Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-12-17

Mr.. Mason's, Of Va, resolution for the
appointment Of Special Committee Of in
vestigation on the Harper's Ferry invasion
came up.
Mr.. WADE, Of Ohio, said that at 6rst it
was not his purpose to speak Of the resolu-
ton. He made up his mind when tho res
ulution was introduced, that he should vote
for it, not on account of any particular ben
eft he supposed would result from il, for he
thought il would probably have the. effect
of increasing in Virginia the excitement,
which already seems to be sufficiently strong
there at least for all practical purposes, but
over this resolution the whole subject of con-
troversy between the Northern and Southern
States on the slavery question has been
discussed, and illusions have been made to
him personally in such terms as to render
it essential that he should reply.
He had no desire to get up frequently to
talk on this most hacknied subject. He
had not been very forward in thrusting him
self before the Senate, but when measures
of great importance had been pressed, he
had been compelled to give his views 1t
was said by the mover Of this resolution,
Mr.. Mason,) that one great object of it
was to elicit the state Of Southern feeling
respecting the recent invasion at Harper's
Ferry.
Mr.. Mason desired to correct the Sena-
tor that association had been once or twice
ascribed to him in the course of the debate,
but it was a misapprehenson. What he
had said was that he wished to ascertain
from what source Brown derived the funds
and counsel which led to the invasion. He
had reason to believe that it came mostly
from the New England States.
Mr.. Wade continued: For the basest of
purposes the great party to which he
(Wade) belonged, had been charged with
completely in this affair; but he treated the
charges with scorn and contempt. 1t had
been so entirely Overstrained that it now
fell on his ears without giving him a single
emotion But he knew what the effect Of
such charge would be in that part of the
country where jealousy exists with regard
to the acts and motives Of Northern men,
He called on the Southern Opposition in
view Of these facts to cooperate with the
Democracy-the only National party-and
present an unbroken opposition to the enc
mics Of the South. Anything calculated
to infuse detection in one section iujures the
whole country.
Mr.. WADE said he regarded John Brown
insane, and asked Senators to discriminate
between the man and his acts If the State
of Virginia feels deeply aggrieyed at this
into her territory and the murder
of her citizens, what were the feelings of the
Northern men a few years ago whose rela-
tions & friends had gone into far distant ter
ritory and formed colonies there weak and
feeble scattered through that wilderness,
when they found that it was the delibrate
purpose of great, powerful and all pervad-
ing party to drive them out and coerce
them to obedience under Institutions which
they abhorred from the bottom of their
souls. They were driven ont; they were
murdered in cold blood, their property was
destroyed; they appealed to Congress for
redress, and they only got insnlts here in
stead of sympathy.
When | state this only state what / do
know. This Government did at least con-
nive at this band of conspirators who were
arming themselves lawlessly with arms be-
longing to the Government and invaded that
peaceful territory and took possession of the
ballot boxes, aud drove the citizens away
from the polls; drove them away from their
possessions, and exercised tyranny over
them. But that took place good ways of
and did not create the same excitement as
when similar transaction comes near home.
In his Judgment the only difference between
that case and this, was that in the case Of
tho Il auGaG iDUoSiOD II w rnaIa with M
other intention than to introduce slavery
there at all hazards, and by force of arms;
whereas old John Brown and his men with
a like unlawful purpose undertook to extir-
pate slavery from the State of Virginia.
The Free State men then got no consola-
tion from this Government. One Senator
used this language 1--WE will shbdue you,
you are traitors, we will hang every man Of
you"
He said that he did not go back to these
things for the purpose Of justifying John
Brown and his crew in the invasion of Vir-
ginia, but only to show why it is that the
men of the free states to a considerable ex-
tent do sympathize with this old hero. In
the darkest hour of Kansas, when her
rights were all in peril and everything look
ed gloomy there and the Federal Govern
ment failed to interpose in her behalf, then
it was that old John Brown appeared on
the stage of action, arming himself as we'll
as he might, and commenced to do that
justice TO himself and fellows that the Gov
ernment denied. lie did it with hero
ism aud determination that challenged ad-
miratiOn from his friends and even respect
from his enemies. He drove the Border
Rufians from the Territory and conquered
peace.
He believed that Brown was maddened
by the scenes of blood be had W itnessed in
Kansas, for he did not think any sane man
on earth would have undertaken the en-
terprise. He also said he had never seen a
single person who justified Browns raid,
for Northern people do not sympathize
with crime.
He then proceeded to reply to Mr.. John
sons criticism on the Republican platform.
He said he was not one Of those who sup
pose that all the shareholders deeply cr-
miual for he knew how habit and Gus
toms modify the feelings of men. Wash
ington himself was a STAKEHOLDER, but he
expressed himself in hopes that that nsti-
tuition might be abolished by some means.