to　be　hung。　　He　was　not　dreaming　of　his

foes　when　the　governor　thought　he　looked　so　brave。　　It　turns　what

sweetness　I　have　to　gall；　to　hear；　or　hear　of；　the　remarks　of　some

of　my　neighbors。　　When　we　heard　at　first　that　he　was　dead；　one　of　my

townsmen　observed　that　〃he　died　as　the　fool　dieth〃；　which；　pardon

me；　for　an　instant　suggested　a　likeness　in　him　dying　to　my　neighbor

living。　　Others；　craven…hearted；　said　disparagingly；　that　〃he

threw　his　life　away；〃　because　he　resisted　the　government。　　Which

way　have　they　thrown　their　lives；　pray？such　as　would　praise　a　man

for　attacking　singly　an　ordinary　band　of　thieves　or　murderers。　　I

hear　another　ask；　Yankee…like；　〃What　will　he　gain　by　it？〃　as　if　he

expected　to　fill　his　pockets　by　this　enterprise。　　Such　a　one　has

no　idea　of　gain　but　in　this　worldly　sense。　　If　it　does　not　lead　to

a　〃surprise〃　party；　if　he　does　not　get　a　new　pair　of　boots；　or　a

vote　of　thanks；　it　must　be　a　failure。　　〃But　he　won't　gain　anything

by　it。〃　　Well；　no；　I　don't　suppose　he　could　get　four…and…sixpence

a　day　for　being　hung；　take　the　year　round；　but　then　he　stands　a　chance

to　save　a　considerable　part　of　his　soul；and　such　a　soul！when

you　do　not。　　No　doubt　you　can　get　more　in　your　market　for　a　quart

of　milk　than　for　a　quart　of　blood；　but　that　is　not　the　market　that

heroes　carry　their　blood　to。



Such　do　not　know　that　like　the　seed　is　the　fruit；　and　that；　in　the

moral　world；　when　good　seed　is　planted；　good　fruit　is　inevitable；

and　does　not　depend　on　our　watering　and　cultivating；　that　when　you

plant；　or　bury；　a　hero　in　his　field；　a　crop　of　heroes　is　sure　to

spring　up。　　This　is　a　seed　of　such　force　and　vitality；　that　it　does

not　ask　our　leave　to　germinate。



The　momentary　charge　at　Balaclava；　in　obedience　to　a　blundering

command；　proving　what　a　perfect　machine　the　soldier　is；　has；　properly

e