The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-03

troop1. h The originals Of these / viii try to
have restored for the trial of the prisoners.
Arioag other papers, / found a letter of
credi, from one of the banks in the State of
New York, informing Brown that Gerrit Smith
had placed to his (Brown's) credit $l00. That
is noy ia possession of the assistant prosecuting
attorney at Charlestownl 1t would not become
me to cosnsel or countenance any one in doing
TO Gerris Smith what Stevens and his party did
to Col Nashington-take him out of his bed at
night, End smuggle him off from home But
if any une should bring him to me, by fair or
foul means, viii read him moral lecture and
send hiln back to his home, if innocent, or Sc
cure him fair and impartial trial, If guilty of
aiding and abetting these murders, robberies,
and reason! / remained in Harper's Ferry
and Vent to Charlestown to protect the prison
ers We now have in custody against lynch
law, determined, as I am, that the laws shall
reign while am Chief Magistrate of this Com
montyeilt Our people were incensed beyond
expression but they felt as do, that it would
be dasl raceful and cowardly to murder these
prisoae IS, after falling to take them for twenty
four lurs. They were securely guarded and
safel7 lodged in the Charlestown Jail, to be
tried ir-the Virginia court, under Virginia laws.
The Uaited States served warrants for two
cases u murder and for treason against the
Unit ,d!,tates, but there was no difficulty about
jurisiit ton. / told the officers of the United
States shat they might have the bodies of the
prisoneIs after Virginia tribunals were done
with tfNml / would not have delivered up
these kssoners to any claim of priority of ju-
risdi tf3n, if the President of the United States
had 20 ordered. But there was no issue of ju-
risdfstton, and there was no occasion for any,
exec Of IS to the pardoning power. will pro-
tect n guard the prisoners with the law and
the m roy and the might Of our own sover
eighty
Thee had been no guard at Harper's Ferry,
and on Wednesday evening the marines were
ordered away, notwithstanding the obviouswe
cessitys of a military guard. Under thesencir
cumsts aces, the last thing did on Thursday
mornis was to organize volunteer police
guard IN the Virginia border, around the con-
fines q the grounds ceded for the arsenal, and
/ moa to inform the President of the United
States; shat this guard will incidentally protect
the Tenal and property Of the United States
until Ie shall make>a permanent and safe pro-
vision 'yor protection. armed this guard with
part o. the rifles captured from Brown. And
l shallsgo on arming and supplying ammuni-
ton tek our frontiers, until every neighborhood
where here are slaves has the means Of self
defenSs Virginia and the other slaveholding
States aust rely on themselves. This is very
severe lesson, and we must pooft at once by its
teachi <. 1t urges upon US, stronger than
procla nations, the necessity for thorough or
ganizs.jon, arming, and drilling our militia. l
shah iaplore the people to organize and take
arms Is their hands, and to practice the use of
arms, nd | will cause depots to be established
for tx d ammunition along our borders, and at
every tssailable point. AS for myself, have
marif sted only my devotion to the duty of pro-
tectln, the honor of the State of Virginia, and
the sssty of the lives and properly of her peo-
pie. y regret that it has been my fortune to do
SO litbs, but l thank you, gentlemen, one and
all, 70 this compliment, as more than thank
you a. ain for your gallant and noble services.