The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-12-08

r. .
Va, to see how things were there. ant
!, to gain information. While va we're i,
Chatham he called Conycn.ien, tn
purpose Of which was to mako a complct
and thorough organization. He issuet
a written circular, which lie seut to va
rious persons in the United States ans
Canada. The circular, as aear as cal
recollect, read as follows:
4 "CATHAM, May 1850.
"Mr Dear Sir: We hay,
issued a call for very gxiet CoAventiu
ut this place, to which We shall be happ,
to &c any true friends of freedom, and I,
which you are most earnestly invited t.
give your attendance.
/ Yours respectfully.
/ "JoHN DROWN'
/ As the names were left blank, do mol
know to whom they were sent, though
wrote several of them. learned, how
ever, that one was sent to Frederick
Doug lass, and think Gerrit Smith also
received one. Who others were sent tc
do not know. Neither Douglass mol
Smi,h attended the Convention. Isup.
pose some 25 or 80 Of tiesc circulars
were sent, but as they were directed by
Capt Brown or J H Kagi, do not know
the names of the parties to whom they
were addressed. l do know, however,
that they were sent TO none save those
whom Capt Brown knew to be radical Alb
o!tonists think it was shout ten days
from the time the circulars were sent that
the Convention met. The place Of meet
ing was in one of the negro churches 10
Chatham. The Convention, think, was
called to order by J II kagi. Its object
was then s,atcd-which was to complete
thorough organization and the forma-
t'on o. Il constitution, The first business
was to elect President and Secretary
Elder Monroe, a colored minister, was
elected President aud } II kagi. Secre-
tary The next business was to form a
constitution Capt Brown had already
drawn up one, which, on motion, was
read by the Secretary. Ou motion it was
ordered that each article Of the Consttu-
,ion be taken up aud separately amended
and passed, which was done. On mo
As whole. The next bushes was 20
nominate a Chief Sec c.
tary Of War, aud Secretary of State --
| Capt John Brown was unanimously elect
ed Commander-in- Chief; J H kagi, Sec
rctary of War, and Richard Eealt, Sec y
Of State. Elder Monroe was to act as
President until another was chosen A
VI Chrpman, think, was to act as Vice
President. Doctor NJ X Delaney was
oac Of the Corresponding Secretaries Of
the Organization. There were some 9th
ers from the United States, whose names
do not noN remember. Most Of the
delegates to the Convention were from
Canada, After the Constitution was
adopted, the members took their GA h TO
support it. 1t was then signed by oil
present. Daring the interval between the
call for tho Convention and its assem-
hIing, regular meetings were held at
Barbour Hotel, where we were stop.
plug, by those who were known to be
| true to tue cause, at which meetings
plaes were laid and discussed There
were no white men at the Convention,
save the members of our company. Meu
and money had both been promised from
Chatham and other parts of Canada --
When the Convention broke up, news
was received that Col IL Forbes, who
had joined in the movement, had given
information to the Government. This.
of course, delayed the time of attack. A
day or two afterward most Of our party
took the boat to Cleveland Jno ii ka-i,
Richard Realf, WIN Ii Lccman, Richard
Robertson and Cap, Brown remaining -
Capt B, however, started ia day or two
for the East. kagi, l think, wen; to
some other town in Canada, to set up the
type and to get the Constitution printed,
which he completed before he returned
to Cleveland. We remained in CIcve-
land for some weeks, at which place, for
the time being, the company disbandei
Capt Brown had had the piua Of the in
surrcction in contemplation for several
years in fact, told ne that i: had been
the chief aim of his life to carry out and
accomplish the abolition of Slavery.
la his trip East he did not realize the
amount of money that he expected. The
money had been promised bona -fdc, bat
owing to the tightness of the money mar.
kct they failed to comply with his de.
mands. The funds were necessary to
the accomplishment Of his plans. | af.
terward learned that there was lack of
confidence in the success Of his scheme.
1t was, th reforc, necessary that move.
/ NH ha ln IL \
ton, TO demonstrate the practicability of
his plan This he made about year ago
+ by his invasion Of Missouri and the tax.
ing of about dozen slaves, together
with horses, cattle, &C., into Kansas, in
defancc Of the Uuited States Marshal
and his posse, From Kansas he took
them to Canada, via Iowa City and Clcyc-
land At the latter place he remained
some days, aud, think, disposed Of his
horses there. 1t seems that the United
States Marshal was afraid to arrest him,
and this was all that was wanting to give
confidence to'thc wavering in the prac-
tcabiiity of his pians and its ultimate
success. He came to Harper's Ferry
about the last Of June, though / did not
see him till late in July, or the early part
Of August, when we met on Shenandoah
street, Harper's Ferry, opposite Tear
ney's store do not know who were
his aidcrs or abettors, but have heard him
mention in connection with it the names
Of Gerrit Smith Of New York, Howe Of
Boston, and Sanborn and Thaddeus Hy
att Of New York City. What conncc-
ton. and how far connected with his
plan do not know, but I know he wrote
a letter few weeks previous to his ut.
tack to some gentlemen in Boston, which
read, as near as can recolect, as fol
lows:
HDATT