The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-12-10


tidn. Tie purpose of which was to make a
cohlrlete and thorough organization. He
issued written circular, which he sent to
various persons in the United States and
Cs1ada. The circular, as near as can
recbllect, read as follows:
"CHATHAM, May =, 1858.
Mr. Dear Sir We have is
sued q call for very quiet convention at
stl& place, to which we shall be happy to
SEE any true friends of freedom, and to
lw1,ichsyou are most earnestly invited to
aivo Eour attendance Yours, respect
ally. JOHN BROWN"
As the names were left blank, l do not
~ Is whom they were sent, though /
wssse seferai Of them -iezrnet1; i,sw@
ever, that one was sent to Frederick
Douglas, and l think Gerrit Smith also
received one. Who the others were sent
to do not know. Neither Douglas or
Smith attended the convention. l sup
pose some twenty-five or thirty of these
circulars were sent, but as they were d.
rected by Capt. Brown, or J. H. kagi, l
do not know the names of the parties to
whom they were addressed. do know,
however, that they were sent to none
save those whom Capt. Brown knew to
be radical Abolitionists. l think it was
about ten days from the time the circu-
lars were sent that the convention met.
The place of meeting was in one of the
negro churches in Chatham. The con-
vention, think, was called to order by
J. II. Kagi. Its object was then stated
which was to complete a thorough organ
ization, and the formation Of cons:itu-
ton. The first business was to elect a
President and Secretary. Elder Monroe,
a colored minister, was elected President,
and ]. II. Kagi, Secretary. The next
business was to form constitution
Capt. Brown had already drawn up one,
which, on motion, was read by the Secre-
tary. On motion it was ordered that each
article of the constitution be taken up and
separately amended and passed, which
was done. On motion, the constitution
was then adopted as whole. The next
business was to nominate Commander
in Chief, Secretary of War, and Secreta-
ry of State. Capt John Brown was unan-
imously elected Commander-in- Chief; J.
H. Kagi, Secretary of War, and Richard
Realf, Secretary of State. Elder Monroe
was to act as President until another was
chosen. A. NJ. Chapman, | think, was to
act as Vice President Doctor NJ. K. De-
laney was one Of the Corresponding Sec
retaries of the organization. There were
some others from the United States,
whose names do not now remember.
Most of the delegates to the convention
were from Canada. After the constitu-
ton was adopted. the members took their
oath to support it. 1t was then signed by
all present. During the interval between
the call for the convention and its assem-
bling, regular meetings were held at Bar
boar's hotel, where we were stopping, By
those who were known to be trtief to the
cause, at which meetings plans were laid
and discussed. There were no white men
at the convention, save the members of
our company. Men and money had both
been promised from Chatham and other
parts of Canada. When the convention
broke up, news was received that Col. II.
Forbes, who had joined the movement,
had given information to the government.
This, of course, delayed the time of at
tack. A day or two afterward, most of
our party took the boat to Cleveland
John II. Kagi, Richard Realf, VIM. II.
Leeman, Richard Robertson and Capt.
Blown, remaining. Capt. B., however,
started in day or two for the East. Ka-
g think, went to some other town in
Canada; to set up the type and to get the
constitution printed, which he completed
before he returned to Cleveland. We re-
NAMED in Cleveland for some weeks, al
which place, for the time being, the COM
pany disbanded Capt. Brown had the
plan of the instruction in contemplation
for several years--in fact, told me that ii
Rad been he chief ain Of his life to carry
out and accomplish the abolition Of slavery.
In his trip East he did not realize the
amount of money that he expected. Tht
money had been promised bona tide, bu
owing to the tightness of the money mar
ket they failed to comply with his de-
mands. The finds were necessary to the
accomplishment of lis plans. ! afterwart
learned that there was lack of conf
dence in the success of his scheme. I
was, therefore, necessary that a move
ment should be made in another direc
ton, to demonstrate the practicability o
his plan. This he made about a yea
ago, by his invasion of Missouri, and tn,
taking of about dozen slaves, togethe
with horses, cattle, &C., into Kansas, il
defiance of the United States marsha
and his posse. From Kansas he tool
them to Canada via Iowa City and Cleve
land. At the latter place he remained
some days, and, think, disposed of hi
horses there. 1t Seems that the United
States marshal was afraid to arrest him
and this was all that was wanting to Civ
confidence to the wagering in the practi
cabilits Of his plan and its ultimate sue
cess, He game to Harpsr's Ferry abou
the last of Jpne; though / did not see hin
till late in July, or the early part Of Au
gust, when we met on Shenandoah street
! Harper's Ferry; opposite Tearney's store
/ do not know who were his aiders O
abettors, hut have heard him mention i
connection with it the names Of Gerri
Smith, of New York. Howe, of, Boston
and Sanborn and Thaddeus Hyatt, c
New York city. What connection, an
how far connected with his plan do nc
know, but ! know he wrote a letter
few weeks previous to his attack to ger
tleman in Boston, which read, as near q
can recollect, as follows
D "DATE
GENTLEMEN II have got nearly a
my machines on, and shall be ready
start them in few days, unless preyent
ed by special Providence. Everythin
is working well. Ishall want all the tunC
you promised me in few days.
"Yours, truly, CALM & STILL"
Il Inthe meantime, the men who had Ell
gagged to go with him had most Of thel
} arrived at Chambersburg, Pa, and bee
sent to the place which he had rented
|. Washington county, Nd, about FIVE mile
from Harper's Ferry. The greater part
) the men kept out Of sight during the da..