Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-01-28
THE LESSON OF HARPER's FERRY.
From SERMON BY Z. NJ. WnEELocK.

No, it is no. true ha, the conflict of Harper's
Ferry is the beginning OF civil war. That would
be like saying that the capture Of Yorktown was
the beginning of the Revolutionary struggle. The
meaning of that new sign is this Freedom, for
ten years weakly standing on the defensive, and
for ten years defeated has now become the as
salans, and bas now gained tho victory. The
Bunker Hill Of our secoud Revelation has been
fought, and the second Warren has paid tho gle
rious forfeit Of his life. John Brown felt that to
ensave man is to commit the greatest possible
crime within the reach Of human capacity. Ne
was at war, therefore, with the slave system. lie
felt that its vital principle the most atrocious
atheism, Withholding the hey Of knowledge. abro-
gntipg the marriage relation. tendihs families
asunder u. the apctun-block, making the State
that protects it q band of pirates, and the Church
that enshripes il baptized brothel. lie knew
that she cause needed not talk, not eloquense, but
action. lie, principle walking on Two feet. lie
had small faith in politics. He saw tbattbe beau
ideal of Democrat was one that could poll the
most votes with the fewest men; and that the OBJ
ject of Republicans, during the next year, would
be to find the most available candidate for ,he
that holds in bloody chains four millione Of our
people for the purpose of lucre and LUST; that
makes every sixth man aad woman in the country
liable 10 be cold auction; that forbds by statute
every sixth r,dh shd woman n the nation to learn
to read that makes 1t an indctable cfTencs to
teach every sixth man and Woman in the country
to read the alphabesj that fotbid5 every sish man
and WOMAN in the ration to have husband or
wife; apd that annihila,es the sanctty CT marriage
by statute. systematically, end Of purpose, in re-
gard to one'sia.h part Of nation calling itself
Christian he decided | say. that such bniba.
rism was in itself an organized and perpetual uar
against God and man, aud could be best met by
tho drcc. issue of arms. For he was no sentimen-
talst and no non-resistant. IIo believed in hu-
man brotherhood, in George Washington, in Bun
ker hill and in God, all Of whose attributes take
sides against the oppressor lie was q Puritan
on both sdesa and that blood is always Revolution
ary lie had the blood Of English Ham den who
rather than pay an uni ust tax Of twenty shillngs,
began movement that hurled king from his
throne to the teck. He had the blood of Hancock
and Adams, who, when King George laid his hand
on the American pocket reused every New En-
that the crimes of the slave faction against human
hy were more a:rocious by far than those which
turned England into Republic and the Starts
into exile, and his glorious fault it was, that be
could not look calmly on while four millions Of
our people are trodden in the bloody miro of des-
potism. IL is ths fashion to call him crazy
fanatic. But history will do ibe head of John
Brown tho same mple justice that even his ene-
mics give to his heart, 1t is no impossible feat
to plant permanent armed nsu, recton in Vr,
ginia. Within few days march of Harpcrs.
Ferry lies tho Great Dismal Swamp, whose in,e-
rior depths for untrodden save by the feet
of fugitive slaves A few resoule white men,
harbCred in its deep recesses, raising the flag Of
slave rovolt would gather thousands to their
dard. would convulse the whole State with panic,
and make servie war one Of the inseparable felic.
tiles Of slavery. Let us not forget that three hun.
dred half armed Indians, housed in similar
swamps in Florida wsged n seven years war
against the whole power Of the Uuited States, and
were taken at last, not by warfare but by treach-
cry and bribss. 4 single year Of such warfare
would unhiDge the slavs faction in Virginia
Said Napolean. when preparing for the invasion
of England, in 1908, Il do not expect to conquer
England, but shall do more--I shall ruin it,
The mere presence Of my troops en- her coast,
whether defeated or not will shake her govern
ment to the groupd,and destroy her social system.
With equal correctness reasoned the hero and the
martyr OF Iiarper's Ferry. lie knew that slave
revolt could be planted upon as permanent and
chronic a basis as the Unt ergronnd Railroad, and
that once done, slavery would quickly bleed to
death. We who have seen the knees OF great
slave Stale smiling tcge,her. and her teeth chat
,erng with fear, while wild and craven panic
spread far and wide, from the slight tkirmish OF
single day With lees than q ,core Of men. can