The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-11-02

| the fine.
Letter from Hon. C. l.. VaIlandig-
ham---Thc HaTper's Ferry Insur-
TeCtiOn.
DAYTON, o., Saturday, Oct, %
To the Editor of tie Enquirer:
The Cincinnati Gazette of yesterday contains
what purports to be a conversation between
John Brown, the Harper's Ferry Insurgent, and
myself The editorial criticism in that paper
while unjust, is nevertheless, moderate and de-
cent in temper and language. Not so the vul-
gar. hut inofensive comments ofthe CONNER
ciaI and the Ohio State Journal Of to day.
Selfrespect ivrbids to a 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 Wedneday fast, on my way home from Wash
ington City, laid over at that place between
morning and evening trains for the Vest
Through the politeness ofColonel Lee, the COM
manding officer, was allowed to enter the Ar
mory enclosure. Inspecting the several objects
OF interest there, and among them the office
building, came to The room where Brown and
Stephens lay, and went in, not aware that SEN
/ aLOT MdSOU VI any IcpOl IOI Wdo piCoShb VII
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, these par.
ticuars.
No interview" was asked for by me or any
one else of John Brown, and none granted,
whether" voluntarily and out ofpure good wiP'
or otherwise. Brown had no voice in the mat
ter, the room being equally open to all who
were permitted to enter the Armory enclosure.
All went and came alike, without consulting
Brown; nor did he know either myself or the
other gentlemen with whom he conversed. En-
tering the room l found Senator Mason, ofVir-
gnia, there, casually, together with eight or
ten Others and Brown conversing freely with all
who chose to address him. Indeed, he seemed
eager to talk to every tne; and new visitors
were coming and going every moment. There
was no arrangement to have any reporters; nor
did | observe for some minutes after entered
that any were present. Some one from New
York was taking sketches of Brown and Ste
phens during the conversation, and the reporter
OF the Herald made himself known to me short
time afterward; but saw nothing the Ga
zette reporter till several hours later, and then
at the hotel in the village.
answer any one who chose to ask a question,
and having heard that the insurrection had been
planned at the Ohio State Fair held at Zanes-
vile in September, I very naturally made the
inquiry of him, among other things. az TO the
truth ofthe statement. Learning from his ans
wers that he had lived in Ohio for fifty years,
and had visited the State in May or June last
prosecuted my inquiries to ascertain what
connection his conspiracy might have had with
the "Oberlin Rescue" trials then pending, and
the insurrec'ionary movement at that time
made in the Western Reserve TO organize fore.
ibe resistance to the execution Of the Fugitive.
slave Law; and I have now only to regret thai
did not pursue the matter fuather, asking more
questions, and making them more specific II
is possible that some others who are so tenderIy
| sensitive in regard to what was developed, might
have been equally implicated. Indeed it is in
credible that mere casual conversation, such
as the one held by me and John Brown, should
r excite such paroxysms ofrage and call forth sc
, much vulgar but impotent vituperation, unless
there be much more yet undisclosed. Certain
is that three of the negroes, and they from Obel
lin, and at least six of the white men. nine il
all out of the nineteen, including John Brown
{ the leader ofthe insurrection were, or had beer
from Ohio where they had received sympathy
and counsel, if not material aid in their conspi
racy.
7 But the visit and interrogation were botl
: casual, and did not continue over twenty min
utes at the longest. Brown SO far from beinl
exhausted, volunteered several speeches to tht
reporter, and more than once insisted that tn,
: conversation did not disturb or annoy him il
the least. The report in the New York Her
aid, Of October 21st is generally very acc uratt
though several ofthe questions attributed t
me, and particularly the first four, ought to hav
been put into the mouth Of "Bystander," who
by the way, represents at least half score @
d different persons.
(. "As to the charge preferred of breach oil goo,
taste and propriety,' and all that, propose t
. judge of it for myself having been present o.
u the occasion. There was neither "interview,
:. "catechising," pumping" nor any effort of th
I kind, but short and casual conversation wit
-, the leader of bold and murderous insurrection
man of singular intelligence, in full possession
Of all his faculties, and anxious to explain hi
plans and motives so far as was possible with
out duplicating his onfederates otherwise tina
by declining to answer.-The developments ar
n important let the CALLED jades loince.
!, And now, allow me to add, that It is in val
: Captain John Brown is as brave and resolute
man as ever headtd an insnrrection, and, in
good cause, and with sufficient force woul
have been q consumate partisan commando,
e He has GOODNESS, daring, pcrsistency, the stoi
;. faith and patience, and a tirmness of will an
purpose unconquerabe. He is tall, wiry mus
+ cular, but with little fesh--with cold, era
l. eye, gray hair, beard aud mustache, compress
N cd lips and sharp, aquline nose, of cast ro
= face and frame, and with powers Of enduranc
- equal to any cause. Though engaged in wick
v ed, mad and fanatica enterprise, he is the "a,
thest possible remove from the ordinary ruffar
/. fanatic or madman;but his powers are rather ez
ecutory than inventive. and he never had tn
depth or breadth Of mind to originate and cor
- trive himself the plan of insurrection which h
- undertook TO carry out. The conspiracy wa
+ unquestionably, far more extended than yet or
), pears, numbering among the conspirators man
more than the handful Of followers who assa,
ed Harper's Ferry, and having in the North an
to West, If not also the South, as its counsellor
is and abettors, men Of intelligence, position an
! wealth. Certainly 1t was one among the bes,
y planned and executed conspiracies that eve
le failed.
j. For the years he had been plotting and pr,
y pairing it with aiders and comforters q thousan
miles apart, in the slave States and the fire.,
i, for six months he lived without 80 much 4
" suspicion in slave State, and near the seen
l. Of the insurrection, whining even the esteel
c and confidence Of his neighbOrs, yet collectin