Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-09-03

Gerritt Smith writes long letter,
in which he denies that he knew any
thing of. john Browns invasion
scheme. He also relates some inter.
esting circumstances ingard to that
old hero. Mr.. Smith then says:
"John Brown talked with me
but he never counseled with me-
respecting his plans for freeing slaves
Then too, for reasons, which he men,
toned to some of his friends, he did
not feel at liberty to tell me-, as he
did to tell others, the details of these
plans. But learned enough of them
10 believe that, in addition to his for.
mer ways of helping off slaves, he
meant to go into mountain of a
slave state, and invite slaves to fol-
low him, and to give them arms to
resist attempts at their rccapture. |
cofess that, with all my leanings to
'non-resistance, did not object to
this use Of arms.
Brown left Peterboro April IA,
1909, and never returned to it.
never again saw him, and never again
had any communication with him.
direct or indirect, touching his plans
or movements. His only letter TO
me after that time was a few lines
respecting his inability to obtain the
payment OF note had given him.
This note for $3.50 was against one OF
his old friends and fellow laborers in
Kansas. For months after l receiv
that letter was at q loss to know
where he was. When he left Peterboro
he had not yet decided whether to
go into an Eastern or Western slave
| state.
think il was in August that |
learned in some indirect way perhaps
from mere rumor-that Brown was
in Chambersburg. In similar way
l learned, only very few weeks
perhaps only very few days, before
his descent upon Hsrpor's Ferry
that Brown had gone into slave
state. we'll remember looking int
IN atlas to see what mountain OF
mountains he had probably gone to
l hoped that the next news would bs
tho welcome one of stampede o.
slaves. But, instead of that, it wa,
the painful news Of the Harper.
Ferry affair. had not myself tn,
slightest knowledge nor information
of Browns intended invasion of Har
per's Forty; and when | saw thai
George l.. Stearns, of Boston, testi-
fed before the Senate Committe tina,
he, too, know nothing of that intend
ed invasion, | questioned whether !
single person in all the North knew
anything of it. Indeed, not one per
son testified before the Committee
that he knew augbt of the intended
invasion. Nor was this universal
ignorance in the matter in the leasr
degree strange, for it turns out thai
it WAS only very few weeks befor.
his descent upon Harper's Ferry that
Brown had decided upon it. By tn.
way, Brown himself, AZ was re-
ported, expressed deep regret at thi'
change in his plans.
Let me say that | cast no blam,
on any one for surprising that | haC
a full knowledge OF Browns PLAN
and his changes in them. That
had is, | admit, not very unreason
able inference from the intimate re
lations, both of business and friend
ship, existing between us. Never
theless, so it is, that had but par
tial knowledge of these plans, ant
not the least knowledge of his ex-
changing or abandoning them TO
others. Right here, too, let me say
that do not feel myself at all dis
honored by the coupling of my nam,
with any of Browns endeavois fo
tho liberation for the slave. Evel
where truth forbids the coupling, re
gard for my reputation does not for
bid it. The more the public identife
me with John Brown, the more i
honors me"