Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-05
Mr.. Seward,s Completely with the Negro

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Mr.. Seward's Completely with the Negro
| SteaIers.
The Journal Of Commerce, commenting on the let
ters of CollFoRBEs, one of BRowx's confederates,
clearly shows the connection Of Senator SEWARD
with the conspiracy. The New York Times, Black
Republican journal, admits that Senators SEWARD
SUMNER, Gov. CHASE, of Ohio and others, we're in
the secret
The Journal Of Commerce says:
| Let us look at the matter one moment and see
| what Col. Forbes did communicate to Mr.. Seward.
Let ii be borne in mind that the evidence now before
the world is not the evidence of Forbes taken at
this time. OF any documents recently manufactured,
but it is the correspondence which passed between
sundry well-known Republican agents and wire
puIlers both high in the confidence Of Republican
leaders, both receiving their pay from the RepubIi-
cans, one at least receiving his money direct from
the hands of Mr. Greeley and both engaged in doing
the work of the party, and nothing else April Path
| 1883 (mark the date,) Forbes wrote to F. B. San
born a letter from which we have hints that there
| was an insurrectiOn planned, and that "arms and
means had been contided to John Brown to bring it
! about. Here is extract from this letter:
| "Were addressing certain persons, l should say
to them: See that Brown be 10! permitted TO pt into
e1ecaiOn his olsn plan; lei the loeA adtred Dan or
mine or some other better ans be substituted; see that
| q proper Committee of Management be put at the
head and that men be sought different from Brown
in their humanity, integrity truthfulness and ca
| pacity. But addressing persons who have implicit
faith in Brown, persons who have treated brutaly
nv innocent children, destroying their health and
NAV be also Lheir lives, as recOmpense to me for
reposing confidence in New England good faith-as
am addressing such men, say insist that all the
arms and means confded to John Brown be instant
| ly Withdrawn from his hands, and that they be de-
posted in such custody shall insure their not be-
ing applied to specializing or merely ambitious Pur-
pOses."
May 18TH 1883 Qet the date be again MARKEDLY
Forbes wrote to Howe letter which explained in
the fullest detail what was the work which be and
Brown, and Howe, and others, engaged in, and
what the details of the nsurrection were to be- 1t
seems disputes had arisen about some Of these de-
tails but the plan to raise insurrectOn of the
slaves, to seize the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, to Or
ganize new government to effect a change in the
price of cotton by which those in the scheme, fore
knowing it. would make fortunes on the rise Of
prices and in general to bring about national rev.
oution based on the idea of abolishing slavery. An
extract from that letter will show what were these
plans and what their bearings -
Mine was as follows With carefully selected
colored and white persons to organize along the
Northern slave frontier Virginia and Maryland es-
pecialIV) series of stampedes of slaves each one
of which operations would carry of in one night
and from the place, some twenty to fifty slaves
this to be effected once twice month, and even
tualiy once or twice a week along nOn-cOntguous
parts of the line; if possible without conflict, only
resorting to force if attacked. Slave women, ac-
customed to field labor, would be nearly useful
as men. Everything being in readiness to pass on
the fugtiVes they could be sent with such speed to
Canada that pursuit would be hopeless. In Canada
preparations were to be made for their instruction
and employment. Any disaster which might befall
a stampede, would at the utmost compromise those
only who might De engaged in that single one |;
therefore were not bound in good faith to the Alb
Olitionists las did not jeOpardze that nteres to
consult more than those engaged in this very prof.
ect Against the chance of loss by occasional acci
dents should be weighed the advantages of series
of successful runs SdUe property lOOdd thus bel
,utendble tie frontier that frontier tcOld be
pushed and more S0lthlodrd, and might reason
dby be expected that the excitement and iTTtGtOR lood
i1Epel the o-Slaueryites to commit stupid bl1-
ders. The Missouri frontier being so far from the
habitabe part of Canada, and the political parties
anti and PrO-Slavery-being in that State mis-
souri) so nearly balanced, suggested peculiar
ton in that quarter, which would depend IN great
measure on affairs in Kansas
"Brown had different scheme. He proposed,
with some twenty-five or fifty (cOlored and white
mixed) well armed bringing quantity of spare
arms TO beat ltp sdUe quarter in Virginia. To this
| objected that no preparatory notice having been
given to the slaves (no notice could with prudence be
given to them) the invitation to rise might unless
they were in a state of agitation meet with no
sponse or a feeble To this he replied that he
get on the first night from 200 to 500. Half, or
thereabouts of this first lot he proposed TO keep
with him. mounting 100 or so of them, and make
dash at Hdrpers Ferry ndngdctOry, destroying what
he could not carry Off The ether men not of this
party were to be sub-diyided into three, four and
five distinct parties each under two three of the
original band and toold beat up other sldUequdters,
whence more men would be sent to join hlm.
"He argued that were he pressed by the United
States troops which, after few days might concen
ofy,tai in fha
ghanes and that his Nelo England p1rtizdS tCodld in
The meantime call Northern Convention TO restore trdI
o,tilit and OUertroto the pro-SIdUey Administration.
This contended, could at most be a mere local ex-
plosion. A slave insurrection, being from the very
nature of things deficient of men of education and
experience would under such system as Brown
proposed be either a flash in the pan or weuld leap
beyond his control. or any control,-when it would
become scene of mere anarchy, and would assu-
redy be suppressed.
"0n the other hand. B. considered foreign inter-
vention as not impossible. As the dread of North
ern Convention, | consider it as a total fallacy.
Browns New England friends would not have the
courage show themselves, so long as the issue
doubtful.
"After days of discussion, Brown, whom you re-
terate underlined in your letter of the 10TH enjoys
vour entire entire confdence) acquiesced or
feiQned to acquiesce in a mixed project styled
the wel-matured PLAN l consented to make that
concession to secure mutual cooperation, and in
agement which at the proper time to be estab-
lished preferred, however, my original plan of
stampedes unalloyed by anything else Your asser-
ton, that want to take the management, is wholly
unfounded; my insisting upon Committee Of Man
agement is conclusive on that head John Brown
had he been truthful might have been useful m
sonae capacity; almost every one might, if jealous
be useful in some place, whereas the same man
might be mischievous in another place. This mixed
plan, in which am compromised more than you
living as you do out of sight) having been definite
iy settled upon / deny the right of B., or you or
any one from caprice speculation to set it aside
for the Brown project, pure and simple, for any
other"
What the speculation to which Forbes alludes
in this last paragraph was, appears in the following
extract from the same letter:
az repeat that B. & Ce. shall not speculate in the
rise in cotton. Some may say, why not let them
make a little money! 1t won't harm the cause
say it will; because prudence may demand that the
initiative be Unexpectedly hurried forward; or it
may be essential that it be deferred weeks or
even months; but speculation necessitates that the
panic seize the market exactly on the preconcerted
day; therefore to manufacture that fraudulent rise
the ultimate success of the humanitarian motive
would without seruple, be sacrificed"
And he continues to show az scme length that the
speculation was Boston plan to realize largely on
the advance in the price of cotton which insur
rection would produce. This speculation he Forbes
violently opposed and and denounced, and, it would
/ seem, had threatend 10 Oetray and what he was
i then about in Washington seems to have been an
effort to detach the humanitarian move" from this
cotton speculation" He threatens all parties with
exposure and betrayal unless they give up their cot
| ton plan.
Now from these letters it is sufficiently evident
for any sane man, and one [Mr. Greeley or the
| EDeaing Post not excepted) have any reasonable
doubt, that plan had been for year maturing
some of the details of which consisted in furnishing
| to John Brown =" arms and means" to get up slave
insurrection. That after disputes, the parties
| interested had decided on the "Hsired plan" or
well matured plan /" including the ideas suggested
| by both Brown and Forbes. This was in existence,
| in progress srepining, wellmatuFed,' and il was
no plan of old Brown Forbes. but it inelpded men
of means and influence elsewhere.
Forbes was in Washington fron April "a to May
l4th 1858, and wrote these two letters from Wash
ington while there. Senator Seward was also at
Washington busy in the highest solemn duties Of q