Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-07
REPORT OF MR.. COLLAMER,

REPORT OF MR.. CoLLAMER,
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MINORITY OF The SELECT COMMITTEE
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The REASONABLE conspiracy of John Brown
and his associates, and its fatal development at
Harpers Ferry, in Virginia, in October last, has
become matter of history and all its details are
too well known to require recapilualion.
While the excitement, alarm and suspicion
were rife in the public mind. the Senate adopted
the resolutions raising the committee Of inquiry
in relation thereto. Their only legitimate pur-
pose was to inquire whether anything had tran
spred which required further legislation by
Congress for future security. Though drawn
in very general and underlined terms. in some
part almost implying the exercise of judicial
inQuisition, vet from an unwillingness to incur
the mputation of embarrassing full investiga-
ton, no one objected to their adoption. In the
exercise of the same feeling we have made no
objection to the great latitude of inquiry taken
by the committee. We, however, distinctly
understand, that il the resolutions and their
peculiar phraseology were drawn or are used
for any other purpose than that of furnishing
to the Senate information for its own legislative
action. il is peryersion and departure from
the ONLY iustifabe purpose of their adoption.
The objects of inquiry, us stated in the reso-
lutions, aie the following, which are stated, not
in the order of the resolutions, but in the order
of their consecutive relation, for the purpose OF
their more orderly answer, to wit:
FIRST. Inc iacts In relation TO the invasion
and seizure OF the armory ana arsenal at har-
per's Ferry:
Second. Whether 1t was III pursuance OF an
OF.
Thirc. The arms and munitions there pos
sessed by the insurgents, and where ana now
obtained.
Fourth. Were any citizens, not present. I'M
plicated Ill., or accessory thereto, ny cohtriou-
tons OF arms, money, ammunition, or other-
wise
In relation to the hrst inquiry, the testimony
taken before the committee dlscloses no mate
rlal iacts out such as appeared ON inc tial OF
the conspirators, and have been long since pub
llshcd ana are iully known. Inc! are oilehy
as follows:
On the night OF the ioth day oi oc'ooer'
1893, John Brown, together with sixteen white
men and five negroes as conspirators, took
armed possession Of the United States armory
at 1larper's Ferry, in Virginia, killed four OF
the inhabitants, and were dislodged by armed
force, which they resisted, and in the action
seven of the white conspirators were killed, and
three of the negroes. John Brown was wound
ed and taken prisoner, and he, together with
four others of the white consprators, and two
of the negroes, were tried, convicted and exc
cuted, and five escaped.
ID. This took place III pursuance OF con-
spiracy commenced in Kansas by John Brown
and most of these consprators, in the last par,
| of 1857 or beginning OF 1903. They were
young men and entirely under the influence Of
| Brown, and had been. as well as Brown, deeply
engaged in the conflicts in Kansas in 1900
1856 and 1857. From Kansas they passed into
Iowa, and from thence they were led by Brown
TO Chatham, in Canada West. There they, to
gether with a number of negroes, formed a Sc
crtt organization, with written articles OF asso
citation, drawn up by Brown, having for its oh
ject the raising of slave insurrection in th'
slaveholding States and subverting the govern
ment thereof.
Sd. They had two hundred Sharp's carbine
and two hundred revolver pistols and about on
thousand pixies, together with a quantity o
clothing and ammunition. The carbines ant
revovers had been procured by contribution
in Massachusetts, in 1856, and forwarded tt
Iowa to be sent into Kansas for the aid and il
the defense of the free State people in the strug
gle then existing there, and they had been in
trusted to John Brown for that purpose, togeth
er with the ammunition. The clothing whicl
had been contributed for the suffering people @
Kansas, had been intrusted to him there 70
that purpose. In 1857 these troubles in Kan
in great degree subsidized. The associa
tions and committees, who had made contribu
tions, ceased operations, and these arms an
munitions, in the hands of Brown, came to b