The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-02-17
For County Commissioner.
Hon. JAMES D. BELL, of Walden.
ELECTION-First Tuesday in March.

Parturiunt monies: nascetur rldlculus
muS.-HOr0ce.
Nv whom shall Isaac arise! for he is
small.-.imos =.
The January number Of the Churchman'S
Magazine contains an article from the pen
Of Chief Justice Redfeld entitled "Rehec-
tons upon the fate of John Brown.
A few weeks since one occupying a nigh
position in New Hamp,hre cast oil upon
the troubled waters of Southern feeling. Fol-
lowing in the steps of the venerable Pres.'
Chief Justice Redfeld administers sedatlve.
President Lords letter was in reply to
Southern correspondent making inquiry in
regard to the state of popular feeling at the
North in reference to the foray at Harper's
Ferry, and was characteristic Of its author
able, energetic and ou,spoken. But the
shrewd DIR. treated the subject wholly in the
abstract-a capital way Of managing deli
cate subject. 1t was however admirably adj
ap,ed to the end for which it was Designed
to allay the agitation at the South, without
producing any visible sensation at the North
teyond perhaps the slight contraction OF the
facial muscles by way Of an inofensive smile
where the worthy old gentemau's idiosyn-
cracy upon the subject Of slavery is so well
known.
His Horrors letter seems to have been
educed by no provoca,ion, unless high feed
ing at hospitaole Southern boards, or whole
some adulation from chi,alr churchmen
may be deemed such. 1t is more charitable
to regard it as the impetuous out-gushing OF
patriotic feeling in an effort to save the ma
ton from the impending catastrophe. Tho
he is not less sincere than the other apollo
gist to whom we have referred, he surely has
exhibited much less ability and tact in the
treatmen, of this delicate subject.
At the outset he brings against the North
ern press the grave charge Of treating the
Harper's Ferry affair with great want Of
candor" lie next las down the dictum
that the rash and demented abettors Of this
scheme are guilty of technical treason. We
incline to concur in this opinion SO far as
this, that if they be guilty of treason at all,
it is so decidedly technical that only the most
tech";colly inclined minds can discern it. The
fact Of Browns "issuing formal commissions
purpolting to emenate from independent au-
thori:y" is what "ahove all" is relied upon to
substantiate the charge of treason. We have
always supposed treason to consist in an at
tempt to subvert the government Of sover-
eign state or a Union of states. Browns OBJ
ject was avowedly to assist in the escape of
slaves. The inadequacy of the means to the
end shows conclusively that he could not
have hoped for anything at all beyond this.
With this end in view he selected Har-
per's Ferry, point near the free states, as a
RENDEZVOUS. An organization was necessary.
As he was the leading spirit in the enterprise,
he reserved to himsel. the highest post of
honor, and issued commissions to those who
he had appointed as subaIterns. He did it
by his own authority. How else should he
act? Was this treason? What if band of
should in like manner organize
in the border towns of the British Provinces
on the north, ana commit depredations upon
The peaceful inhabitants of our frontier
towns, by Running off our chottels-horses or
:attle-or should induce some of our citizens
10 join them in their predatory excursions
should even commit murder, would the Hon.
Court hold them guilty of treason? We cam
not understand how man can be guilty of
treason, though he violate every law in the
statute book. # he make no attempt to sub
vert the government, We are we'll aware
that His Honor has decided advantage of US
in determining any question of law, since
whatever he rules to be law is law. But We
have SO much of human nature in US that We
prefer our own poor opinion to the more re-
liable opinion OF ADLER men.
The inquiry is made How then could it
have been treated in any other way than il,
has been by the state of Virginia"
We do not. nor has the Northern press
condemned the punishment of Brown and his
associates for the crimes of which the, were
guilty. The Northern press did justly de-
nounce land herein if at all is the "srea,
want Of candor" caarged) the inhuman end
barbarous manner in which the trials were
conducted. 1t was the unfeelihS treatment
OF those men which aroused So general SYM
pathy at the North.
We are told that "the South in all sinceri-
ty believe the entire North to be bristling
with bayonets and prepared with revolvers
and sabers and spears to rush down upon
them and liberate ,teir slaves and that the
Republican press is responsible for their be-
lief. Does his Honor forget that the Demo-
cratic papers alone pass South OF Mason and
pixon's line? These. with garbled and dis
torted extracts from Republican papers, have
done the mischief. 1t is absurd to charge
such result upon the Republican press, and
cut Of his own mouth we will show it. He
says There is not one man in hundred, If
there be one in thousand, who will give
any serious countenance to the foray at Har-
per's Ferry. And there is not one in hun
dred OF the destructive aboliiionists who will