Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-10-25
Harper,s Ferry Tragedy--OpiniOns of the
New York Press.

NeS EreSss
The New York Express, writing before the agency
of Abolitionism in the affair was certain, says:
In commenting upon this startling demonstration
| of practical -Negroism,' we are not disposed In
the light only of our present information TO go be
yond the simple facts of the case as the telegraph
gives them Still less are disposed to indulge IN
any exclamation of surprise or astOnlshment that
| such an outbreak should have happened because
if it turns out that AbOlitOnism" Is really at tine
| bottom of it. the whole affair (blOOdshed murder,
plunder, terror and al) only be looked upon as
| the handiwork of a certain class of men among us
who follow AbOlitiOnism a regular profession,
and whose theories upon the reduced to prac-
tce have their logical results in just such 'lRRR
| PRESSIBIE CONFLICTS
The following from the Eoening Post, leading
Republican journal in New York is significant:
Rumors which are current among the free blacks
of this city represent that this outbreak only
premature explosion of a more general conspiracy.
1t is alleged that rising all over the States OF Mary
! land and Virginia contemplated; that the 24th
of October was the time appointed for the attempt;
and that the seizure of the Arsenal to be the
signal to the insurgents. The taking to the Arsenal
in anticipation OF the day whereby the conflict has
been precipitated before the slaves were ready for
it. is supposed TO be a mistake of some entrust-
ed by the leaders with the execution of that part of
the plot. Whether there is any foundation Of these
rumo1s or whether they are mere invention gotten
up after the event to stimulate public curiosity,
cannot say.
The Post goes on to excuse the conduct of " Old
Brown alleges that he was violently treated by
pro-slavery men in Kansas to be driven to dess
pelation and finally to seek revenge by raising
iusurrection in Virginia and Maryland. The Post,
however omits to state that Brown and his fanatical
associates were supplied with Sharp's' rifles, by
the Abolitionsts of the North to shoot down every
man who refused to submit to Northern fanaticism.
The Herald refers to an extract of one of Gerrit
Smiths letters, written few weeks ago, which is
inte resting in view of the fact that the philan-
tbro1st" sent letter containing $40 to Ossawatto
mie Brown. 1t says:
ave recollect very significant passage in one of
Gerrit Smiths letters, published a month or two
ago in which he speaks Of the folly Of attempting
to strike the shackles off of slaves by the force Of
moral suasion OF legal agitation and predicts that
| the next movement made in the direction of negro
enancipation would be insurrection in the South.
| Is this the first act in that programme? and are
those white AbotiOnists spoken OF in our dispatches
| emissal les of the peaceful Gerrit?
WHAT THE BLACK REPUBLICAN PRESS SAY OF IT.
| We COPY the following extract from the New York
Post a leading Black Republican paper of that cit y,
touching the recent Harper's Ferry insurrection,
that our readers may understand the tone in which
the press of that party disposed to treat this
matter The Post says:
| The stories connecting the name of ''0ld Brown,
of Ossawatamie,7 he is called, with the leader
shin of this fanatical enterprise, are, nduc
| cd TO think, well founded and in that event the
whole affair may be regarded late fruit of the
/ violence which the Shareholders introduced into
| Kansas Brown was one of the early settlers In
| that new Territory; he was conspicuous object OF
persecutiOu all through the troubles his property
| was DESTROYED; he and his family were cruelty
treated or several occasions three OF four of his
| sons were killed by Southern desperadoes, and these
| many exasperations drove him to madness He has
not been regarded since, are told as perfectly
| sane man He has been known to vow vengeance
against the whole class Of shareholders for the out
1ages perpetrated by their representatives in Kan
sas and this nsuTrectiOn if he IS at the head OF ls
the manner in which he gluts his resentlnents Frei-
zied by TIE remembrance of his wrongs hls whole
nature turned into gall by the bitter hatreds stirred
up in Kansas anu. reckless Of consequences, he has
plunged into the worE OF blood.
| Passion does not reason, but if Brown reasoned
and desired to give public motive to his personal
rancors he probably said to himself that the slave
| drivers had tried TO put down freedom IN Kansas
| by force of arms and he would try to put down
| slavery in Virginia by the same means. Thus the
bloody instructions which they taught return to
plarue the inventors. They gave for the first time
| in the history of the United States an example OF
the resort to arms to carry ont political schemes,
and dreadful as the retaliation is which Brewn has
initiated must take their share Of the responsibility.
| They must remember that they accustomed men, IN
their Kansas forays, to the idea Of using arms
against political opponents that by their crimes and
outrages they drove hundreds to madness, and that
the feelings of bitterness and revenge thus genera
ted have since ranked in the heart. Brown has
made himself an organ Of these in fearfully sgni-
| ficant way.
No one can think of the possible results of an out
break of this kind, should it become general with
out shuddering without calling up to his imagina-
ton the most terrible scenes of incendiarism, earn
age and rape In nearly all the Southern States the
negroes greatly prepOnderate in number many OF
them it i ifue are too ignorant and stupid to take
any effective part in any insHrrecton others, too
are profoundly attached to their masters or their
families but these excepted, there are yet thou
sands able and willing to strike for their emancipa
ton 1t has been impossible to keep them in entire
ignorance of the blessings of freedom, and of the
possibility of attaining it by force of arms the fu
gtive slaves of the North have found means OF com
. municatng with their old comrades the Abolition
r lists have spoken to them by pictures If not by Ian
guage: Democratic orators have told them falsely
% that the entire North was engaged in a crusade
against the South for the sake OF the slaves ans
as servants in the cities they have heard the talk