New-York tribune., 1878-03-23


Feb 23 1873.
Tho Hon. JoHS COcHEAXr. Nor-l York City:
DEAR SIR: have your favor of the 12th inst. in
which YOU say:
Mr. Horace white. formerly Editor OF The hiea9o Trib-
une, published In TnE NEW -loEK TRIBUNE that John
Hrovu ir and Frederick Douglass swOrc 10 Gcrrit
smiths Intimate and ucrfcct knowledge Of John Browns
plans IIarpcs Ferry and ms associnng with
Brown IN the preparation aud promotion Of those plans
as an adviser and contributor Of money thereto the same
being general nsurrcction OF slaves. accompanied by
violence and blOOdshci and not contriyancc 10
assist slaves 10 escape from bondage
You say also that Frederick Douglass whites you
as follows
Ilavc not seen tie letter of Mr. Horace White and do
not know what he may have drawn from my
deposition made pending prosecution for libel against
that said nothing in that deposition to prove that Mr..
Smith had fd know ledge of the plans ana purposes Of
Cantain Brown This deposition, as all know was el
nGrfe and that simply answered questions that were
put by side, and that The side desirons Of x-
per- Ferry raid That Mr.. Douglass further adds lie
asked your father at his D) house In Rochester In the
Snrn oi 80 If he had mllv explained his plans and
purposes GerrIt smith, ana got from him the reply
that had not; and because hc was afraii that Mr..
away from him.
You ask me to state "whoiher my testimony re-
ferrcd to by Mr.. White suclas he described il to
have been, or whether he is not mistaken as to my
testimony as Mr. Douglass says he is as TO his. and
you ask me to write you fully on this point at once"
In reply would say that my testimony referred
to was made rs a deposition about ten years ago.
before United States Commissioner COggswell Of
Sandusky, Ohio and though the evidence was
er pa,te, ] do not think il contained statements
which would have been essentially modified by a
ross-exalnination. Mr.. White. in recent letter
TO Mr. O. B. FrOthiDgham. as published in
The Chicaqo Tribune of the 18Th inst says
that n copy of nv testimony is i'll his possession"
If Mr.. White has true copy Of my deposition, he
a., n, tI,.,cn
TO make it public if he thinks proper. This would
be better than for me, after much time has
elapsed, to attempt to reproduce my statements
made then.
Mr. White in his letter to Mr.. rockingham, inad-
ycrtenty makes me say in some respects more than
have ever intended 10 Affirm viz. Gerrt Smiths
intimate and perfect knowledge Of John Browns
plans al Harpe,'s Ferry, the same being general
insurrection of slaves" etc.
GENERAL PLANS AND SPECIAL ONES.
That clear conception of this whole matter may
be had, ii seems to me important that line of dis
tincton should be drawn between my fathers
oeural purposes and plans TO effect the overthrow of
slavery and that particular outbreak al Haipers Ferry.
That single fact thc attack at Iapers Ferry is al
WAYS assumed by the public mind to be the complete
exponent of his general purpose whereas. ii should
stand in the public estimate only rs single fact.
indicating his general purpose no more, perhaps,
than does single mountain peak give an
idea of the general direction of mountain
chain His invasion of Missouri in the Winter
of 1858, and forcibly bcratng eleven slaves which
he afterward removed to Canada. because he could
not. as he was then situated, afford them adequate
protection in the United States, gives, rs a single
fact. better key to his plans and purposes.
The attack at Harpers Ferry was, in effect. max
ing war against the United States; and while 1t IN
mart expressed his designs 1t alone stands for more
than his general purpose. That general purpose
was. 10 make slare-holding such dangerous and un-
profitable business that ii could ultimately DC abandoned
by shareholders Themselves as measure Of se.-pro'ec
ton.