The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-07

sss II III easss aushosissd - taks sahsstp
1scns ~ ~ Daily. Sunday snd Weekly
PesT-InrEasaEScxn
sEA1ELE. AOxDAI. MY 2.
~ UsSOarUsArs ILLUSTRATION.
Certain newspapers Of Popaiiss tings
stnpsdiy v1poT about the Coxeyits move
msns being ON plane With the raid Of
John Brown upon Harpsr's Ferry. In
one ssnss these newspapers are right:
JOHN Brown. without any rsfsrencs 70 the
philanthropy Of has Intentions, was. I'M
der the American constitution and laws.
N anarehist; he vas doubtless . man Of
dsranged mind: that at least. Was the
visv Of Gov. Andrew. OF Massachusetts.
snd II Theodore Parker, both radical anti
slavery men. working on constitutional
lines against tho increase Of slave territory
and agsinst the aggrsndisemsnt Of the
slave power
When Brown msde his crazy raid on
Hsepsrs Ferry Gov. Andrsw and Thso-
dors Parker. who knew him Intimately,
suppressed ths opinion that his brain had
bssn impaired BY the loss Of his sous. who
bed bssn killed BY the border rufians"
h the Kansas free stats var. and that he
vas 'olI his base. - ell men are who un-
dsstaks 10 upset the laws Of the land by
committing the so-caiIsd higher law" Of
their own vssionary desires.
BFown Of course believed that Lovejoy,
murdered ~ Alton, H., by rufhaniy pro-
slavery mob. was hero and martyr.
and % be VS.. for Loveioy died defending
his constitutional right to free speech;
the mob q Alton invoked the higher
Law" Of thsis own wishes and murdered
Lovsjoy. who Was simply defending his
legal and constitutional rights. Lovejoy
We not a anarchist: he was . iaw-abid-
ing citixsn; the mob that murdered him
killed ham In contempt and defiance Of
Law. And yet Brown led . small band OF
land pirates 10 capture the United States
arsenal % Harper's Ferry. intending TO
rouse the slaves to instruction.
Brown made war upon the govern ment,
captured its property. killed and wounded
ssvsrsl persons. wss finally captured by
United States soldiers, turned over 70 the
state Of Virginia for trial. and suffered
death.
Granting his sanity. his life was Justly
forfeited and the state Of Virginia cannot
Be- blamed for treating him - . pirate.
Once lay down the principle that every
dissatisded man In America may rspudi-
Ate the ballot box and undertake With
bayonets to substitute his private will for
public opinion expressed through the bal.
lot boz. iegislasurss and courts, and OF
course there II IN end OF all government.
Granting ~ We do the private virtues and
phiianthropic purpose Of John Brown,
nevertheless he vas . monomani who
rssorted TO tho methods OF an anarchist
and suffered an anarchists fate.
OF his sincerity and nselfishness there
II no doubt. but IL viii not be pretended
that no was any more sincere in his hatred
OF slavery. or unsesfish IN his determine
ton 10 oppose IL than Lincoln or Gov.
Andrew Of MASSACHUSETTS,. bat Lincoln
and Gov. Andrew were Of entirely sane
minds and knew that slavery muss be op-
posed within constitutional and legal
lines Of agitation and action; they knew
that IL could not he upset by . riot.
The North had on the formation of the
constitution and the organisation OF the
Union recognized the right Of slavery 10
legal protection and WAS ~ much re-
spoasiole - the South for iis lease of life.
Opposition to the spread of slavery into
new territory could BE- lawfully main
tanned: plans for legislative emancipation
could be lawfully considered; but in the
meantime no sane ansi-siavsry man could
morally justify the murder Of Virginia
shareholders or any attempt 20 excite an
insarrecsion among the slaves % long A.
Ne remained enc country.
os course the moment that the election
Of an sasi-slavery president stimulated the
Scuth 10 rebel against the government
Lincoln and Andrew felt ahsoived from
any obligation ~ protect the property Of
rshsls In slaves, and. - Q war measure,
emancipation issued from the hand OF
Lincoln. The truth - that the conssi,u-
tionai agitation agains, slavery ~as ito
ruin. not the nirasicai raid Of John Brown.
The death Of Lovsioy. Who fell defending
his LEGAL rights Of free speech; the scono-
mic arguments against slavs labor: the
beating OF sumner Tor exercising his
right Of fsrs speech ana eens,isu-
tionA agitation against slavery in
the senate: the perndioas reputation Of
the Missouri eon1nromlss by she South
the attempt 10 make every Northern man
= slave hound 10 catch runaway negroes:
ell these things created slowly but steadily
thai public opinion At the NoEta which
finally elected Lincoln president 90 the
constitutional platform Of the noa-ex,en.
sion Of slavery.
This forced the haad OF the South under
lawful lines of conssi tussenl action: che
declared war. and the shos At samser. nos
the raid Of John Brown In isse. broke The
fessers al the slave.
The methods OF Lincoln and Gov. An
drew we're the methods 81 sanity; the
methods Of Brown wsrs those Of insanity,
aud the raid Ct nrosn wss ~ not the
slightest service 90 the the ants-slavsry
cause. IL hurt il rather sAsn helped IL: is
Mas not dsf<nsabie ,a lac. equity or morais.
and Il alarmed tue conservative nea -
- ssssa end Ne Asssa v Ne iAiasy q