Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-02-21
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY q.

Tur IoHN Brown RA1D.-SEcRET History
or rEAr MEMoRABLE EVENT. From the De.
troit Post. Feb 71-Brown and i've of his men
arrived In Detroit With fourteen slaves from
Missouri in the summer Of 1858. One OF the
slaves gave birth to male child on the way,
The boy was named John Brown. and now liv es
in Windsor. BY strange coincidence, Fred.
Douglass happened to be lecturing in this city
the same evening that Brown arrived. After
the lecture the leaders of the insurrectionary
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 liar
per's Ferry. Mr.. Webb was for years manager
OF the plug tobacco factory on Jefferson avenue
and was highly respected man. tie IS now
dead. The leading colored people OF Detroit
and Chatham were also present ut tile meeting
Douglass objected to Browns plan, winch orig
insly was to make raids on single plantations
until he had collected force of about 1000
slaves, and then swoop down on the large towns
and cities, collecting force and materia! as he
progressed Brown grew wrathy, and asked
Douglass if he was coward, and referred to
his successes in Kansas Us an auRury OF the
Virginia campaign. Douglass replied that he
was net coward, aud would give material aid
to the plan if be did not approve OF it, or did
not 20 himself. George De Baptiste also
disapproved of the plan, but proposed gun
powder plot, by which some fifteen OF the
largest 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 I'M
less it became absolutely necessary. DE Bap-
tiste still urged radica measures, declaring that
Browns plan would tail and perhaps cause the
loss of million of lives before the troubles
likely to ensue would be ended. ne cited in
support of his position the fact that the Nat
Turner instruction in 1881, by which fifty
three white lives were lost. had had the effect
of causing tho next Virginia Legislature to
consider bill for the gradual emancipation OF
the slaves, which bill was lost by only two
votes.
Ossawatomie's counsel finally prevailed, and
the only favor besides 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 30 much
surprise, was perfectly we'll understood by the
colored people of this city. They were antici-
psting the event, since one Foster had dlvulg
ed in Washington the plans of Brown who, in
consequence, was obliged either to abandon
his enterprise or precipitate matters. even il
at fearful odds. He chose the latter altcrna'
tive.
The sequel is sufficiently well known. These
facts, however, have been kept with sworn Sc
erecy until lately by the coiored men Of Detroit.
The particulars have never been published. 1t
may be only necessary to add that subsequent
to the meeting at Webb's house, on Congress
street, a meeting was held in Chatham. at
which the ''cap sheaf" was put on the plan
Now that the blacks are equal politically be-
tore the law, they have no fear in letting their
connection with this affair be known. They
vlOry in If