The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-02
HatpeF's Ferry Resurrection.
FULL CONFESSION By COPELAND.

| means In MS power. i ne JURY were called
and sworn. The Court excluded those who
were present at Hsrper's Ferry, and also
those who had formed or expressed any opin.
ion that would prevent them deciding the
case impsrtislly. Twenty four, mostly far,
mers from a distance, some owning a few
slaves, were selected as competent jurors.--
Out OF these, the counsel for the prisoner
struck off eight Of them. Twelve were Sc.
lected by ballot from the remaining sixteen,
ss follows: Richard Timberlske, Joseph
Myers. Thomss Watson, Jr., Isaac Dsrt,
John C., Mcclure, VIM. Righstone, Jacob
J. Miller, Thomas Osborne, Geo. w. Boyer,
John C. Wiltshire. Geo. w. Tapp, and Wm
A. Martin. The jury were not sworn on
the case, but the Judge charged them not to
converse upon the case, nor to permit 9th.
ers to converse with them.
John Copeland, the mulatto prisoner from
Oberlin, Ohio, has nude full confession to
the United States Marshals. Mr.. Martin oi
Virginia, and Dir. Johnson, of the Northern
District OF Ohio. He has given the names
of the parties at Oberlin who induced him
TO 60 to Harper's Ferry; who furnished the
money for his expenses, &c. He also states
that o movement of similar character was
contemplated in Kentucky about the ssme
time. Many persons in Northern Ohio,
whose names have heretofore been mention.
ed, are directly implicated. His confession
is withheld from the public until the trial is
over by order Of Gov. WiEe. Mr.. Johnson
was shown to-day large number OF letters
duplicating Gerritt Smith and number Of
prominent men of Oberlin, Cleveland end
other points Of Ohio. Among the letters is
one signed Horace Greeley & Co., that had
enclosed Sal for seven letters from Kansas
and two from Ohio. II was directed to ].
II. Kagie, one OF the killed; tut he had
been correspondent of the Tribune. and
this letter had evidently enclosed his pay.
Another letter from Copt. Brown to one
of his sons, dOted April 18th, 1859. details
visit 10 Gerrilt Smith at Peterboro', which
the writer regarded as highly encouraging;
that Smith gave him the hundred dollars,
and that he also received at his house a note
that he considered good for 5000 MORE
Also, that Smith had written to his friends
at the east that $4,000 must be raised for
Brown, OF which he would agree to furnish
one fifth himself. There is also notice of
draft from the Cashier of the New York
State Bark, sent him by direction of Ger.
titt Smith. dated Albany, Aug. 20, 1859.
Marshal johnson also has list of officers
of The provisional government and list Of
contributors to the project. Marshal John.
son left for Cleveland last evening, taking
copies with him. The examination made
by Marshal johnson settles the fact that this
movement had long been maturing-that
many prominent men in the Northern States
have given money and influence in its be.
half, and when the facts are mede public a
sensation may be expected.
NEW YORK, Oct. 27-The New York
Htrdd publishes a series of letters from
Col. Forbes, author OF the "Enstruction Book
for Guerrilla Warfare" found AZ Browns
house, to various Republicans, principally 10
r. b. Sanburn, Secretary of the Massachu-
sctts EmigraDt Aid Society, and Dr.. s. G.
Howe, OF Boston. One letter dated May,
1893, is preaced by the following memo.
randum
"Plesse show to Messrs. Sanburn, Law.
renee u Co. Copies will be shown to Gov.
Chase, who found money, and to Gov.
Fletcher, who contributed arms, and to 9TH
ers interested, as quickly as possible"
The letter gives the plans of Forbes and
Brown for an insurrection. Forbes plan
was as follows: With carefully selected
colored and white persons to organize along
the northern slave frontier, Virginia and
Maryland especially, series of troops and
slaves, each one OF which operstions would
carry oft in one night from some places from
twenty to fifty slaves. This to be effected
once or twice month, and eventually once
or twice week, along the more contiguous
parts OF the line, if possible, without conflict,
only resorting to force if attacked. Slave
women, accustomed to field labor, would be
nearly as useful Us men. Everything being
IN readiness TO pass on, slaves could be sent
with such speed to Canada that pursuit would
be hopeless. In Canada preparations were
to be made for their instruction and EMPLOY.
ment.
Any disaster which might befall o STAN.
pede would at the utmost compromise those
only who might be engaged in that single
one, therefore we were not bound in good
faith to the aboltionisis as we did not ieop.
aFdize that interest. To consult more than
those engaged in the very project against the
chance OF loss by occasional accidents should
be weighed. The advantage of a series of
successful runs would be that slave property
would thus become untenabe near the from.
tier, and would be pushed more and more
southward, and it might reasonably be ex.
pected that the excitement and irritation
would impel the pro-siaveryites to commit
some stupid blunderB. The Missouri from
tier being so far from the inhabitabe part OF
Canada and the political parties, anti and pro.
slavery, being in that State so nearly bal.
anced suggested a peculiar action in that
quarter which would depend in great meas
ure on afsairs in Kansas. ....
Brown had different scheme; he proposed
with come 25 to 30 colored and white men,
well armed and bringing quantity Of spare
arms, to beat up a slave quarter in Virginia.
To this it was objected that no preparatory
notice having been given to the slaves, no
notice could with prudence be given them.
The invitation to rise might unless they were
already in a state Of agitation, meet with no
response or a feeble one. To this he replied
that he was sure Of response. He calcu.
lated that he could get, on the first night,
from 200 to 500, half or thereabouts of this
first lot he proposed TO keep with him, noun.
ting 100 or 30 Of them and make a dash at
the Harper's Ferry armory, destroying what
he could not carry off. The other men not
belonging to this party, were to be subdvid.
ed into three, four or five distinct parties,
each under two or three of the original band,
and would beat up other slave quarters,
whence more men would be sent to join him.
The burden Of Forbes letters are griev- |
Gus complaints for not receiving the aid
promised for his services which were to be
sent to Paris for the support of Forbes and
family. In one letter be says: "On the