of it myself. I cannot implicate others. It is by
my own folly I have been taken. I could have saved myself had I not
yielded to my feelings.

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 concerned myself,
anything I can with honour, but not about others. It was my own
prompting and 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 my only reason.
I respect the rights 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, my friend, you are guilty of a great wrong against God and
humanity--I say it without wishing to be offensive and it would be
perfectly right for any one to free those you wickedly hold in bondage.
I am not here to gratify revenge, but because I pity those who have
none to help them.

Q. Do you consider this a religious movement?

A. The greatest 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, what would
you do with them?

A. Set them free.

Said Governor Wise of Virginia, '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 committing 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 my time has to be long or short I am equally prepared to
go. 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 mine is trifling, 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
man of clear head, of courage, fortitude, and simple ingenuousness. He
is cool, collected, and indomitable; and it is but just to him to say
that he was humane to his prisoners, and he inspired me with great
trust in his integrity as a man of truth. He is a fanatic, vain and
g