The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-10
SENATOR SEWARD AND HARPER'S
FERRY.

The Journal Of Commerce is quite right in
assuming that the Times is not an apologist
for Senator Seward, or for his connection with
the Harper's Ferry affair."" We shall be quite
as prompt and quite as emphatic as the Journal
itself i'll denouncing him for any participation
he may be proved to have had in that nefarious
assault upon the rights and the peace Of a sister
State. But we intend to deal fairly by him. as
by every other public man-and to hold him, as
both law and common Justice require us to
hold every man, innocent of crime until his
guilt has been clearly, or, at all events, plausi-
bly,, proved. We cannot agree with the Journal
in thinking that MIR. Seward, so far as yet APP
pears, is at all responsible for the crime at Har-
per's Ferry. We have seen no particle of evil
dence that he ever saw the leader and prime
mover of that invasion; that he was ever asked
to take part in such movement, to contribute
money or advice to it. or to give it the sanction
either of his open or of his silent appreciation
From no testimony yet given TO the public, and
upon no ground of public or private rumor,
have we any reason for believing that Mr.. Sew
ard had the faintest suspicion that Brown or
anybody else intended to invade Virginia or
any other Southern State for the emancipation
of her slaves, until the 9Th of March, 1853,
when Brown was actually in Virginia with his
arms and allies, and was expected every day to
put his project into execution. Down to that
day we presume the Journal Of Commerce will
acquit Senator Seward of any responsibility for
Browns proceedings.
At that time Col. Forbes told him of the
plot-not to enlist his aid, but his opposition
How much he told him he has not vet seen fit
fully to inform the public; but the Journal SAYS
it has "learned from his own lips" that he told
him all. Since the Journal thus sets the pre-
cedent of making public what Col. Forbes has
hitherto retained for private ears, we presume
it will hold US excused for initiating its exam
pie. We have little doubt, then, that, upon
proper inquiry, the Journal can "learn from
his own lips, as zoe haze DONE" that Mr.. Sew
ard, like DIR. Bailey and Senator Wilson, when
this plot was thus revealed to them, announced
it as alike frantic and criminal, and insisted
that it must be stopped. According to the pub
ished letter of COL Forbes, it acas stopped-by
the inrerposition of these very men, prompted
and aided by himself. The Journal asks,
" What did Seward do-what steps did he take
to stop it?" That, certainly, we do not know
that is, that whatever he did proved efectual.
The plot was stopped; COL Forbes believed it
to have been exploded and destroyed. That it
was renewed and broke out again two years
later, implies no completely or default on the
part of those who had stopped it once. There
is not a particle of evidence, nor even an init
nation from the carpet-bag of Col. Forbes,
that they dreamed of such a renewal, any more
than be did himself New York Times.
The PARDoYNG Power IN VIRGIN1A.-It
appears, that under the laws of Virginia the
Governor cannot pardon a person convicted of
treason to the Commonwealth, except with the
consent of the General Assembly, declared by
joint resolution. A writer in the National In |
teitigencer says the Constitution of Virginia |
gives no power to the Governor to commute |
for murder. In such case there must be a |
full pardon, if any exercise Of Executive Glenn