New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-18
THE HON. NJ r. CONWAY AND JOHN
BROWN -rff ~

To a> Editor Of The Bo't'n Journal
SIR: ! am very much surprised 10 ind, m ises
number of your paper, letter from your excehe@
correspondent, A. ID. Richardson, esq, IN which ny
rame ia used 10 corroborate most atrocious asA4H
upon the memory of OLD JoHs BRows OF Osaws&e-
mic, Mr. Richardson does not himself indorse ttis
wicked caumny but refers 10 a conversataeE he had
with me- in which he Gays that informed hin thAt
Brown admitted 10 me that he was engaged m me
killing of Doyle and others, on Potawatamie benss
In 1856. He also cites a conversation with CaP<
Walker to the same effect. This, Sir Is mistake, -
far as il reates to me- which cannot see how gen
tlenan Of Mr.. Richardson's intelligence could contrive
to fall into. Mr.. Richardson must, therefore, Pardsa
the directness of my answer, when ! assure him en-
phatically that aerer told him any such tang. Cap
Walker will also pardon me, when say 10 him. mes
courteousy that do not believe that Brown ever told
him any such thing. 1t is, indeed, wonderful cur
cuustance taken fiom any poin. of view, how many
peIsons have recently sprung upto whom John Brewn
long since confded dreadful ssereta secret which.
if exposed, would have cost him his life, and which,
not being exposed, made any one in 1t liable TO the
penalties of a capital oiFense. And stil more wonder
full that those persons of class with which Brown
never had any sympathy, and toward which 10
always maintained profound aversion
These witnesses are certainly too swift. They pre-
tend to have been the bosom friends Of the old Mas
to have shared with him the most awful secrets Of biz
soul and yet they are among the ioudest IN execrar
ton Of his memory They pretend to be 10
of secret which could only have been conveyed un-
der bonds of the most sacred private friendship; and
yet they are ready expose this secret TO backen tho
name Of their friend. This is unnatural and imposs-
ble ] disrust all such testimony. From what Iknows
am convinced that Brown never had any personA
participation in the killing of the men on the Pota-
watamie and that, of course he never told anybody
he had. My recollection of what said to Mr.. ksh-
ardson this topic is very distinct and to this enee,
namely. that John Brown said to me In Boston, tive
wears prior that he not at the killing on the fots
watamie, but that ne approved it; Mr.. keoarasoe
could not have been doing me the honor Oh giving me
bis attention at the time, he would not have 80 lar
misapprebended me. This statement made 10 me ~
Brown was precisely the same made by him TO eli his
best and most confidential friends touching the subje
and may be very safely taken for the truth the WHO'S
truth, and nothing but the TRUTH in the matter.
The fearful story Of his Selling five or six men n
their beds night tearing them away from the arms
of their weeping wives and children, killing them by
slow degrees, within hearing OF tnei families, ans
then wantonly mutlatng their dead bsdies, WA IN
vented and propogated by one Of the most notorousy
living IascaIs in the United States; individual who
has been doing all manner Of base work for three
yeaIs past in this vicinity for the Democratic party
and getting paid for bis wretched services in hard cash
II was of course seized by all the enemies OF Od
0sswstonie soon As it appeared and hawked usoat
the country embodyng the indubtablc record or
{" Potawaiamie Massacre" But It is utterly uuwof-
hy of credit and should be discarded by every honora
bic mind as malignant attempt to inure the fame Of
one who whatever, In the estimation OF somr, may
have been bis errors bis crimes was tbs purest en-
bodment which the country affords of exalted sefssc-
rihce and as such dear to any friend of humanity.
1t may, perhaps add something to the estimation IN
which this tragcal of the Potawatame should
be held to inform the public that since il was irst
published the author has fed the country in disgrace.
The weekly journal edited here by him has become
extinct and his wife has filed petition in the County
Court praying for divorce charging him with being
an inhuman monster" which, from my own knowi-
edge of the animal I will very promptly testify 10,
summoned as a witness in the case. Retrbutive jus
tice is sometimes speedy, as well as always sure.
Very respectfully, yours N. r. CONWAY.
Il. T., Jan. 20, 1850