The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-02-09

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wife and mur mured-
Blessed be COP, Mary, who put il
into your head to do this good deed
Mr.. Arny's Testimony before the Har.
per's Ferry Committee.
| Mr.. Army was before the Senate Brown
raid Investigating Committee for the
third time to-day. His testimony covers
about sixty foolscap pages. The follow
ing is the substance
Mr.. Army testified that previous to the
destruction of Lawrence, Kansas, of the
printing Office and Free State Hotel, in
May, 1856, there was not single Kan
sas Aid Society or committee in exist
ence in the free states that the first
committee was appointed in the spring of
1856, at Bloomington, Illinois, of which
he was the secretary and agent that
about the same time meeting was held
at Chicago, Illinois, and that subscrip-
ton of twenty thousand dollars was
made by the citizens, without regard to
party, to aid the sufferers in Kansas, and
to open the thoroughfares through Mis-
souri, to Kansas, which were closed by
armed Missourians, both on the river and
inland. In July, 1856. the National
Kansas Aid Committee was organized at
Buffalo, New York, with one member
from each free stale. Abraham Lincoln
was appointed the member from Illinois,
but when informed by letter of his ap-
pointment, declined to act, as it would
interfere with his political arrangements
Mr.. Army was appointed in his place. and
chosen the general agent of the commit
tee. Each state organized a committee
auxiliary to the National Committee, ex-
cept the State of Massachusetts,, which
had separate organization. Mr.. Army
spoke of the Emigrant Aid Company.
which existed previous to the year 1856,
and said he went to Boston and applied
TO that Company Tor assistance wneh tue
Missouri River was closed, and the Off
GERS Of that Company told him they were
financial organization or company, and
could not depart from their character to
contribute for such objects.
Mr.. Army began to show what amount
was contributed by the free states to aid
Kansas after its invasion by Missourians,
but was stopped by the chairman of the
committee. learned that Mr.. Army
wanted to testify that there was placed in
his hands, by individuals and commit
tees, in money aud clothing, over ninety
seven thousand dollars, and he wanted to
present to them the vouchers of its dis
tribution to the sufferers in Kansas with
out regard to party besides which. he
paid nearly five thousand out of his own
means to assist the destitute in Southern
Kansas that Thaddous Hyatt, President
of the National Kansas Committee, ap-
propriated of his own means several
thousand dollars for the same purpose.
+. G. Delevan, of Albany, New York,
placed in the hands of Mr.. Army cloth
ing worth about fifteen hundred dollars,
with instructions to distribute it to the
sufferers. without regard to party or col
or, and that in all these appropriations
there was but sixteen dollars expended
for arms or military equipments of any
kind that Gerritt Smith also contributed
ten thousand dollars, which he gave with
special directions that it should be ap-
for food and medicine for the
destitute and sick, and not for purposes
Of warfare.
Mr.. Arny's testimony shows that in
1856, when Missourians invaded Kansas
and closed the Missouri River, and turn.
ed back emigrants, lot of arms were
sent by some persons-he did not know
who-to Kansas that boxes said to con-
tain four hundred Sharpe's rifles came to
Chicago; that one hundred of them were
taken up to the Missouri River and seiz-
ed at Lexington. Mo. another hundred
were seized at Waverly, Mo. When
about to give the detailed history Of these
arms, he was stopped.
Mr.. Army then testified that the other
hundred were sent to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa,
and from there to Tabor, on the borders
Of Nebraska and Iowa, by wagon. He
was about to state the condition of things
at that time. the imminent danger of a
civil war in Kansas, and his visit to Wash
ington and conference with President
Pierce, and that be told the President
about these arms. but was told not to
proceed. He testified that Brown ap-
piled for the rifles to the National Com.
mittee, at session held in New York in
January, 1857, and that the Committee
refused to let him have them ; and as
they had not purchased them. they gave
the control of them to the Kansas Aid
Committee in Massachusetts,. Mr.. Army,
resigning his Office of agent at that meet
ing. testified that he did not know any
thing about the arms after that time. He
informed the Committee that the reason
the arms were not sent into Kansas was,
that President Pierce appointed Geary