Last Statement to the Court

约翰·布朗/John Brown

约翰·布朗（1800—1859），一位狂热的废奴主义者，约翰·布朗起义的发动者，生于康涅狄格州的托灵顿。

如果法庭允许，我有几句话想说：

首先，我否认所有的一切，除了一直以来我都供认不讳的解放奴隶计划。我确实很想像去年冬天那样，把事情痛痛快快地解决了。当时我进入密苏里，在那里和对方一枪也没有打，就把奴隶带走了，穿越这个国家，最后把他们留在加拿大。我还计划以更大的规模再做一次这样的事情。我想做的就是这些。我从来就没有过谋杀、叛国或破坏别人财产的念头，或是所谓集训、煽动奴隶反叛或举行暴动之类的事。

我还有另外一项抗议，那就是，我受到这样的惩处是不公正的。如果我干涉此事是以我所承认的方式进行，而且不可否认我所采取的方式已经被公正地证实了——因为我钦佩大部分为本案作证的人所持有的真诚坦率的态度——如果我干预此事，并因此而受害，如果我这样做是为了富人、有权势的人、有谋略的人、所谓的大人物，或是为了他们的朋友、父母、兄弟姐妹、妻子儿女，或任何与此相类似的人，并为此而牺牲了我的一切，那我也许将不会受到任何惩罚。本法庭的每个人也都会认为这样的行动值得嘉奖，而不是要给予处罚。

我想，本法庭也承认上帝的法规是正当可行的。我看到一本书被人们亲吻着，我想这本书是《圣经》或者至少是一本《新约全书》，它教育我，如果我希望人们怎样对待我，我就要以相同的方式对待人。它还教诲我，要铭记那些被奴役的人们，就好像你也和他们一样被奴役。我竭力践行这一教诲。我想，我还太年轻，很难理解上帝为什么不一视同仁。我相信：为了上帝那些受人鄙视的可怜的孩子们而采取的干预措施，就像我曾经做过的那样——我总是坦率地承认我做的事——是正确而非错误的。现在，如果为了推动正义的目标，有必要让我不得不付出生命，必须把我和我的孩子们的鲜血，以及在这个奴隶制国家里，被邪恶残忍、毫无人道的法律所剥夺了权利的千百万人的血混合在一起，我说，那就这么做吧！

让我再说一句。关于对我的审判，我没有任何的不满。鉴于诸多情况，它已经比我所预想的宽容多了。但我并不觉得自己是个罪人。我一开始就阐明了自己的意图。我从未蓄谋对抗任何人的自由，从未企图叛国，也从未煽动奴隶叛乱或举行大规模的暴动。我从未唆使任何人这么做，相反，我总是规劝人们摈弃这些念头。

对于那些与我有关的人所做的陈述，我想说的是，听说他们中有些人说我诱使他们加入自己的行动。可事实却恰恰相反。我这样说并不是为了伤害他们，而是对他们的软弱感到遗憾。他们中没有一个人不是自愿加入我的队伍中来的，而且大部分人还自己承担费用。他们中的许多人来找我之前，我从未与他们谋面，也从未与他们说过一句话，而他们来找我，就是为了我所陈述的那个意图。

现在，我说完了。

I have， may it please the Court， a few words to say.

In the first place， I deny everything but what I have long admitted：of a design on my part to free 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， moving them through the country， and finally leaving 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 that 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 thetruthfulness 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.Every man in this Court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.

This Court， acknowledges， too， as I suppose， the validity of the law of God. I see a book kissed， which I suppose to be the Bible， or at least the New Testament， which teaches me that all things whatsoever I would that men should do to me， I should do even so unto 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， I did no 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 say， let it be done.

Let me say one word further. I feel entirely satisfied withthe 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 liberty of any person， nor any disposition to commit treason or incite 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， in regard to the statements made by some of those who were 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.Not one but joined me of his own accord， and the greater part 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.