The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-27

nance of certain document, commander-in-
chief of that force.
Mr.. Nj. What wages did you offer7
Brown. None
Lieut.. Stuart The wages of sin is death.
Brown. would not have made such a re.
mark to you, if you had been prisoner and
wounded, In my hands,.
by-stander. Did you not promise negro
In Gettysburg twenty dollars month";
Brown. did not.
Bystander. he says you did.
Mr.. Vallandigham. Were you ever in Day.
ton, Ohio?
brown. Yes, must have been.
Mr.. v. This summer?
Brown. No. A year or two since.
Mr.. Mason. Does this talking annoy you at
Brown. Not in the least
Mr.. Vallandigham. Have you lived long in
Ohio7
Brown. went there in 1905. lived in
summit county, which was then Trumbull
county. My native place is York State.
Mr.. v. Do you recollect q man In Ohio
named Brown, noted counterfeiter?
Brown. do. knew him from q boy His
father was Henry Brown, of Irish or Scotch
descent The family was very low.
Mr.. V. Have you ever been in Portage
county.
Brown. was there in June last.
Mr. v. When in Cleveland, did you attend
the Fugitive Slave Law Convention there?
Brown. No ! was there about the time of
the sitting of the court to try the Oberin rescu-
ers. spoke there, publicly, on that subject
spoke on the fugitive slave law, and my own
| rescue. Of course, so far as I had any prefer.
ence at all, was disposed to Justify the fOber-
lin people for rescuing the slave, because /
have myself forcibly taken slaves from bondage.
l was concerned in taking eleven slaves from
| Missouri to Canada, last winter. l think that
| l spoke in Cleveland before the Convention. /
do not know that had any conversation with
any of the Oberlin rescuers. was sick part of
the time was in Ohio. had the ague. was
part the time in Ashtabula county.
Mr.. V. Did you see anything of Joshua R.
Giddings there2
Brown. did meet him.
Mr.. Y. Did you consult with him?
Brown. did. l would not tell you, Of
course, anything that would implicate Mr.. Gid
dings; but certainly met with him, and had
conversation with him.
| Mr. V. About that rescue case?
Brown. Yes, did. heard him express his
opinion upon it very freely and frankly.
Mr.. V. Justifying it1
Brown. Yes, sir. do not compromise him
in saying that
A by-stander. Did You 20 out to Kansas
under the auspices of the Emigrant Aid So.
ciety?
Brown. No, sirl went under the auspices
of old John Brown, and nobody elses.
! Mr.. V. VIII you answer this? Did you talk
with Giddings about your expedition here?
Brown. No, sir! l won't answer that, be-
| cause denial of it could not make; and to
make an affidavit of it would be great
| Ounce.
Mr.. V. Have you had any correspondence
with parties at the North on the subject of this
| movement?
Brown. have had correspondence.
By-stander. Do you consider this religious
movement?
Brown. 1t is, in my opinion, the greatest ser
vice man can render to bis God.
Bystander. Do you consider yourself an In
strument in the hands of Providence?
Brown. do.
By-stander. Upon what principle do you jus.
tify your act !?
Brown. By the golden rule. pity the poor
in bondage; that is why am here it is not
to crafty any personal luminosity, or feeling Of
revenge, or vindictive spirit. 1t is my sympathy
with the oppressed and wronged, that are as
! good as you, and a. precious in the sight of
God.
By-stander. Certainly, but why take the
slaves against their will?
Brown, warmly never did.
By-stander. You did in one instance, at
least
Stevens, Ito the inquirer, interrupting Brown
You are right, sir; in one case-(a groan from
the wounded man)-in one case, know the
negro wanted to go back. ITO BROWN Cap.
tain, the gentleman is right.
By-stander, Ito Stevens.) Where did You
come from?
| I Ice - Ak ol,1o
Mr.. Vallandigham. Bow recently did you
leave Ashtabula county?
Stevens. Some months ago. I never resided
there any length of time. / have often been
through there.
Mr.. V. How far did you live from Jefferson
Brown, Ito Stevens) Be very cautious, Ste
vens, about an answer to that; it might commit
some friend. would not answer it at all.
Stevens, who had been grooming considera-
bly,, as if the exertion necessary to conversation
seriously affected him, seemed content to abide
by "my captains" decision. He turned over,
and was silent.
Mr.. ", Ito BROWN Who were your advisers
| in this movement
Brown. have numerous sympathizars
throughout the entire North.
| Mr.. V. In Northern Ohio7
Brown. No more there than anywhere else
in all the free States.
Mr.. v. But are you not personally acqusint-
| ed in Southern Ohio?
Brown. Not very much.
Mr.. V. Were you at the Convention last
| June?
Brown. was. I want you to understand,
gentlemen, that / respect the rights Of the
poorest and weakest of colored people, oppress-
ed by the slave system, just ~ much as do
those of the most wealthy aud powerful That
is the idea that has moved me, and that alone.
We expected no reward we expected the salts.
faction of endeavoring to do for them in dis
tress-the greatly oppressed--as we would be
done by. The cry of distress and Of the dis
tressed is my reason, and the only one that i'm
| PEELED me.
By-stander. Why did you do it secretly?
Brown. Because / thought it necessary for
success, and for no other reason.
By-stander. You think that honorable, do
you? Have you read Gerrit Smiths last let
teri
| Brown. What letter do you mean?
By-stander. The New York Herald of yes
terday, in speaking of this affair, mentions a
letter in which he says, "that it is folly TO at
tempt to strike the shackles off the slave by the
| predicts that the next movement made in the
direction of negro emancipation will be an in
| surrection in the South.
| Brown. have not seen New York Herald
for some days past, but presume, from your
remarks about the gist of the letter, that I
| should concur with it. agree With Mr. Smith.
that moral suasion is hopeless. don't think
the people of the slave States will ever consider
the subject Of Slavery in its true light until
some other argument is resorted to than moral
suaaiou