Part 2 (2/2)

Silently marched that little band of about a score under shelter of the darkness They had their plans complete, even a Constitution ready fraraph wires were cut They contrived to terrify all on guard without firing a shot, and as the sun rose, Harper's Ferry, arsenal, armoury, and rifle works, and many prisoners were in the hands of John Brown The day wore on, but the expected reinforceht hostile troops around the captured place, and they hourly increased

Brown took not his one chance of escape to the mountains--why, it is difficult to say In prison afterwards he said his weakness in yielding to the entreaties of his prisoners ruined him 'It was the first time I ever lost command of myself, and now I am punished for it,' he added At another tiave fatalistic answers, and said it was 'ordained so ages before the world was made'

By afternoon he was on the defensive within the arht ensued Even then his simple notions of justice were uppermost, and to the last as hisof so in the street, 'That man is unarmed don't shoot' Two of his sons--Watson and Oliver Broere pierced with bullets As he straightened out the limbs of the second, he said, 'This is the third son I have lost in the cause' Always the cause!

The night fell and the fight was in abeyance, but in thehe would die there At length the engine-house, their last resort, held stubbornly, was captured, and Brown fell, wounded by the sword of a young lieutenant who had marked him for his stroke One of his prisoners as by says truly of his last fight, 'Almost any other man who saw his sons fall would have exacted life for life, but he spared all of us ere in his power' Of the force of twenty-two ed, and five escaped On the other side six were killed and eight wounded

He was now a captive, suffered to recover froht die a felon's death Many were those who, from various motives, came to see the wounded prisoner, and from many interviews reported at the time we may take a few extracts:

Q Can you tell us who furnished money for your expedition?

A I furnished most of it myself I cannot implicate others It is by my own folly I have been taken I could have saved s

Q If you would tell us who sent you, who provided means, it would be valuable information

A I will answer freely and faithfully about what concernedI can with honour, but not about others It wasand that of my Maker or the devil--whichever you please to ascribe it to--I acknowledge no master in human form

Q Why came you here?

A To liberate the slaves--the cry of the oppressed is hts of the poorest coloured folk as much as those of the most wealthy and powerful

Q How do you justify your acts?

A I think, ainst God and hu to be offensive and it would be perfectly right for any one to free those you wickedly hold in bondage

I ae, but because I pity those who have none to help theious reatest service man can render to God

Q Do you consider yourself an instrument in the hands of Providence?

A I do

Q Brown, suppose you had every nigger in the United States, ould you do with theinia, 'Mr Brown, the silver of your hair is reddened by the blood of crime, and you should eschew these hard words and think of eternity You are co felony by these sentiments'

Brown replied, 'Governor, I have by all appearances not more than fifteen or twenty years the start of you in the journey to eternity, and whether o There is an eternity behind and an eternity before, and this speck in the centre, however long, is but comparatively a minute The difference between your tenure and , and you have all of you a heavy responsibility and it behoves you to prepare more than it does me'

The Governor's public testimony was: 'They are mistaken who took Brown to be a madman He is a bundle of the best nerves I ever saw He is a enuousness He is cool, collected, and indomitable; and it is but just to him to say that he was hureat trust in his integrity as a arrulous, but firent He professes to be a Christian in coational Church of the North, and openly preaches his purpose of universal eents, by ton says that he was the coolest and firer and death With one son dead by his side, and another shot through, he felt the pulse of his dying son with one hand, held his rifle with the other, and co them to be firm, and to sell their lives as dearly as they could'

The trial for treason and inian Court on October 27-31, ere he had recovered He pleaded for delay till his health allowed hiive more attention to his defence, but the request was refused So, weak and wounded, he had to lie upon his pallet with a blanket thrown over him His words were few, and to the same effect as those we have quoted There was only one verdict possible in that court--GUILTY--and he was sentenced to be hanged

Technically there was no other course possible The calm verdict of the CAMBRIDGE MODERN HISTORY upon the raid is correct: 'It was the mad folly of an almost crazed fanaticthe stain still upon him of the bloodiest of the lawless work done in the name of Freedom; a terrible outlaw because an outlaw for conscience' sake; intense to the point of ungovernable passion--heeding nothing but his oill and sense of right; a revolutionist upon principle; a lawless incendiary, and yet seeking nothing for himself'