NOVEMBER 2, 1859:
John Brown is found guilty of treason. After the conviction
he is allowed to speak:
"I have, may it please the court, a few words to say."
"In the
first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design
on my part to free the slaves. I intended certainly to have made a clean thing
of that matter, as I did last winter, when I went into Missouri and there took
slaves without the snapping of a gun on either side, moved them through the
country, and finally left them in Canada. I designed to have done the same
thing again, on a larger scale. That was all I intended. I never did intend
murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite
slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection."
"I have
another objection; and that is, it is unjust that I should suffer such a
penalty. Had I interfered in the manner which I admit, and which I admit has
been fairly proved (for I admire the truthfulness and candor of the greater
portion of the witnesses who have testified in this case), had I so interfered
in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or
in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister,
wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I
have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this
court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment."
"This
court acknowledges, as I suppose, the validity of the law of God. I see a book
kissed here which I suppose to be the Bible, or at least the New Testament.
That teaches me that all things whatsoever I would that men should do to me, I
should do even so to them. It teaches me, further, to "remember them that
are in bonds, as bound with them." I endeavored to act up to that
instruction. I say, I am yet too young to understand that God is any respecter
of persons. I believe that to have interfered as I have done as I have always
freely admitted I have done in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but
right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the
furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood
of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose
rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit; so
let it be done!"
"Let me
say one word further."
"I feel
entirely satisfied with the treatment I have received on my trial. Considering
all the circumstances. it has been more generous than I expected. But I feel no
consciousness of guilt. I have stated from the first what was my intention and
what was not. I never had any design against the life of any person, nor any
disposition to commit treason, or excite slaves to rebel, or make any general
insurrection. I never encouraged any man to do so, but always discouraged any
idea of that kind."
"Let me
say, also, a word in regard to the statements made by some of those connected
with me. I hear it has been stated by some of them that I have induced them to
join me. But the contrary is true. I do not say this to injure them, but as
regretting their weakness. There is not one of them but joined me of his own
accord, and the greater part of them at their own expense. A number of them I
never saw, and never had a word of conversation with, till the day they came to
me; and that was for the purpose I have stated.
Now I have done."
No comments:
Post a Comment