The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-05


Northern people are ready 10 abet the acts of
those who recently made an attack on Harper's
Ferry. What could be more dangerous to the
institutions of any Southern State than state
ments like this, If promulgated there?
Why, sir, it is a strange state of things that we
find prevailing all around us. strange state
Of sentiment has sprung up all at once. l beg to
know what has taken place that has given rise
to this inquiry and-I will say ito these most
Incorporate speeches that have been made on
the subject. Why; sir, twenty-one men, all told,
deluied men--yea, sir, judging from the very
act they undertook to accomplish, insane men
have invaded a great and powerful sovereign
STATE, and they have met that retribution which
every sane man knew must be their lot in under
taking what they did. When gang of conspir-
atcrs are apprehended and brought to justice IN
every other case, as far as know, all excitement
ceases over the graves of the malefactors; and
why not here2
blr. President, / understand it is said that the
Northern people sympathize with John Brown
in the raid that he made upon the sovereignty OF
Virginia; and that is great cause of complaint
Sir, do not stand here to control the sympathies
of the human heart under any circumstances;
because they are not subject to human control;
but think can explain the reason why many
Northern men have deeply sympathized with John
Brown, the leader of this gang / ask you here,
however, always to discriminate between the man
and the act that he committed. Gentlemen seem
incapable of drawing that line of discrimination.
They run both together, and they treat John
Brown as a common malefactor. They have
right to treat him so; but he will not go down
to posterity in that light at all. think know
why it is that some considerable feeling and
sympathy exist in the North for him, and it cam
nos be understood unless we go back for four
yesrs, and see what was taking place in dis
tant Territory of the United States, and what
part John Brown acted on that theatre.
Sir, if the people of Virginia are excited almost
to madness because conspiracy has been form
ed and an attempt made upon their sovereignty,
what do you suppose were the feelings of North
err men, whose relations and friends had gone
into far-distant Territory, and formed colonies
there, weak and feeble, scattered through will
detpess; when it was the deliberate purpose Of a
great, powerful, and almost all-pervadng party,
to drive them out or to coerce them to subscribe
to opinions and institutions which they abhorred
from the bottom of their souls2 Many were
murdered in cold blood, and others were driven
out and their property destroyed. They ap-
peeled to Congress; but they got insult instead
of sympathy. When ! state this, state what
know. Ny blood boiled then, in view of the OPP
preston and tyranny that sacrificed that Terri
tory. / need not go through all the volume of
testimony on that subject speak by the book.
One hundred witnesses attest the truth of every
60 down to posterity, and it will show the dam
ming fact that this Government did, at least, con-
niye at the acts of great bands of conspirators,
who, arming themselves lawlessly with arms of
the Federal Government, invaded a peaceable
Territory; took possession of the ballot boxes !;
drove its people from the polls; expelled them
from their possessions; exercised acts of tyranny
over them; deprived them of every right and
in great many instances, murdered them ruth
lesely in cold blood.
Bat sir, that was great way off; it was in
Territory of this Union. 1t was not every man
on this floor who had friends there exposed to
those attacks, and hence they did not create the
same excitement that is created when the inva-
sioe comes nearer home. But declare here in
my'place that, in my judgment, the only differ
ence between the two cases is this that in the
cass of Kansas the invasion was made with no
othaE purpose than to fix Slavery there at all
hazards and by force of arms, while John Brown
anG his men, with like unlawful purpose, I'M
dersook to extirpate Slavery from the State of
Virginia.
The Free-State men of Kansas got no consola-
tioE from this Government. l remember we'll
when their petitions came in here, asking for re-
dress, and remember that Senator stood forth
in his place and said: "We will subdue you /;
you are traitors; we will hang every man of you; ;
this Government has proved itself the strongest
Government under heaven to protect the civil
rights of men, and now want to see how strong
it is TO punish traitors" That was the language
dealt out to the citizens of that Territory when
they appealed to us for redress Understand me-
sir do not go back to the history of Kansas
for the purpose of justifying John Brown and his
crev.in their invasion Of Virginia, but in order
to show you why it is that the men of the free
STATES, to some considerable extent, do sympa-
thize with this old hero. In the darkest hour of
Kansas, when the rights of the Free-State men
We're imperilled, when their men were murdered
in cold blood, Several of whom were from the
Sta;e of Ohio,) when every thing looked dark and
gloomy there, and when your Government failed
to iqterpose its strong arm in their behalf, then
it was that John Brown appeared upon the stage
of action. Aiming himself as well as he might
he commenced to do that Justice to himself and
his fellows that the Government had denied, and
he Gid it with a heroism and a determination that
theB mot only challenged the admiration of his
friends, but even the respect of HIS enemies. He
went.forward with hrmness and determination
that carried terror into the hearts of the Border
Ruf6ans, and he hurled them from the Territory,
and. really conquered peace.
Now, sir, in order to understand Northern
sentiment it is necessary fully to appreciate the
feelings of those men whose friends were strick-
en- down in that defenceless Territory. John
Brown was their champion. He carried himself
through those scenes nobly, to the acceptance of
all and the admiration of all and there it was
as has been often said here, that he learned the
art Of war. Undoubtedly, sir, that raid was the
parert of this. 1t is true, John Brown lost two
of his sons there; they were murdered in cold
blood before his eyes, literally hewed to pieces
andS believe that he was maddened by the
scenes through which he passed ia Kansas, be-
cause do not believe that any sane man on
earth would have undertaken the enterprise that
he undertook at Harper's Ferry.
Well sir, he marched upon Harper's Ferry /;
he cOaspired against a great sovereign State to
overthrow its institutions; and say to the SEN
ate--though l shall get no more credit for it
than my fellow Senators who have preceded me
have@-that l do not sympathize with or APP
prove the act John Brown resided, for long
time, not a great way from that portion of the
country from which come. He was always re-
puted among the most honest and upright men
in tkst community. There was nothing against
his claracter. He was known to be a brave
generous, disinterested man, the admiration of
all that knew him, even before he passed through
thosa-scenes in Kansas. He proceeded upon this
lawleys mission, and suppose the idea entered
his head while he was in Kansas indeed, saw
1t stJsed In the papers that there it was that he
founfRhis associates there it was that he con-
ceivgs the idea of invading the Southern States,
and rfnancipating their slaves. From there, he
went to Canada, and in Canada he made that
famSGs Constitution, or form of Government,
WHICH, in his crazy mind he conceived was to
suPetsede all others. But, Mr. President, mr.
MAso' In the chair, you must bear me witness
that ne bore himself, among the disastrous
scen,g of this unwarrantable enterprise. with
that Fame calmness, with that same sublime
heroisn and Indifference to fate, that had char
acteri2ed the man on all other occasions have
heard even those whose territory he invaded
speak of him as man who challenged their adj
al how