Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-21
The Harper Ferry Ccnspiracy--Comments

~ VctNA VI hAhSNse w eN y ~ NAN SN"ANN~
our object being to show to the people of Virginia an
the South what SIRE the views OF the Press Wing, Demo
cratic, Republican. AboItionist, and independent. con.
corning 90 atrocious and diAboGcsl a proceeding.
From ns Ntn York Herald, Oci. ls-l-d
The sn.sin mia f fsSn ! si1 Is nssr5ssnSS--"
Our readers viii perceive, from the inieliCcncc on he
subject which we publish this morning, that our hrSl
startling reports Of an abolition conspiracy snd inSurNC-
ton at Harpers Ferry. Virginia. were substantially cNr
rect. The plot, the outbreak, and it, Suppression with
in a few hours, have become matters OF tiS'ovy. The
conspiracy, Il appears, was the work Of that Do,Crou.
Kansas free State Abolition mailman known - OSSANai
tonne Brown, and comprehended the majmsn'S idea 81
the extinction Of slavery in Virginia and Maryland by
force Of arms, beginning with the seizure Of the UnitNi
States Arsenal nj Harpers Ferry 50 the shortest method
Of procuring the weapons of war.
The inevitable consequences have followed instantly
upon the heels Of this reckless experiment OF an insane
Kansas Abolitionist and his deluded ioloWerS, white and
black. Yet There was something Of method in their
madness. Harpers Ferry, on the river boundary he
tween Virginia and MARYLAND, i surrounded hy a slave
holding community, with n number of counties on the
Virginia side possessing each a large slave population.
ouch as jefferson, Clarke and Frederick. From any of
these counties the free State of Pennsylvania may be
reached by q fugitive slave, in a forced march. in the
course of ~forty-eight hours, by crossing over the thin
partition Of Maryland. Hence the frequent escapes of
slaves from allthat region, from which Brown may have
received his first Impression of a general diSaftcCtion Of
she resident slave population.
The labyrinth OF mountains and their intricate valleys,
covered with forests and underbrush, which mark the
country between Harpers Ferry and PENNSYLVANIA, al
foId many advantages TO fugitive slaves-advantaccs
which doubtless suggested themselves to the conspirators
10 anticipation of a running guerrilla system of military
operations. The seizure OF the government arsenal, too,
AT Harper's Ferry, il vas doubtless calculated would not
only furnish arms for the powerful nucleus of a general
servile rebellion, but would also rally At once the slave
population, far and near, TO the rescue.
Such, We conclude, were the calculations OF the CON
aplrstors and III not improbable that, hit or miss. they
may have also taken into their estimates that larger cal
culation Of the moral effect Of this terrible enterprise in
the work of reminding the waning fires OF the slavery
agitation. At all events, the inevitable effect ofthis aho-
hhon insurrection in the midst of the unsuSpecting slave
holding community of HaTpers Ferry. will be, through
ont the Southern States, 4 highly eSasperated feeling OF
hostility TO all the slavery agitators at the North, not on
ly Including Vim. ii. Seward and his follower to IAN
irrepressiblc conflict with the South, but even Mr.. Doug
las and his disciples of popular sovereignty" in the Ter
ritores. Not many days, we apprehend, vii! elapsc be-
fore the consequences upon the Southern mind of ths
desperate experiment of abolition treason in virginia will
be recognized in the North as pregnant with danger TO
the Union.
We have thus before us some Of the ripeninp fruits Of
that mischievous reopening of the slavery agitation in
1854, commenced by Douglas and Pierce as Presidential
candidates for the decisive vote of the South in The Gin
Cinnati Convention. There Could have been no border
war 10 Kansas between Southern pro-slavery adveLturcr-
and Northern anu-savery emigrant societies had there
been no invitation 20 them TO fight out the slavery issue.
face TO face on the soil of Kansas. And this man Brown
was only a discharged guerrilla free State soldier from
the border ruthan scenes Of that bloody Territory
Flushed with the success Of the war for freedom there
aud rendered daring, reckless, and an abolition monoma.
MAC. by the scenes OF violence and blood through Whirl.
he u passed; he believed the time nj hand for carving
the Kansas war for freedom into the heart Of the south
en States. He has met with the fate which he courted.
but his death aud the punishment OF all hs criminal
associates will be as a feather in the balance against the
mischievous consequences which will probably follow
from the r%ekindiing of the slavery excitement in the
South.
We trust, however, that something of good will result
from this wild and fanatical abolition explosion at Har.
perls Ferry and its bloody results. From the cx-
tracts which We publish in this paper on the subject, from
several of our republican contemporaries of this city, il
will be seen that they betray some sigus of alarm-that
they do not like the shape which Mr.. Stewards "irrepres.
sble conflict is assuming. Let the people of this great
conservative State, however, remember that this insur.
recion in question is bat a natural sppendage of an .fr.
TePreSsible conflict" with Southern slavery, and the an.
thor OF this treason may receive a lesson in November
which will afford some security 20 the peace of the coun.
try At large, O. well as a sense of safety to the South
from abolition conspirators.
From RrH,g' Pres, Oct 1911, (Dorglas Papcr)
The HnrpeT's Ferry InsurrCsuon.
The recent startling events az Harpers Ferry hsye
created Intense excitement throughout the country. The
Geographic dispatches announcing them have necessarily
been somewhat diJoiuted, and a complete understanding
Of the difficulty cannot be obtained until it is fully inves-
tgated. il appears 10 have united all the repulsive fea.
turea Of an organized riot-a seryile insurrec;ion-and
on attack upon, and capture Of, one Of the most impor
tsnt hrnores Of the Government
The leader Of the insurrectionists was Ossswattomia
Brown, Of Kansas notoriety, one Of the few men in the
world capable Of conceiving this audacious, foolish. wick
ed, and terrible movement. During the civil war in
Ransas, he was the leader Of a company which had frs
quent conflicts with bands Of predatory Missourians-
Great outrages were committed on both sides, and
Browns mind was wrought up 70 a pitch Of phrenzv and
excitement bordering on insanity, by the numerous dead
" contests In which he was engaged. Most unfortunate.
" for the victims Of the recent disturbance. and for the
general quiet and welfare Of n large district Of country
surrounding IIarper's Ferry. he succeeded in inducing ,
few Of bic old followers and a horde Of ignorant negroc-
% unite With him In his late visionary, insane, and da
bollcal project.
The extent Of the manifestations Of his plot. and tho
number Of bis confederates, il vet unknown, but, for the
honor Of the human race, we trust that no sane white
men, save those who fought bv his side, were in any wav
connected with IL.
There was a certain method in the madness Of this
movemen which can only be accounted fo- by the natu.
raj taleLt for partisan warfare possessed by Brown, and
The extended experience be- gained IN the Kansas brOil-
by the seizure of the armOTT IL was probably not only
expected that % strong rallyiug point would be secured
for tho iusurrectionists, but also that they would obtain
81 ample supply 81 arms.
j. will be a matter Of cougratulation among right
minded men everywhere, that the movements for the
suppression Of the insurrectOn aud for the recapturo OF
the armory we're made with great prOmptuess. We re
iOco that the Administration issued H. orders TO th,
Government troops with CELEBRITY, anu that the Who'll,
scheme, sudden and unexpected ~ IL was, was nipped DO
the bud. Governor Wise. and the Virginia and Mary
land volunteers, are also entitled 10 great credit for thei
patriotic activity.
The pages Of human history contain no records I'd
soul sckeuing and terrible ne those which record the O..
umphaut progress Of servilc Instructions. and again.
al such terrible demonstrations. Pennsylvania viii eve
D. found ready, " the sad necessity should arise, IN ru-
~ Wv 7NHNAl VI IfI rIHNNI ENI|NlIN NNNftH nf IUII
ware, Maryland, or the noble old Commonwealth viii,
has given birth 20 70 many great States and Statesmen
or States further Fouth with us much aasritr as their ov.
citizens. Whatever differences Of opinion m4y exist b
regard IN tho condition Of the Territories of this Ifni.r
or on political i-sucs Of m abstract character. u, Io-Ir
and determination % do ~ In their power 10 maiuta.
the legitimate rights OF the South, and especial, Co., pr
tsct her people from Oh serious dangers that maj, uanqg
them from enemies within or without the Confcdsrar
bcsts a. strongly IN he hearts Of the people Of PENN,
ssuia nov De at any pfsyi0us period DO be- history ufH
conutfy.
The extremists among The people ~ the North IN
entertain different sentiments are few boz number. lr
eau never obtain commanding or controlling inHueur
N0thng, however. 20 much strengthens them as fhc o.
tension ~ power and influence ny The people 81 u
South to thC extremists Of their section aui uDthif
doe more Co weaken the bonds Of sympathy uhiai uo
bind the people Of the J. Mon together than the endDr
ment BY the South Of tbo-p Who delight in aivOcauf
extreme and aggressive measures.
Brom Hs s. ,. EreBipg Por, (Bfrrt R.gl Ortls
The vague reports Of n terrible slave iusmrcpto
which reached us yesterday afternoon, are confirmed ai
defined ~ nier dcspatrhes. A systcnaic effort ~ o.
cite o. revoit auong the negroes Of Maryland and \
finia has been msdo AZ Harpers Ferry. a small town
nc Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, e~ighty-one miles fra
Rddmorr. near the dividing line Of the two States, 81
81 The junction. q the Potomac and Shenandoah nveI
THIS place Nas pnsbsbly selected a. the scene Of Il
ouibfeak becausc q the existence there offs United STAT
Aunorr. rsnailv containing ab0gt ninety thousand star