Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-11-03
An Interview with old Brown.
HARPER S FERRY, Oct. 20, 1859.

with John Brown, the chief Of the
insurgents who took possession Of
Harper's Ferry. He was lying in
the paymaster's Office, inside Of the
national armory, in company with
one of his brother copspirators uam- !
ed Stephens, both Of them wounded,
the former not seriously, by sabre
cut from Lieutenant Green, Of the
marines, and the latter dangerously,
by several rifle shots. With the de-
tails Of the transaction your readers
are familiar. The number we're on
ly nineteen; but the preparations for
ii stubborn maintenance Of their po-
sition were complete, based upon
the delusivc fancy that thousands Of
slaves and non. sl..yeholding whites
would rush to their standard. For
the purpose Of aiming these expect.
ed recruits, they had 400 OF the
Massachusetts Arms Company's ma
val revolvers, 200 Sharp's rifles, and
100 spears, made Of a heavy piece Of
iron, with an iron guard mounted on
a neatly turned staff, which were
found at the farm he had rented a
few miles from the Ferry, together
with blankets, clothing. and every
thing necessary for a campaign.
Browns chests we're stocked with
everything. He had writing paper
and pencils, 10 use in issuing bulls-
Tins 10 his army; dressing for wounds;
surgical instruments : in fact, every
thing that human ingenuity could
devise as essential for military ex-
| petition. He evidently did not in,
tend merely gathering Il few hun
dred slaves and marching them of
10 free State. He emphatically
disclaims this purpose, bat says it
WAS bis intention 20 have placed arms
10 their hands as quick as they came,
to enable them to Eight for the liber-
lty of all their class. Nor did he be-
lieye that the contest would soon be
over, To use bis own language on
The night he stopped the train, This
is not the work of day, or week
nor month, but much longer time"
HIS purpose was to have rallied a
force at the Ferry, of which the small
number be began with was but nu.
cleus, and then TO maintain 9esper.
ate resistance until instruction haG
penetrated every corner in the South
and success had crowned the move
/ ment so madly begun by him. lie
was entirely ignorant of the charac-
ter of our negro population, and
wildly supposed that the philosoPh,
of the "irrepressible conflict had its
thousands Of believers in the South
who needed but bold leader Xix,
f him to develop their feelings an(
rally them around his banner. H.
said TO me that he never knew 3
slave in bis life who did not jump NJ
, with Joy at the suggestion Of free
dom to him, ard that he supposed
many of them would have instantly
availed themselves of the opportuni
ty to keep in motion this movement
which would have eventually, in bis
opinion, set them all free. There
never was such picture OF delusior
as he exhibited. He was actuated,
; he said, by the idea expressed by
, Gerritt Smith. that the time for NOR
: al suasion had passed by, and thai
the means used by him was the on
Iy one practical 10 effect the object
they had in view.
During my presence in the room
sith Brown he was subjected to 1
courteous examination with his owl
/ consent, for their own information
, by Senator Mason, Of Virginia; ant
the Hon. G. L. Vallandingham. Ill
: answered all their questions to suct
an extent as would criminate him
SELF but when question was pu
with a view Of getting at the connec
, ton of other parties in the free
States with him, be would decline an
Iswering. showing that he has within
bis breast the knowledge of col
leagues in the conspiracy, which. j
i, exposed, would dsthrone them from
high political power in the free States
! This Brown is the most remarka'
!, BILE man of the kind this country
has ever produced. The story o
5 Guy Fawkes dwindles into insignifi
canoe alongside of his. His appetite
for revolution was epgendered il
Kansas. Stimulated by a connec
tiou with the emissaries of the Emf
: grant Aid Society sent there to de-
feat a peaceful solution Of the ques
II t;on as re- what the instifntions a