Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-10-25
Letter from Hon G. l.. VnIInndig-
hnm-iIarpcr's Ferry Insurrec-
tiOm.

The Cincinnati Gazette Of yesterday con-
tOins what purports to be conversation be-,
tween John Brown, the Harper's Ferry in-
surgent, and myself The editorial criticism
In that paper, while unjust, is, nevertheless
moderate and decent in temper and Ian
guage Not so the vulgar bnt inofTensiye
comm ents Of he Commercial and the Ohio
State journal oil to-day. Self,respect Gorbids
to gentleman any notice of such assaults.
But the report and editorial Of the Gazette
convey an erroneous impression, which
desire briefly to correct.
Passing of necessity through Harper's
Ferry, on Wednesday last on my way home
from Washington City laid over at that
place between morning and evening trains
for the West Through the politen ess of
Colonel Lee, the commanding officer ! was
allowed 10 enter the Armory inolosure. In,
specting the several objects of interest there,
and among them the Office building, l came
T. the room where Brown and Stephens lay,
and went in, not aware that Senator Mason
or any reporter was present till | entered,
and without any purpose Of asking a single
question of the prisoners, and had there
been no prisoners there should have visited
and inspected the place, just as did, in all
these particulars.
| No 'interview" was asked for by me or
any one else of John Brown, and none
granted, whether voluntarily and out of
pure good will' or otherwise. Brown had
no voice in the matter, the room being open
equally to all who were permitted to enter
the Armory inclosure. All went aud cam
alike, without consulting Brown; nor did he
know either myself or the other gentl men
with whom he cOnversed. Entering the room
| found Senator Mason, OF Virginia there
casually, together with eight ten or others,
and Brown conversing freely with all who
chose to address him. Indeed he seemed
eager to talk to every one; and new visitors
were coming and going every moment
There was no arrangement to have anyr o.
porter; nor did | observe for some minutes
after | entered that any were present Some
one from New York was taking sketches of
Brown and Stephens during the conversa-
ton, and the reporter of the Herald made
himself known TO me short tim hfterward
but ! saw nothing of the Gazette reporter
till several hours later, and then at the hotel
in the village.
Finding Brown anxious to talk and ready
TO answer any one who chose to ask u dues.
ton, and having heard that the instruction
had been planned at the Ohio State Fair
held at IanesYille in Septem Der, ! very nat
urally made the inquiry of him, among other
things, as to the truth Of the statement
, icnrning from his answers that he had lived
H., Dhio for fifty years, and had visited the
Sal n May or June last, | prosecuted my
my inquiries to ascertain what connection
his conspiracy might have had with tho
"Oberin Rescue Trials then pending, and
the insurrecti0nary movement at that time
made in the Western Reserve to organize
forcible resistance to the Fugitive Slave
Law; and have only to regret that did
not pursue the matter further asking more
questions, and making them more specific.
IL is possible that some others who are SO
tenderly sensitive in regard 10 what was de-
veloped, might have been equally implicated
Indeed it is incredible that o mere casual
conversation, such as the one held by me
with John Brown, should excite such parox-
isms Of rage and call forth so much vulgar
but impotent vituperation, unless there be
much more yet undisclosed. Certain it is
that three Of the negroes, and they from
Oberlin, and at least six Of the white men,
nine in all out of the nineteen, including
John Brown, the leader of the insurrection
were, or had been, from Ohio, where they
had received sympathy and counsel if not
material aid IN their conspiracy.
| But the visit and Interrogation were both
casual, and did not continue over twenty
minutes at the longest Brown, 80 far from
being exhausted, volunteered several speech-
es TO the reporter, and more than once insisr
ted that the conversations did not disturb or
annoy him in the least The report in the
New York Herald, of October 2lst, is gem
orally very accurate, though several of the
questions attributed to me, and particularly
the FIRST four, ought to have been put in the
mouth Of "Bystander,' who, by the way,
represents at least half n score of different
persons.
As to the charge preferred of breach of
good taste and propriety," and all that,
propose TO judge Of it for myself, having
been present on the occasion. There was
neither interview" "catechising," "inqui-
sition," pumping" nor any effort of the
kind, but a short and casual conversation
with the leader of bold and mnrderous in.
surreetion, a man Of singular intelligence,
in full possession of all his faculties, and
anxious to explain his plans and motives so
far as possible without duplicating his cons
iederates otherwise than by declining to
answer, The developments are important:
lCb thC Ehiieu JoNpo hihACs
And now, allow me to add, that it is vain
10 underrate either the man or his conspira
cy. Captain John Brown is AS brave and
resolute a man as ever headed an insurrec-
ton, and, in good cause, and with sufi-
cient force, would have leen consumate
partisan commander lie has GOODNESS,
daring, persistency, the stole faith and pas
tience, and q firmness of will and purpose
unconquersble lie is tall, wiry, muscular,
but with little hesh-wilh cold, gray eye,
gray hair, beard and mustaehe, compressed
, lips and sharp, aquiline nose; Of cast-iron
face and frame, and with powers of endu-
sance equal TO anything needed 10 be done
} or suffered in any cause Though engaged
in wicked mad and fanatical enterprise,
he is the iarthest possible eremove from the
ordinary ruiian fanatic or madman; but
his powers are rather executory than inven,
tive, and he never had the depth or breadth
/ Of mind TO originate and contriye himself
the plan Of insurrection which he undertook
to carry out The conspiracy was, unques-
tiOnably, far more extended than yet ap-
5 pears, numbering among the eonspirators
| many more than the handful of followers
who assailed uarpers Ferry, and having ia
the North and West if not also the South,
: as its counselors and abettors, men Of intel
4 ligenoe, position and wealth Certainly il
: was one among the best planned and execu.
ted conspracies that ever failed.
For two years he had been plotting aud