Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-11-19
MRS. STURTEvANT.

III no. Ol lUhlEf AMI.
OF Cleveland, whose name occurs in SONS letter
found in Browns Carpet Bag, has the following
communication in the Piaindedler.
Mr. GRAY III health is my excuse for the delay
Of the following statement:
While Kansas was being invaded by hordes of
ru6ians sent there by the pro-slavery Democracy.
AMI paid out of the Public treasury to murder
free State men, p!under and burn towns, and fog
women, for no other crime than that their hus-
bands Abolitionists; and respectable citizens
arrested and imprisoned for naught but their
refusal to acknowledge inhuman laws made by men
elected by foreign votes while yet the contest
against such attempts to force slavery into that Ter
ritory was undecided, l learned to venerate John
Brown, for his nobeness Of character, bis love Of
justice. and his hatred of oppression.
Kansas to-day owes more to his untirng energy
the peace and prosperity her citizens enjoy.
Last spring. when he passed through Cleveland
on his way east, invited and cordially welcomed
him to my house and 1 shall EVER be glad that l
entertained SO worthy man. am proud Of his
confidence and his friendship. and all the infamy
that can be heaped upon him will never lessen my
esteem He advocated publicly as well privately,
and no more privately than pu blicly, the forcbe
taking of slaves from their masters. We all know
that he had taken slaves from their masters in
Missouri. and under the circumstances in which it
was done, / am free to say that approve it. Mr..
Brown always argued that the immediate. ..emanci-
patton of all the slaves, if by any means it could
be brought about, and that the immediate estab-
lishment of equal rights politically and socially
would be conducive to the best good of the slaves
aud ali concerned. Upon this point he and al
ways differed, as is well known to persons who
have heard discuss this subject !, always tax
the ground that to take such mass of ignorant
human beings from their present degradation and
elevate them at once to the condition of the more
favored classes, would bring about state of
things by no means desirable. He never made
known to me, however, that he had any design to
incite insurrection among the slaves.
As to the confession drawn from poor Copeland,
while will not reflect upon him or any other one
of the unfortunate men connected with the Har-
pcr's Ferry affair, must in justice say from what
know of the parties, that believe the statement
of Mr.. Brown relative to his agency in inducing
him, or any one, to join him by promises of any
kind to be strictly true. Certain il is that he is
mistaken in saying that knew he was going to
Harpers Ferry.
In reply to the charge against me of having in
cendiary letters sent to my care, l would say If
the editor of the Democrat knows any such letters
to be incenGiary, he knows more about their con-
tents than do. The letters be refers to came to
me sealed in envelope and directed to the per-
sons to whom they were TO be sent with request
that lhey should be forwarded. What they con-
tained | could Lot say. 1t may be part of the
business carried on at the Cleveland Post Office to
examine into letters and report the contents, and
the editor of the Democrat elevated to the dgnfed
position of publishing them. As to the charge Of
being working woman, acknowledge myself
SUCH especially in the cause of human freedom,
and while my strength remains shall aid it by
such means as l may command.
1t is reiterated in the Democrat of the lst of No
yember that Mr.. Sturtevant denies all knowledge
of Browns revolutionary movements" What
Mr.. S. said this: That he had no knowledge
Of the plo. which was carried into effect at Harp.
ers Ferry, until il was announced by the telegraph
dispatch. This re-afhrm. And have the best
of reasons to believe that there were many of Mr..
Browns friends who aided him with means that
never understood his plans. While have thus
designed to notice these charges against me, and
this shameful and an ust attempt on the part OF a
public officer and hireliDg editor, to bring re-
proach upon myself and husband, wish to utter
my protest against any and every effort of the
kind deny the right of Marshal johnson or
editor Flood pry into and bring before the pub
lic the private doings of any OF our citizens, If
we have violated the laws OF the land, the Govern
ment has pointed out way and established tribu-
mails whose especial business it is to investigate
such violation. No honorable man would seek to
prejudice the public against the accused. And it
has guaranteed to every citizen, even to negroes
and toomen, the privilege of fair trial. But pray
what chance has any one for an impartial investi-
CATION when the public mind is filled with false
rumors and statements, as it has been OF late BY
these two most unworthy officials, who have thus
departed from their legitimate functions and have
arroga:sd to themselves duties which in no man
ner belong to them. Suppose have received let
ters from that noble man John Brown--suppose
have aided him in any way in his praiseworthy
efforts to liberats the slave-suppose have enter
tanned at my house such men as Kagi and others
who have consecrated themselves (ihough misgui-
ded they may have been) and have lost their all
most unsslfshly in the cause of human rghtsl Is
it a violation of the laws of Ohio? Am amena-
BILE for such acts to the government at Washing
ton and its petty officials stationed here? Or to the