The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-02-23
From the Detroit Post.l
HARPER'S FERRY.
The Secret History of John Browns
Raid.

Raid.
Brown and five of his men arrived in
Detroit with fourteen slaves from Missouri,
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 In Windsor. BY a strange coinci-
dence, Fred Douglass happened to be lee
turing IN this city the same evening that
Brown arrived After the lecture the lead
ers of the insuTectionary movement got
together IN the house of VIM. Webb, on
Congress street, near Antoine 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 colored peo-
pie of Detroit and Chatham were also pres
ent at the meeting. Douglass objected to
Browns plan, which originally was to
make raids on single plantations until he
had collected force Of about J, 900 slaves,
and then swoop down ON the larger towns
and cities, collecting force and material as
he progressed. Brown grew wrathy, and
asked Douglass if he was a coward, and re-
terred to his success in Kansas as an augu-
ry OF the Virginia campaign. Douglass re-
Piled that he was not 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 largest
churches in the South would be blown up
on fixed Sunday. Brown objected to
this plan on the score of humanity, assert
ing that by his plan not hundred lives
would be lost his intention being not to
shed blood unless it became absolutely nee
essary. De Baptiste still urged radical
measures. declaring that Browns plan
would fail, and perhaps cause the loss of q
million of lives before the troubles likely to
ensue would be ended He cited in sup
port of his position the fact that the Nat
Turner insurrection, In 1881, by which fif-
ty-three white lives were lost, had had the
effect of causing the next Virginia Legisla-
ture to consider a bill for the gradual
emancipation of the slaves, which bill vas
lost by only two votes.
0ssawatomie's counsel finally prevailed,
and the only favor, besides money and ad-
vice, that he asked of his Detroit friends
was to furnish him one man, which they
did-a Chathamite. The news Of the dis
turbance at Harpers Ferry, which took the
nation with so much surprise, vas perfect
ly well understood by the colqfed people Of
this city. They were anticipating the event
since one Foster had divulged in Washing
ton the plans of Brown, who, in conse-
| quence, was obliged either to abandon his
enterprise or precipitate matters, even al
fearful odds. He choose the latter alter
native.
The sequel is sufficiently well known
These facts, however, have been kept with
sworn secrecy, until lately, by the cOloroC
men of Detroit The particulars have new
er been published 1t may be only neces
sary to add that subsequent to the meet
ing at Webb's house, on Congress street, {
meeting was held in Chatham, at which
the 'cap sheaf' was put on the plan Nov
that the negroes are equal, politically, be-
fore the law, they have no fear in letting
their connection with this affair be known
They glory in it.