Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-06-30

The John Brow HnId.-The July
number of "rhe Century" contains an
interesting account Of 'the John Brown
Raid" ty Col. A. X. BOteler, which we
would be glad to republish i'm full il we
had space for il I'm our paper. As it is we
can give our readers only the introduction
Of the article. In which the poin: is made
and proved by radical authorities that the
late civil war WAS begun by the abolition
lists, SO that the Southern PEOPLE were
forced to act on tie defensive for the pres
ervation of their property and the protec-
tion of their homes. The introduction
referred to is rs follows:
Storcr College, at lIarper's Ferry, West
Virginia, flourishing institution ''for the
education Of colorcd youth OF both sexes"
owes its existence To the philanthropic
gentleman OF New England whose name
it has taken. At its fourteenth annual
commencement OH Hay 30, 1881, Frederick
Douglass, who Is undoubtedly the most
gifted orator of his race, delivered a eulO-
CYSTIC address on old John Brown. In
which he claimed for him "the honor" of
having originated the war between the
Northern and Southern sections of our
Union, summing up his conclusions on
this point in the following expressive
language: off" said he. "John Brown
did not end the war that ended slavery,
he did, at least, begin the war that ended
slavery. IL we look over the dates, places
and men for which this honor is claimed,
We shall find not Carolina, but Virginia-
not Fort Sumter, but Ilarper's Ferry and
the arsenal-not Major Anderson. but
John Brown began the war that ended
American slavery, and made this 4 free
republic. Until this blow was struck the
prospect for freedom WAS dim, shadowy,
and uncertain. The iFrepressiblc conflict
was one of words, votes and compromises.
When John Brown stretched forth his
arm the sky was cleared-the time for
compromises was gone-the armed hosts
Of freedom stood face To face over the
chasm of broken Union, and the clash
of arms WAS at hand"
These words, uttered with an emphasis
belonging To u strong conviction OF their
truth, will be accepted by the public rs
an authentic but somewhat tardy confess
sion Of one who, as II confidential coadju-
tor of Brown in his conspiracy against the
South, Is understood to have been fully
acquainted with his plans and purposes;
and the avowal thus frankly made by him
is sufficiently confirmed by the contempo-
raneous facts to which it refers. For,
when complete and impartial history of
our late civil war shall be written, it will
be seen that the "John Brown Raid" at
Harper's Ferry, in the latter part of 1859,
was indeed the beginning Of actual hos
tilities in the Southern States; that then
and there the first shot was fired and the
first blood was shed-the blood of al un-
offending free negro, foully murdered
while in the faithful discharge of his
duty. IL will be further seen that theu
ure Of public property the first attempt
to 'hold, occupy and possess" n military
post Of the government; the first outrage
perpetrated on the old flag; the first armed
resistance to national troops; the first
organized effort to establish provisional
government at the South in opposition to
that of the United States the first overt
movements to subvert the authority of the
constitution and to destroy the integrity
of the Union.
Looked at In the light of subsequent
events these facts, with their antecedent
and attendant circumstances, are so sig
niticant that few now can fail to see and
none need hesitate to say that "the abOli-
ton affair at Harper's Ferry" In the fall
of 80, was an appropriate prelude to that
gigantic war which was so soon TO follow
1t, and which, conducted on scale COM
mensurate with the magnitude of the
work to be accomplished, effectually COM
pieted what old John Brown so fatally
began-a work concerning which the
friends OF Brown now boast that "Lincoln
with his prOclamations, Grant and Sher-
man with their armies, and Sumner with
his constitutional amendments, did little
more than follow in the path which
Brown had pointed out" F. b. Sanborn
in "Atlantic Monthly" April, 1881 But
whatever difference of opinion yet exists
as to who fired the first hostile gun In the
South-John Brown or General Beaure-
gard-one thing is certain: If it had not
been for q comparatively small class Of
factious and implacable politicians in both
sections-the abolitionists OF the North
and the secessiOnists per 80 Of the South
there would have been no fratricidal civil
war, especially If it had depended on the
aforesaid extremists TO go to the front and
do the fighting. But it is enough for us
to know what was actually done during
maddened and misguided epoch and what
our obvious duty is in these improving
times of re-established peace, and, it is to
be hoped, restored fraternity.
Passing by the question, then, as to
whether the IIarper's Ferry outbreak WAS
ga legitimate consequence Of the teach
ings of the Republican party" as WAS
claimed at the time of its occurrence by
some Of the prominent leaders Of that
party; disregar,ling also the kindred in
quiry as TO whether the forciblc extinction
OF slavery in the South Was the logical
contamination of u foregone conclusion
in the North. where it had long been
lsbOred for by 4 constantly increasing
faction, who. protesting to be governed
In their political action by "highcr law"