Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-11-04
0ssaWattOmie Browns Speech to Che
Reporters,

reporters.
Capt. Brorn spoke 81 follows 10 several Re-
porters of The press, who saw him the other
day. At llarper's Ferry
Ii you 20 net want 20 converse any more
will remark to these reporting gentleman that
claim TO be here in csrrying out a measure
believe to be perfectly justifahle anil not to act
the part OF an incendiary or rufian; but on the
contrary, to aid those suffering under a great
wfong. wish to say further that you had bet
ter, all you people of the South, prepare your
selves for settlement of this question. 1t must
come up for settlement sooner than you are
prepared for il, aud the sooner you commence
that preparation the better for you You may
dispose of me very easily, am nearly disposed
Of now, but this question Is 70 be settled-this
negro question, mean. The end is not yet
These wounds we're inflicted upon the different
parts Of my body, some minutes after had con-
sented to surrender for the benefit of others,
and not for my own benefit.
Several persons present denied this state
| ment.)
Brown resumed--i believe the Major here
tpo,l ting TO Lieut.. Stuart) would not been alive
but for me. / might have killed him just as
easy as could kill musqulto, ,swhen be came
| in, but supposed that he came in only to re-
ceive our surrender. There had been long and
| loud calls of surrender from us-as loud as men
could yell but in the confusion and excitement
suppose We were not heard. do not believe
the Major or any 6ne else, wanted to butcher
us after we had surrendered
| An officer present here stated that special
orders had been given to the marines not to
shoot anybody, but when they were fred upon
By Browns men, and one of them had been
killed and another wounded, they we're obliged
to return the compliment
Brown insisted, with some warmth, that the
marines fred first.
An officer Why did you not surrender be-
| fore the attack?
! Brown-l did not think 1t was my duty or
interest to do SO. We assured our prisoners
that we did not wish to hurt them and that they
should be set at liberty. | exercised my best
| judgement, not believing the people would wan
toIy sacrifice their own felloW-ci.izens. When
wo offered to let them &C upon condition Of be.
ing allowed TO change our position about quar-
ter of mile, the prisoners agreed by vote
among themselves to pass across the bridge with
US. We wanted them only as sort of gner-
antee for our own safety; that VIC should not
be fred into. We took thea, in the first place
as hostages, and to keep them from doing any
| harm. We did kill some when defending our
selves, but | saw no one FIRE except directly in
self-dcfence. Our orders were strict not to
harm any one not in arms against u.s.
| Q.--Well, Brown, suppose you had any ne
grces in The United States, what would you do
with tbenla
Brown tin loud tone, and with emphasis)-
Set them free, sir.
! N I.
free them!
| Brown-Not at ali.
! Bystander-To set Them free would sacrifice
the life of every man in this community.
Brown-I do not think so.
| Bystander--I know that | think you are ia
natical.
Brown-And think you are fanatcal.-
"Whom the Gods would destroy they FIRST make
mad.'
| Q.-Was your only object to fres the ne
grol
/ Brown Absolutely our only object.
| Bystauder--but you went and took Col
| WashiDgton's silver and watch.
! Brown--Oh yes, we intended freely to have
| appropriated the property of shareholders to
| carry out our object. 1t was for that only /;
we had no design to enrich ourselves with any
plundeF whatever.
O.. Did you know Sherrod 10 Kanssss
understand you killed him.
| Broyn-I killed man except in fair fight
| fought at Black Jack, and at Ossawattomie,
and if ] killed anybody it was at oue of these
places.
The surgeon having at this time arrived to
look after his charge: and the dinner bell hsv-
ing ruug, the visitors lett him aud his compan-
| ions to that geutlemen's care,