, 1860-01-23

Mr. ArAy's Testimony Before the
harPer's Ferry Commtttee.
Correspondence Ct the N. 7. Hesaid1 /
WAsu3ozos, Jan. 1e. 1870.
Mr.. Army was before the Senate Brown raid
inrest,gat.ng Committee for the third time to-
day. his testimony covers about sixty foolseap
pages. The following is the substance
hr. Army testified that previous to the de-
struct'on at Lawrence, Kansas, Of the printing
olilce aud Free STATE Hotel. in Nay, 1855, there
wills nota single Kansas Aid Society or commit
tee in existence in The free States that The trst
committee was appointed IN tic spring Of 1856,
ut B!ootnsnkto Illinois, Of which be WIS the
secretary and agent; that about the same time
a meeting Was held ut Chicago, Illinois, aud TINT
d a-suhscrip;ion Of twenty thousand dollars Was
made By the citizens, Eithout regard to party,
to MD the sufferers III Kansas. at1tl 10 omen lie
shoroughfares through Missouri to KANSAS
which we're closed BY armed Missou1ians, both
on the Eiger and iniaud. ii july, 1856, tic
National Kansas Aid Committee was Organized
at Buffalo, New York, with one member from
pointed the niembef for Illinois. Lit wi1en: in-
formed By letter Of bis appointment, declined 10
act, AS it would interfere with his political ar-
rangements Mz. Army WINS appointed in his
p!aee, and chosen the general agent Of the com
n11ttee. Each State organized committee aug
:ilIary to the National committee, except the
State Of massachusetts,, which had separate
organization. Hr. Army spoke OF the Ea,igrant
Aid Company, which existed previous to the
| year 1856, and said be went to boston and ap-
piled to that company for assistance when the
| Missouri river was closed, and the ofdcess Of
that company told him they were financial
organization or company, and could not depart
from their charter tn contribute for such objects.
-Mr. Army began to show what amount was
contributed ~ the free States to aid Kans8s
| after its Invasion by 3tissourians, but was
stopped By the chairman Of the committee. Il
learned that Nj. Army wanted In testify th4t
| there was placed in his hands, by individuals
and committees, in money aud clothing, over
/ ninc:y-seven thousand dollars, aud he wanted to
presen: to them vouchers OF i.s distribution to
| the sufferers in Kansas without regard to par
ty; besides which, he paid near1y live thousand
t out OF his own meaa, to assist the destitute in
| Southern Kansas; that Thaddeus HYATT presi.
| dsnt OF the NATIONAL Kansas Committee, appro-
pnated Of his own means several thousand DID,
| iars for the same purpose. E. q. Desayun. Of
| Albany, New FORK, placed in the bands of Sir.
Amy clothing worth about fifteen hundred dol.
Lars. with Instructions 10 distribute it TO the
sufferers; without regard to psrsy, or color, and
tLut in all These appropriations there was but
sixteen dollars expended for arms or military
| equipments of my kind; that Cerrit Smith also
contributed ten thousand cIlars, which be gave
| with special directions that it should be appro-
| printed for food and medicine for the destitute
| and sick, and not for purposes Of warfare.
Mr. Arny's testimony showsthat in 1856, when
| Nissouriaus invaded kunsas, and closed tue
Missouri River. aud turned back emigrauts. n
| lot Of arms were sent by some pcrsons-he did
not know who--.o Kansas that boxes said ii.
contain four hundred Sharpe's rifles cume to
Chicago; that Que hundred of them wcr. taken
| up tue Missouri river and seized at Lexington,
No.; another hundred were seized at Waverly,
No. Wien. about to giveihe detailed history Of
these arms, hc WIS stopped. -
Mr. Army then testified that the other two
hundred we're sent 10 Mt- Pleasant, Iowa, and
from there 10 Tabor, on the borders Of Iowa and
Nebrassa, by wagon. He was about to state
the condition of things ut that time,. the in,.ui
nent danIer Al a civil war In kausas, and lii
| visit 10 Washington aud conference with P1esi
dent Pierce, and that he told the President abom
these arms, hut was told not to proceed. lie
testified that Brown applied Tor the rifles to the
National Committee, Ut session held in Ncs
York in January, 1857, and that the Committee
refused to let him have them aad as they had
not purchased them, they gave the control ot
| them to the; kunsas Aid Committee in MHssa-
chusetts. Mr. Army, resi.niug his office o:
Agent at that meeting. testified that he did NOT
| know nuytl,in. about the arnls after that time
He informed the Committee that the reason the
arms w=se mt tent into kunsas was, that presi-
deut Pierce appointed Geary i1o.eraor Of KAN
| sas in place Of Shannon, aud Geary risited the
Governor of Missouri. who took steps to open
| the thorpughfarea Of traye1, and Geary turned
the Missouri invaders back, thus making peace
| The substance of Arny's conversations With
Brown, in 1858, in regard to his NOV ements, was
that Rrown proposed TO locate somewhere and
| run oU slaTes from tho South, SO as to MAXI
that kind Of property insecure. Army testiies
that lie opposed this mode Of interference with
| slavery. Brown said be disliked the :" do moth!
/ Il. r.
States, and said they never would effect any
thing br their milk aud-uafer principles. Ae
to the Republicans. Brown though they we're of
| no account, for they were opposed to carrying
| tue war into Africn- they we're opposed to med
ding with slavery in the States whereitexisted
| Brown s1Ei his doctrine was to free the slayes
by the sword. Army wanted ~ kuow how ne
reconciled that with his Quaker peace princi
pies which lie held when he first knew him,
more than twenty years ago. Brown said that
the oggress1ons Of slavery, the murders and rob.
berries pcrpetrated upon himself and members
Of his family. and The violation Of law by Atct
| lson md others in Kansas, from 1856 to that
time, had convinced him that peace was but an
empty word; and lie repeated his dislike to the
| Republican party and -tbolitionists, saying thes
were crayens-lhat they hud refused to assist
| him. Army testified that he declined to have
anything further to do with his operations.
II utderA1-ud that III. Army declined giving
the names Of persons in Massachusetts who are
Supposed to Aave had control of the rifles, as he
could not state definitely who purchased them
without referring to his books in Kansas, which
the committee would not give him time 10 pro-
] cure. As Army was in Cincinnati, jus. previous
IL the receipt Of the letter written to Secretary
Floyd. announcing the intention to invade Viz.
GINA, it is surprised BY some persons here thai
| he was The author of it. One thing is consid.
cred certain, that the persistent representations
Gen. poneroy. and others, Of the dangers oi
civil war growing out Of the invasion Of kansas
by Missourians, which invasion received -he
countcnance Of The federal authorities uf the
Territories, induced lLe President to appoint
Governor Geary, who restnrcd peacc to = cun.
siderable extent in the West, and suycd tue
| country from blcudy contest