The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-11-05
Rev. G. w. Rassett Scores .sthe Consoli=
A1tHN.s,


! law" revolutionary doctrines which not on
" abundantly justified, but naturally led
to the reasonable enterprise of John
Brownat Harper's Ferry. Yet when those
doctrines produced their natural fruit, and
the eyes of the people, by such common
tary, were about to be opened to their real
| tendency, this same Press d Tribune imme-
| diately takes the alarm, and in the most
craven spirit turns upon the victims of its
doctrines, and assails them with that feroc-
ity which is ever characteristic OF the
frightened coward. 1t denounces Brown
as crazy fanatic--as actuated solely by a
spirit OF Tevenge-as guilty OF murder and
treason, and deserving to be hung.
The Rev G. w BAssETT, ROW of this city
is an honest, conscientious believer in and
advocate vi the higher law doctrine. He
preached that doctrine years before Gov
Seward could muster the courage to pro-
claim it in the L. $. Senate, and when
6 ov 5. did there announce it, and the en-
tire Republican party of the north embrac-
ed it with apparent gladness, and all unit
ed i'll the song of freedom, proclaiming
! that hencsforth we will resist and trample
upon every law, whether of the [. $ or
aiIy individual state, which shallrecognize
+ the principle that man can euslave his fell
/ low, Brother Bassett We may suppose was
exceedingly reioiceo, and ready to utter the
/ exclamation OF pious Simeon of old His
/ joy was not danlpened when he saw those
republicans, III hundreds of Instances,
where they could do it without personal
/ danger obeying the higher law, by steal
/ ing slaves from their owners at the south,
and trampling the l. S. laws under foot by
forcible rescues when a L. 5. officer I'M
dertook to arrest their flight by a writ
But when old John Brown undertook 50
carry out the doctrine on larger scale
undertook TO carry the war into Africa
and FAILED. and Brother Bassett was fated
to behold his confederates suddenly seized
with a fearful shaking of the knees, then
flying in dismay, and then turning back
and with the ferocity of tigers fall upon
and tear and craunch the bones of their
own leader-no wonder that, as he beholds
the sight, he IS forced to give vent TO an
expression OF his Indignation and disgust,
as he does in vigorous Anglo-Saxon, in the
following letter TO the Chicago TINES:
CHICAGO TmEs-.S"rs: | write for two
purposes lst To recognize the compare
tive candor and accuracy with which you
reported my remarks upon the Harp6rs
Ferry tragedy. ia the late anti-slavery con
yenJiou held III Chicago; and I'd. To ex-
press my disgust AT the treatment of the
same by Your cotemporary, the Press and
. Ii7tr-.
! You, to q great extent, kept within your
appropriate prerogativc, and reported, ap-
pry-.imateiy, the sentiments which utter
&. OF that occasion
VOW contemporary. on Inc other hand,
ue-ie~.s 10 report what said, bu. very
sapicn,iy gives il Is his opinion that my
! sell. with t.9o other gentlemen. said very
strong and foolish things in behalf of John
Brown. Of Ossawatolnie, and his confeder-
+ ares at Harpcrs Ferry.
/ Now, it was paying body OF clergymen
no very high compliment 10 show that
/ thcy were induced by those strong and
/ foolish things. after decision to the con-
p
q large vote, 10 20 change a resolution i'm
/ putting revenge to the liberators of Har-
pers Ferry, - TO leave their motives un-
/ impeached.
/ l am not ashamed Of my ethical or pol
itical principles. nor do fear TO meet all
Of their legitimate consequences.
| am glad you informed your readers i'll
I the main Of what thipll Of the motives
/ OF Old John Brown, who, in his own me
,norable words, tried to do his duty al
/ Ossawattomic. And | wish to express the
opinion here, that such cool bravery, and
such generous and heroic devotion TO the
great idea Of human liberty. and such =
Inaynanimous spirit of selfsacritice for 4
despiSed and prosecuted race, has never
, before frightened the annals OF cur cOun-
try.
Just contrast the nervous, tim!d, and
wOmanly excitement of tie Governor Of
the proud Old Dominion, with his unbc-
coming and bloody insinuation, that the
! genera! government might have all that
was lett of the insurreclionIsts after Viz
ginia had done with them, with the cool
bravery, the martial and truly chiyalrous
courtesy, and the humane and magnani-
nous kindness Of Capt. Brown, together
with the more than Roman maulincss oi
the brave and beautiful young COppec.
When you tell your readers that eulo-
3ised Capt. Brown OF OssawattonIie, thank
YOU FOR il. And ] regard il as the shame
u = rus..ilnimous and servile age, that the
herO:sm 0f that most remarkable and his
toric man IS not appreciated Ills epitaph
like that Of the noble, but equally unfor-
tunate Emmett. shall be written by sub,
sequent and disenthrallcd age.
Sirs, much prefer your outspoken, fear
less, and terribly consistent advocacy OF
despotism, or, as you will say, slavery as il
e, 10 a trucking and time serving spirit,
that while seeking 10 use the antislavery
sentiment Of the country for political
result, tries 10 cast odium upon every un-
popular development of it.
| wish 10 add here, that my vindication
OF Capt. Brown had reference TO his mo-
tiyos and general character and not to
the wisdom of the Harpers Ferry enter
prise. He altogether over-estimated the
spirit Of liberty in Maryland and Virginia
as also Pennsylvania. The terrible spell
of American despoti-m is yet unbroken.-
American virtue is thoroughly emasculateo
by long indulgence OF national selfish
ness and oppression.
However mistaken or unfortunate the
philanthropy of John Brown, as developed
at Harpers Ferry, il i'll becomes :: nation
of seryile oppressors to reproach the mem
Dries of men whose essential prototypes
are almost the only relief TO the world
dark history Of servility and political deg
radiation.
Dark as the present day is for our coun
try, if Capt. Brown and his confederate,
are hung by the Stale eff Virginia, as they
will be, the sods will not be dry over then
ncw-made graves ere reaction will take
place in the popular heart, and the blooo
of those noble, but unfortunate men, vii
constitute the seed of revolution thai