Year: 1865

robs or steals should act from the desire
of gain. Certainly no such charge can
be made against this man, as that he was
actuated with the lust of gain. He acted
from far different motives. He sought to
give liberty to the enslaved ,and laid down
his life for that purpose-freely and
bravely did he do it,


"That is, you may steal and commit
theft if you do it in the cause of the Alb
olition Of slavery. Have we any proof
of this? What does Mrs. Wilkinson say
in her afidavit2 When John Brown and
his comrades were there on the 9th, when
they took Mr.. Wilkinson out and mur-
dered him, just before they left they took
his property and his only horse. I sup
pose they needed the horse to aid in the
emancipation of slavesl Horse stealing
is carried on to great extent sometimes
in frontier country. Mrs. Doyle states
that they inquired where their horse was,
and they were told it was out on the prai-
rie. What took place at Harper's Ferry?
They took Col. Washington's silver and
his watch. What does he admit in his
own confession? That he, during the
last winter, had stolen, had Kidnapped ,and
run off eleven slaves from the State of
| Missouri to Kansas. That is not stealing,
though; and we ought not to talk about
this old man as stealing in the common
acceptation of the term2 What is it, l
ask the country, I ask the Senate, if it is
not stoaling,if it is not highway robbery?
And yet these things are thrown out,per-
haps not intended, but they do operate as
4ho 1C of
many, for the infamy, the murders, the
| thieving, the treacherous conduct Of this
old man Brown, who was nothing more
than murderer, robber, thief; and a
traitor.


81 think, Mr.. President, that SO far as
j ohm Brown is concerned, the facts which
I have presented stand uncontroverted-
The Senator has failed to touch them. He
has not removed them, but has added
strength and additional proof to what 1
sa id in reference to them. 1t was not my
intention to consume this length of time,
and [ should not have said single word
on the subject if the resolutions could
have been adopted without discussion, and
especially SO if reference had not been
made to John Brown not being a mur-
derer and thief, involving the reputa-
tion and character of some Of the citi-
zens of my own State.


"There does seem to be providential
interposition in this affair Brown MUIR
dered Doyle and his two sons. Justice
seemed to be little tardy; but it kept
Econstantly IN pnrsuft OF us victim, anu
but short time since the man who mur-
dered Doyle and his two sons, fell vic
tim, with his two sons, at Harpers Ferry
do not say that this was a stroke of
Providence; but it was singular coinci-
dence He whose hands were red, Grim
son with the blood of father and two
sons, fell victim at Harper's Ferry, with
his own two sons. 1t seems that Divine
Providence intended it as rebuke, an
illustration that justice will not enly over
take its victim, but will mete out justice
in similar manner.


81 think, MIR. President, that / have
shown the tendency of the policy to which
I have called attention. Whether it has
been designated at all times By those whe
preached it or not, shall not undertake
to say, but 1 will say that the effect o.
that kind of teaching has been the result
which is so evident; and want to say il
no spirit of boasting, to my friends East
and West, North and South, that the time
has arrived when encroachments on the
institutions of the South should cease
the time has arrived when we have vel
nigh done making appeals to you on the
subject; but all we ask of you is, that, az
brothers of the same great Confederacy
you will understand and carry out the
Constitution as it is, and let us cease thi:
pickering. Let US cease this agitation
and stand upon the Constitution as tn,
common altar, and maintain all its guar
antees, and swear by our fathers and thu
God who made US, that the Constitution
and its guarantees shall be preserved; and
in doing so, we shall preserve the Union
and, in preserving the Union, we shall
have peace and harmony, and the unex
ampled prosperity which has visited ou
country will continue to go on"