Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-14

Capt Browns Resolution and Plnn.
Tho oharlestOwn correspondent of the Tri.
bune states that the populace are resolute in
their determination that their victims shall
never be taken from them, and Browns own
IDEAS on the subject are characteristic. We
quote.
Hetrauquilly says: Il do not know that ought
TO encourage any attempt TO savcmy life am
not sure that it would not be better for me TO
die at this time. ] am not incapable Of error,
and may be wrong; but think that perhaps
my objects would be nearer fulfllment ii I
should die. must give it some thought -
There is no insincerity about this, you may be
sure. Brown does not value his life; or, at
least, is wholly unmOyed at the prospect OF los.
ing it. lie was never more firm than at this
moment The only compunctions he expres.
ses are in relation to his management at Har.
pere Ferry, by which he lost not only himself,
but sacrificed his associates. lie sometimes
says that fhe had pursued his original plan Of
immediate escape to the mountains, he could
never have been taken, for he and his men had
stuffed the vicinity thoroughly, and knew il
hundred times better than any OF the inhab
itants. 1t was, he says, his weakness in yield
ing TO the entrcaties OF the prisoners, and do
laying his departure, that ruined him. ut was
tho first time, are his words, "that ever lost
command of myself and now l am punished
Tor it,"
The reason Brown has given for asking his
wife TO remain away is also characteristic -
lie knows it will cause great suffering, and will,
possibly, shat er his composure in a manner
which he is resolved against, lest his captors
should esteem il an evidence or regret for what
he has done.
WHAT browns PLAN REALLY WAS
l have not heard of anybody who, whatever
crimes he may have attributed to Brown has
doubted his word. Here is his own account of
his purpose at HarpeTs Ferry:
HeIhad calculated upon, and fully expected to
accomplish, rescue OF a great number of slaves.
To maintain warlike position in Virginia for
any definite period, was not his object The
idea of his seizing the Arnory for the sake of
the weapons it contained, he will not admit
He says he had far better weapons Of his own.
His occupying it at all was variation from his
original determination. He had deeided
to take Col. Washington and the other
prisoners TO the Harpers Ferry Bridge,
and there to establish commanding po.
sitoD, from which he would insist upon
exchanges of slaves for his prisoners. In case
he should have been disodged, he would have
retreated in haste TO the mountains, with the
intricacies of which he had made himself so
much more familiar than the Inhabitants them
selves, that he believed he could defy ali at
tempts to apprehend him He had supposed
that, after few days of NC ,essful evasion, he
would be Joined by hundreds OF slaves anxious
to escape, by whose aid he could have perfected
arrangements for an enormous rescue This,
as | understand it, was his real plan
The reason of the change was, ho avers, that
as thenipht oftho rising wasvery severely cold,
he suddenly concluded to have the prisonors
taken to the Amory, where they would not be
exposed to the weather, anticipating no trouble
in moving off with them, in case he should not
be able to effect the exchanges for negroes
before the general alarm should spread Disap.
pointed in this hope he had only to fight to the
end.
Some one the other day asked Brown the rea
son why he did not go further South TO make
this attempt He answered that thore were
strong objections on the score of humanity
meaning, as was aiterward explained, that the
ferocity of the slaves further South could not
have been checked, and that a great massacre
would have been the result