Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-10-28
The Instruction.


account Of the remarkable instruction
recently nipped in the bud at Harpers
Ferry. We say remarkable, for 1t de-
serves that epiihet from its extreme fool
ishness, both in its inception and IN the
manner of attempting to execute the plot.
To think that there should be seventeen
white men in the whole United States so
demented as to imagine that they could,
by melting a servile instruction at the
south, be the means of freeing the slaves
in even one school district, is unaccount-
able TO say the least. 1t does not sol
much deserve the name foolishness as 1t
does Of lunacy. A man who attempts to
free the slave population by such means
as that attempted at Harper's Ferry by
Brown, is lunaIic, monomaniac who
is capable of doing harm, but who IS not
accountable to God for the SIN, for the
reason that his natural lenses are de-
throned. Upon mos; subjects Brown Is
undoubtedly sane man, bat upon the
question Of slavery he is undeniably in
sane. His acts prove him so to be. He
has for years entertained the belief that
he was specially commissioned by God
TO liberate slaves and kill shareholders,
and had taken solemn VOW to extermi-
nate slavery in the United States
What rational man would think or talk
thus? Brown went to Kansas, as he
himself says, because of the disturbances,
and entered warmly into the free state
cause, together with several Of his sons.
After the unprovoked murder OF one OF
them by the bandits of the administra-
ton, and the worse than murder OF an
other, he organised company OF like
disposition with himself who, with him as
their leader, rendered valuable service ia
the actual settlers, and helped to toll the
death knell of rufTianism in Kansas
But in doing thus he had the law Of the
land and the Word Of God to uphold
him. He was fighting in self defence
for the dearest rights Of American free
men; for life and liberty. His warfare
rs we'll as all of those in the free state or
ganzation, was a purely defensive one
While in Kansas his brain gave way tt
the wild idea that it would be doing Coo
service to war upon slavery by any meant
given into his hands hence his ridcu
lous raid upon Harpers Ferry, making
himself and his deluded followers certain
candidates to grace a Virginia gallows
In all this we discover nothing wrong il
his heart, but a most deplorable lack il
his head-a lack which has involved him
self and followers in ruin, and has bro
a calamity upon our country, for any in
surrection, however insignificant, can b
regarded as nothing less than a fearful
calamity.
Notwithstanding, however, the sol
rows that all honest men will feel at tn
tragedy, modern democracy has disco'
cred an immense mine of political wealI
in it. To them it is God-send, for the
think they can see material for any amoul
Of political capital, and already have II
leaders of that party proclaimed the il
surreclion at Harper's Ferry to be OIL
of the legitimate fruits of Black r
publican" doings in Kansas.
The Boston Courier, one of the la
sad relics of what was once the glorio
Wing party, but now valuable practic
ally and supporter Of the very worst fe
lures OF modern democracy, calls i
affair at Harper's Ferry zone Of t
damning consequences Of the doctrin
they (the Republicans have advocated
as if the tendency of Republican prin
Piles is to promote instructions, to ov,
turn by force any established law of I
land or a principle of the CONSTITUTE,
when one Of its first precepts has ey
been to submit to the law, never reso
ing to violence to break down what |
people in their unrestricted action ha
willed and il the Boston Courier,
any other press belonging to the foul
party that ever had an organization
this or any other country or age, ha.
desire to rake up the acts of either pa
in Kansas, and wishes to speak of " da
ming consequences" every Republic
journal in the country ought to invite,
Their than repel, the attack. The o
consequences" win be the complete
litical " damniug" which has been be;
in Pennsylvania, OHIO, Iowa, India
Minnesota, Nebraska, and everywh
where intelligence is diffhsed among
masses, by increased Republican maj
ties; damned not more in the north
Republican triumphs, than by their {