New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-16
The report is figned by Messrs Mason, Davis and
VIEWS OF THE MINORITY.


The REASONABLE conspiracy Of John Brown and his
associates and its fatal development at Harpers FER
W. in Virginia in October last, has become matter OF
history, and all It's details too well known TO re-
quire recapitulation.
While tie excitement alarm and suspicion were ripe
in the public mind the Senate adopted the resolutions
raising The Committee of Inquiry in relation thereto.
Their only legitimate purpose was to Inquire whether
anything had Ianspired which required further leg1sa
ton By Congress- for future security. Though draw1
in vey general and underlined terms, in some part
almoa implying the exercise of judicial inquistion yet
from IN unwiDgDess to incur the imputation OF en-
barresing full investigation no one objected TO their
adoption. In the exercise Of the same feeling we have
made no objection to the great latitude of inquiry taken
by the Committee. We, however, distinctly under
sad that if the resolutions and their peculiar phrase
olofy were drawn used for any other purpose
than that Of furnishing to the Senate information OF Its
own Legislative action. it perverson and departure
from the only justifable purpose OF their adoption
Tie objects Of inquiry, as stated by the resolutions
arethe following, which we state not In the order OF
the resolutions but in the order Of their consecutive
relation for the purpose of their more orderly answer,
| 10 wit:
Fist. The facts in relation to the invasion and
seizure Of the srmory and arsena at Harpers Ferry.
Second Whether il was in pursuance OF an organi-
zaisn and the nature and purpose thereof.
Third The arms ind munitions there possessed by
the insurgents and where and how obtained:
Fourth' Were any citizens, not present Implicated
in or accessory thereto by contributions OF arms,
morey, ammunition, or otherwise.
II relation to the first inquiry, the testimony taken
befae the Committee material facts but such as APP
pesrtd on the trial Of the consPraors and have been
long since published and fully known. They brief
" ~ follows:
On the night of the 10th day of October 1852 John
Brown together with sixteen white men aud five ne
vroes as conspirators took armed possession Of the
United States Armory at Harper's Ferry in Virginia,
killed. four of the inhabitants and were dislodged by
armed forced which they resisted, and in the action
se of the white consPirators were killed and three
OF the negroes. John Brown was wounded and taken
prisoner and he, together with four others of the
white conspirstors aud two of the negroes tried,
convicted, and executed and five escaped.
Second: This took placeln pursuance OF conspr-
Of these conspraiors in the last part of 1857 or begin
mig of 1853. They young men, and entirely
uadtr the influence OF Brown, and had been, as wen
Brown, deeply engaged in the conflicts in Kansas IN
1855 1856 and 1857. From Kansas they passed into
Iswa, and thence they led by Brown to Chat
ham, in Canada West Here they, together with
number of Iegroes, formed secret organization with
written articles Of association, drawn up by Brown,
having for its object the rasDg of slave nsurrectlon
in the Savehoding States and subvertng the govern
npnt thereof.
Third They bad 900 Sharp's carbines and 200 re-
volver pistols and about 1000 pixies, together with
| Quantity Of clothing and ammunition. The carbines
and revolvers had been procured by contributions in
Massachusetts in 1856 and forwarded to Iowa, to be
sent into Kansas for the aid and in the defense OF the
Free State people in the struggle then existing there
| purpose together with the ammunition. The clothing
which had been contributed for the suffering people Of
Kansas had been ntrused to him there for that pnr-
pose In 1857 these troubles In Kansas, IN great de-
gree subsded. The Associations and Committees who
bad made contributions ceased operations, and these
arms an munitions in the hands of Brown came to be
almost overlooked and dsregarded until the Summer
of 1853 when suggestion came to the persons having
control of them at Boston that John Brown was about
10 make some improper use of Them and therefore he
was particularly charged to make no use OF them but
in Kansas and or the defnse OF the Free State people
there as the purpose for which they had been furnished
II seems that this together with being unable to pro-
cure money and an apprehension Of being exposed,
prevented him from executing the purpose OF his con-
spracy for that year.
In 1859 he procured TO be completed in Connecticut
LOGO pixies for which he had contracted and partly
paid in 1856 OF 1857 for ike service in Kansas and
len in 1852 he procured these pixies and also those
earbDes and revolyers, and the ammunition and CLOTH
ing TO be privately conveyed and secreted ut or near
Harper Ferry, without the knowledge consent of
those who had contributed them for ute In Kansas and
contrary to the order given him by those in control
Fourth There is no evidence that any other citizens
than these there with Brown weie tssso, o es
erwise nor any proof that any others had any know
ledge Of the conspiracy or its purposes In the year
1859 though Realf Forbes, and some very few, may
have understood it in 1853 when it failed of execution.
Although come of the testimony tends to show that
some Abotionsts have, at times, contributed money
to what lie occasionally called practical Abohtionsm-
placed too implicit confidence in John Brown yetthere
i no evidence to show or cause to believe, they had
any completely with this conspiracy, or any suspicion
of it's existence design, before Its explosion.
There was no evidence tending to show that there
| ever was any conspiracy or design by any one to
rescue John Brown or his associates from prison IN
Virginia.
pose il entertained the deaths it involved, and the
amount of arms and munitions with which was sup
ped combined TO produce not only great alarm, but
also strong suspicion Of extensive completely Ame
and investigation have happily, dissipated mucn Of
such alarm apd suspicion, and shown that this was but
an oshoot from the extensive outrages and awessness
In Kansas commenced and continued there by armed
invasion Of that Territory TO control its own people,
the elections and the Government for the Introduction
and perpeuy of Slavery in that Territory the one
hand and resistance defense the other. This in
yied there many Of desperation, and others be-
came 80 by the rrtatons and excitements OF those col
isions When comparative peace was restored there,
| mny trained by such school, were ready for new
fields of lawess enterprise. IL was from such ele-
ments that John Brown concocted his conspiracy con-
sisng Of young men and boys, over whom he had en-
tire CONTROL many OF them foreigners, and none OF
| substance position in the country.
| By peryertDg the arms, ammunition, and clothing
with which he had been ntrusted from the purpose for
which he had received them, he secured his supplies
IL is almost astonishing that in a country like ours
laden with the rich experience of the blessings of seeu
ry under the protection Of law there should still be
fo1nd large bodies of men laborng under the inatua
ton that any good object can be effected by awess-
ness and violence. II is the prostration Of law which
is the only bond of security II can in ts nature be,
get nothing but resistance retaliation, insecurty, and
dsaster And yet with all our intelligence and expe-
renee we have most unfortunate and deporable man
ifestaons of such nfatuations. They are dangerous
in direct proportion the extent of public countenance
they receive No object however desirable can justify
them or prevent their disastrous example and conse
| quences. The unpublished lawess inyasions of our
weak neighborng nations; the fragrant and merciess
breaches Of Our laws against the African save-rade
"unwhipt of ustiee;" the lawess armed lnyasons Of