The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-02-22
from the Detroit. Postl
MARE'ER'S FERRY.
The Secret History 0fJno. Browns
Raid.


Brown and five of his men arrived in
Detroit with fourteen slaves from Miss
ouri, in the summer of 1858. One of
the slaves gave birth to a male child on
the way. The boy was named John
Brown, and now lives III Windsor. By
a strange coincidence, Fred Douglass
happened to be lecturing in this city the
same evening that Brown arrived. After
the lecture the leaders Of the insurrec.
tionary movement got together in the
house Of WIN. Webb,on Congress street,
and arranged the plan for the raid on
the South, which broke out prematurely
at Harper's Ferry.
Mr.. Webb was for years manager Of
the plug tobacco factory on Jefferson
avenue. He is now dead. The leading
colorcd people of Detroit and Chatham
were also present at the meeting, Doug
lass objected to Browns plan, which
originally was to make raids on single
plan, cations until he had collected force
of about LOCO slaves, and then swoop
down on the larger towns and cities, col
lecting force and material as he prog
ressed. Brown grew wrathy, and asked
Douglass if he was coward, and refer
red to his successes in Kansas as an au-
gury of the Virginia campaign. Doug
lass replied that he was not a coward,
and would give material aid to the plan
if he did not approve of it, or did not
go himself
George De Baptiste also disapproved
of the plan, but proposed gunpowder
plot, by which some fifteen of the larg-
est churches in the South would be blown
up on fixed Sunday. Brown objected
to that plan on the score of humanity,
asserting that by his plan not hundred
lives would be lost, his intention being
not to. shed blood unless it became alb
solutely necessary. De Baptiste still ur-
ged radical measures, declaring that
Brown plan would fml, and perhaps
cause the loss Of a million of lives be-
fore the troubles likely to ensue would
be ended. He cited in support of his
position the fact that the Nat Turner in
surrection, in 1881, by which fitty-three
white lives were lost, had had the effect
of causing the next Virginia Legislature
to consider bill for the gradual eman-
cipation of the slaves, which bill was
lost by only two votes.
Ossawatomie' counsel finally prevail
ed, and the only favor, beside money and
advice, that he asked of his Detroit
friends, was TO furnish him one man,
which they did-a Chathamite. The
news of the disturbance at Harper's
Ferry, which took the nation with SO
much surprise, was perfectly well under
stood by the colored people of this city.
They were anticipating the event, since
one Foster had divulged in Washington
the plans of Brown, pin consequence
was obliged to either abandon his enter.
prise or precipitate matters, even at fear
ful odds. He choose the latter alterna-
tive.
The sequel is sufficiently well known
These facts;~ however, have been kept
with sworn secrecy, until lately, by the
colored men of Detroit. The partieu
lars have never been published. 1t may
be only necessary to add that subsequent
to the meeting at Webb's house.or Con
gress street, meeting was held in
Chatham, at which the ''cap sheaf was
put on the plan. Now that the negroes
are equal, politically, before the law, they
have no fear in letting their connection
with this affair be known. They. glory
in it.