The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-12-24
What John Brown Aimed At.


on the day of Browns execution, and no
special prayer meetings held to supplicate
in his behalf, we are assured that not a
few felvent prayers c.re offered in certain
churches in orr city, and that some very
feeling remarks were elected on the occa-
sion OF his martyrdom" 1t is also unde-
niable that the mass of our republicans,
although not openly approving the acts Of
john Brown, secretly sympathized with
him, greatly admired the Roman gran
deur' Of his character, &c, and abuse
without stint or ridicule the frightened
Virginians,' rs they call them, for their
haste in bringing Brown to coadisn punish
ment
Now we have the charity to believe that
these persons have not sufficiently reflected
on what Brown really did, and what he
aimed at in Virginia and the whole
south. What he did was this: In the
middle of a quiet Sunday night, silently
and stealthily, he seized upon L. S.
armory, containing arms for 100000 men
as stealthily and quietly he arrests a mum.
Der OF the leading citizens of Harper
Ferry and vicinity, and imprisons them as
met in the streets on that dark night and
ordered 10 join his party, on refusal, were
shot down in cold blood Is it strange
that the people OF Iiarper's Ferry, on
awalling TO these fearful facts, and not
knowing but that Brown may have had
thousands OF men at his beck, were panic
stricken? and is their panic on the occa
sion proper subject OF ridicule?
But what he aimed az was still more in
discribly terrible. His own statements as
well rs those OF his wife and friends. all
agree that his aim was TO excite a general
rising OF the negroes against their masters.
IL is true, Brown says he contemplated a
peacoqjic rising! But with all his alleged
craziness, he was not fool enough TO
imagine such a thing possible, as his alum
dant supply of Sharps rifles and pixies
sufficiently attested.
Now have our pious friends who offered
prayers for John Brown, or our tacetious
republican friends who ridicule the fears
OF the Virginians. any conception of what
a negro instruction Is? For their Ell
lshteument. let us quote = page OF history
the least revolving part OF the details OF
the negro instruction in the Island OF st.
Domingo IN 1871, for most of this story is
told Nv the history from which we quote
IN the Latin tongue, the particulars being
too unutterably atrocious for the English
language
In the town itself the general belief
for some time was. THAI the revolt was 10y
no means an extensive one. but a sudden
and partial instruction only. The larges,
sugar plantation on the plain was that ot
Mons Gallltet. situated ABOUT eight miles
from the town, the negroes belonging L
which had always been treated with such
kindness and liberalitv. and possessed 81
many advantages. that Il became proven
bal expression among tie lower white
people. in speaking OF any man good for
! tune. to saw. IL est Eepregr corsa,e IN "r7rr d
| GoiEtct Che Is as happy rs one OF n. CALI
! fcts negroes u Odeluc, an attorney. OF
/ the General Assembly, and bein. full,
| persuaded that the negroes belonging to i
! would remain firm i'll their obedience de
terrnined TO repair thither 10 encourage
! them IN opposing the insurgents: to which
! end he desired the assistance OF few sol
diers from the town guard. which wa
granted him. He proceeded accordingly
but on approaching the estate, TO his sur
prise he found all the negroes in arms OF
the side OF the rebels, and. horrid 10 tell
! TIER s',nGrri ,cas The bodv Of uhiie infant
vhjch they A0d recently i,qI5aled IN stuke =
! NJ Odciuc had advanced too far 10 retrca
! undiscovered. and both he and a trienC
who had accompanied him, with most o
/ the soldiers. were killed without mercy
| Two or three only of the patrol escaped 10y
! flight and conveyed the dreadful tIdng'
/ to the inhabitants of the town.
! By this time all or most of the white
! persons who had been found on the seve
/ raj plantations being rlassacred or forced
/ to seek their safety III flight, the ruriian
! exchanged the sword Tor the torch. Thu
! buildings and cane-tields were everywher,
| set on fire: and the ouiiacrations, which
were visible from the town. In a thou>au,
/ different quarters. furnished q prOspec
more shocking. and reflections more dis
NAL than fancy can paint, or thepowers O
man describe"
Now something of this sort was wha
Brown was aiming at, and is it not amazin
that civilized men. in their right minds
can not only speak lightly of this project
but that there are many thousands OF mel
! III these northern states that actually cor
fess their sympathy with and approval Z