Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-11-04
BROWN AND HIS PLoT.

BROWN AND HIS PLOT.
Large quantities of the correspondence
found on Browns premises have been published;
and notwithstanding the assertions of tele-
graphic operators. sending out dispatches al
the instigation of such men as Marshal john
son of this State, that they showed conclusive
Iy the existence of an extensive organization
of conspirators, embracing members in all the
Northern States, and that prominent Republi-
cans were Notwithstanding Of tie kind as
prored BIZ ana documea get produced. Many
of the letters, &c, thus far published, are old
affairs, pertaining Ito die operations Of Brown
in Kansas and Missouri, before he had entered
upon his Virginia plot. He had undoubtedly
collected money of various persons in most of
the free States to aid him in his Kansas opera
tions and. relieve his necessities growing out OF
the loss of his properly at the hands OF the
border r%ufians in thar territury-but it is not
clearly shown that in any case, not even that
OF Gerritt Smith, was money contributed with
the knowledge that it was TO be used in his
Virginia INVASION There are very few men to
be found in the free Stattsg who, if appealed to
for money to relieve his necessities or aid in
defending his home and family in Kansas
against the Missouri invaders, would not have
responded to the eall-while there are very few
indeed, if any, W no lcouldhave been induced to,
contribute a copper to aid in his HAMPERS
Ferry exploit : and all efforts to distort contri-
buttons made TO aid him in his Kansas efforts,
into aid contributed to carry on a criminal en-
terprise upon which he had not then determin-
ed, must signal!y fail, and the efforts react to
the disadvantage of their authors.
The convention which concocted the whole
affair, which formed the Constitution and Or
dinances for the Provisional Government, and
elected Commander4in-Chie Secretary of
War, Secretary Of the Treasury, &c. was held
in her Majesty's donninions, at Chatham, Cana
da West; and except several of the white
men who joined Brown in his late foray. the
members Of the Convention consisted chiefly
Of fugitive slaves from tie Southern States
congr egatcd in that region. Indeed it is man
ifest that Brown did not tell even all those en-
gagged with him of the extent Of his designs
for Copeland, one Of the negro prisoners, in
his confession extorted by Marshal johnson,
and also in response to a question put to him
by a correspondent of the New York Herald,
emphatically declared that be was told nothing
further was designed than to "rnn off slaves"
and had he known it was proposed to raise the
slaves in insrrrection he would not have joined
in the enterprise. That Brown committed his
secret to any prominent man in the free States.
or indeed to any persons Other thai, these di-
rectIy engaged with him, is not at all proba-
be.
The other threatened developments-thc cor
respondcncc of an adventuror from the old
word named Forbes, and tie confession Of tle
negro prisoner from Oberlin, named Copeland
amount to still less than the Brown docu-
mcnts, The letters of Forbes are all dated
before the late plot was eoncocted, and had no
connection with it, while all the funds he col
lected in the free States were for the ostensible
purpose of helping on the free State cause in
Kansas, and supporting his family, who were
residing in Paris though it SCENE he used a
portion of it to publish a pamphlet giving his
plans for carrying on guerrilla warfare and run
ming off slaves. He is evidently a worthless
scamp, and utterly unworthy of belief, even
did his disclosures amount to anything. Cope
land-who Gov. Wise says is "a craven
wretch, who lied, as Brown said. for his life,
that Messrs. s. & r. Plumb, of O
berlin, gave him SIS to take him to- Virginia,
and knew what he went for; though in answer
to a subsequent question: he says he did not go
TO join in an insurrectionary movement, but
merely to q run off slaves Messrs. Plumb
both publish cards in which they positively de-
ny any knowledge of his designs or giving him
money-and they are gentlemen of character
and v~eracity.
.