the anti-slavery crusade-第28节

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rsons　were　slain　and　that　two　million　dollars'　worth　of　property　was　destroyed。　During　this　period　of　civil　war　the　members　of　the　Brown　family　were　not　much　in　evidence。　John　Brown；　Junior；　captain　of　the　Osawatomie　Rifles；　was　a　political　prisoner　at　Topeka。　Swift　destruction　of　their　property　was　visited　upon　all　those　members　who　were　suspected　of　having　a　share　in　the　Pottawatomie　murders；　and　their　houses　were　burned　and　their　other　property　was　seized。　Warrants　were　out　for　the　arrest　of　the　elder　Brown　and　his　sons。　Captain　Pate　who；　in　command　of　a　small　troop；　was　in　pursuit　of　Brown　and　his　company；　was　surprised　at　Black　Jack　in　the　early　morning　and　induced　to　surrender。　Brown　thus　gained　control　of　a　number　of　horses　and　other　supplies　and　began　to　arrange　terms　for　the　exchange　of　his　son　and　Captain　Pate　as　prisoners　of　war。　The　negotiations　were　interrupted；　however；　by　the　arrival　of　Colonel　Sumner　with　United　States　troops；　who　restored　the　horses　and　other　booty　and　disbanded　all　the　troops。　With　the　Colonel　was　a　deputy　marshal　with　warrants　for　the　arrest　of　the　Browns。　When　ordered　to　proceed　with　his　duty；　however；　the　marshal　was　so　overawed　that；　even　though　a　federal　officer　was　present；　he　merely　remarked；　〃I　do　not　recognize　any　one　for　whom　I　have　warrants。〃　After　the　capture　of　Captain　Pate　at　Black　Jack　early　in　June；　little　is　known　about　Brown　and　his　troops　for　two　months。　Apart　from　an　encounter　of　opposing　forces　near　Osawatomie　in　which　he　and　his　band　were　engaged；　Brown　took　no　share　in　the　open　fighting　between　the　organized　companies　of　opposing　forces；　and　his　part　in　the　irregular　guerrilla　warfare　of　the　period　is　uncertain。　Towards　the　close　of　the　war　one　of　his　sons　was　shot　by　a　preacher　who　alleged　that　he　had　been　robbed　by　the　Browns。　After　peace　had　been　restored　to　Kansas　by　the　vigorous　action　of　Governor　Geary；　Brown　left　the　scene　and　never　again　took　an　active　part　in　the　local　affairs　of　the　Territory。　John　Brown's　influence　upon　the　course　of　affairs　in　Kansas；　like　William　Lloyd　Garrison's　upon　the　general　anti…slavery　movement　of　the　country；　has　been　greatly　misunderstood　and　exaggerated。　Brown's　object　and　intention　were　fundamentally　contradictory　to　those　of　the　freestate　settlers。　They　strove　to　build　a　free　commonwealth　by　legal　and　constitutional　methods。　He　strove　to　inaugurate　a　revolution　which　would　extend　to　all　pro…slavery　States　and　result　in　universal　emancipation。　John　Brown　was　in　Kansas　only　one　year；　and　he　never　made　himself　at　one　with　those　who　should　have　been　his　fellow…workers　but　went　his　solitary　way。　Only　in　three　instances　did　he　pretend　to　cooperate　with　the　regular　freestate　forces。　He　could　not　work　with　them　because　his　conception　of　the　means　to　be　adopted　to　attain　the　end　was　different　from　theirs。　Probably　before　he　left　the　Territory　in　1856；　he　had　realized　that　his　work　in　Kansas　was　a　failure　and　that　the　law…and…order　forces　were　too　strong　for　the　execution　of　his　plans。　Certain　it　is　that　within　a　few　weeks　after　his　departure　he　had　transferred　the　field　of　his　operations　to　the　mountains　of　Virginia。　Kansas　became　free　through　the　persistent　determination　of　the　rank　and　file　of　Northern　settlers　under　the　wise　leadership　of　Governor　Robinson。　It　is　difficult　to　determine　whether　the　cause　of　Kansas　was　aided　or　hindered　by　the　advent　of　John　Brown　and　the　adventurers　with　whom　his　name　became　associated。　During　the　fall　of　1856　and　until　the　late　summer　of　1857　Brown　was　in　the　East　raising　funds　for　the　redemption　of　Kansas　and　for　the　reimbursement　of　those　who　had　incurred　or　were　likely　to　incur　losses　in　defense　of　the　cause。　For　the　equipment　of　a　troop　of　soldiers　under　his　own　command　he　formulated　plans　for　raising　30；000　by　private　subscription；　and　in　this　he　was　to　a　considerable　extent　successful。　It　can　never　be　known　how　much　was　given　in　this　way　to　Brown　for　the　equipment　of　his　army　of　liberation。　It　is　estimated　that　George　L。　Stearns　alone　gave　in　all　fully　10；000。　Because　Eastern　abolitionists　had　lost　confidence　in　Robinson's　leadership；　they　lent　a　willing　ear　to　the　plea　that　Captain　Brown　with　a　well…equipped　and　trained　company　of　soldiers　was　the　last　hope　for　checking　the　enemy。　Not　only　would　Kansas　become　a　slave　State　without　such　help；　it　was　said；　but　the　institution　of　slavery　would　spread　into　all　the　Territories　and　become　invincible。　The　money　was　given　to　Brown　to　redeem　Kansas；　but　he　had　developed　an　alternative　plan。　Early　in　the　year　1857；　he　met　in　New　York　Colonel　Hugh　Forbes；　a　soldier　of　fortune　who　had　seen　service　with　Garibaldi　in　Italy。　They　discussed　general　plans　for　an　aggressive　attack　upon　the　South　for　the　liberation　of　the　slaves；　and　with　these　plans　the　needs　of　Kansas　had　little　or　no　connection。　〃Kansas　was　to　be　a　prologue　to　the　real　drama；〃　writes　his　latest　biographer；　〃the　properties　of　the　one　were　to　serve　in　the　other。〃　In　April　six　months'　salary　was　advanced　out　of　the　Kansas　fund　to　Forbes；　who　was　employed　at　a　hundred　dollars　a　month　to　aid　in　the　execution　of　their　plans。　Another　significant　expenditure　of　the　Kansas　fund　was　in　pursuance　of　a　contract　with　a　Mr。　Blair；　a　Connecticut　manufacturer；　to　furnish　at　a　dollar　each　one　thousand　pikes。　Though　the　contract　was　dated　March　80；　1857；　it　was　not　completed　until　the　fall　of　1859；　when　the　weapons　were　delivered　to　Brown　in　Pennsylvania　for　use　at　Harper's　Ferry。　Instead　of　rushing　to　the　relief　of　Kansas；　as　contributors　had　expected；　the　leader　exercised　remarkable　deliberation。　When　August　arrived；　it　found　him　only　as　far　as　Tabor；　Iowa；　where　a　considerable　quantity　of　arms　had　been　previously　assembled。　Here　he　was　joined　by　Colonel　Forbes；　and　together　they　organized　a　school　of　military　tactics　with　Forbes　as　instructor。　But　as　Forbes　could　find　no　one　but　Brown　and　his　son　to　drill；　he　soon　returned　to　the　East；　still　trusted　by　Brown　as　a　co…worker。　It　would　seem　that　Forbes　himself　wished　to　play　the　chief　part　in　the　liberation　of　America。　While　he　was　at　Tabor；　Brown　was　urged　by　Lane　and　other　former　associates　of　his　in　Kansas　to　come　to　their　relief　with　all　his　forces。　There　had；　indeed；　been　a　full　year　of　peace　since　Geary's　arrival；　but　early　in　October　there　was　to　occur　the　election　of　a　territorial　Legislature　in　which　the　free…state　forces　had　agreed　to　participate；　and　Lane　feared　an　invasion　from　Missouri。　But　although　the　appeal　was　not　effective；　the　election　proved　a　complete　triumph　for　the　North。　Late　in　October；　after　the　signal　victory　of　the　law…and…order　party　at　the　election；　Brown　was　again　urged　with　even　greater　insistence　to　muster　all　his　forces　and　come　to　Kansas；　and　there　were　hints　in　Lane's　letter　that　an　aggressive　campaign　was　afoot　to　rid　the　Territory　of　the　enemy。　Instead　of　going　in　force；　however；　Brown　stole　into　the　Territory　alone。　On　his　arrival；　two　days　after　the　date　set　for　a　decisive　council　of　the　revolutionary　faction；　he　did　not　make　himself　known　to　Governor　Robinson　or　to　any　of　his　party　but　persuaded　several　of　his　former　associates　to　join　his　〃school〃　in　Iowa。　From　Tabor　he　subsequently　transferred　the　school　to　Springdale；　a　quiet　Quaker　community　in　Cedar　County；　Iowa；　seven　miles　from　any　railway　station。　Here　the　company　went　into　winter　quarters　and　spent　the　time　in　rigid　drill　in　preparation　for　the　campaign　of　liberation　which　they　expected　to　undertake　the　following　season。　While　he　was　at　Tabor；　Brown　began　to　intimate　to　his　Eastern　friends　that　he　had　other　and　different　plans　for　the　promotion　of　the　general　cause。　In　January；　1858；　he　went　East　with　the　definite　intention　of　obtaining　additional　support　for　the　greater　scheme。　On　February　22；　1858；　at　the　home　of　Gerrit　Smith　in　New　York；　there　was　held　a　council　at　which　Brown　definitely　outlined　his　purpose　to　begin　operations　at　some　point　in　the　mountains　of　Virginia。　Smith　and　Sanborn　at　first　tried　to　dissuade　him；　but　finally　consented　to　cooperate。　The　secret　was　carefully　guarded：　some　half…dozen　Eastern　friends　were　apprised　of　it；　including　Stearns；　their　most　liberal　contributor；　and　two　or　three　friends　at　Springdale。　As　early　as　December；　1857；　Forbes　began　to　write　mysterious　letters　to　Sanborn；　Stearns；　and　others　of　the　circle；　in　which　he　complained　of　ill…usage　at　the　hands　of　Brown。　It　appears　that　Forbes　erroneously　assumed　that　the　Boston　friends　were　aware　of　Brown's　contract　with　him　and　of　his　plans　for　the　attack　upon　Virginia；　but；　since　they　were　entirely　ignorant　on　both　points；　the　correspondence　was　conducted　at　cross…purposes　for　several　months。　Finally；　early　in　May；　1858；　it　transpired　that　Forbes　had　all　the　time　been　fully　informed　of　Brown's　intentions　to　begin　the　effort　for　emancipation　in　Virginia。　Not　only　so；　but　he　had　given　detailed　information　on　the　subject　to　Senators　Sumner；　Seward；　Hale；　Wilson；　and　possibly　others。　Senator　Wilson　was　told　that　the　arms　purchased　by　the　New　England　Aid　Society　for　use　in　Kansas　were　to　be　used　by　Brown　for　an　attack　on　Virginia。　Wilson；　in　entire　ignorance　of　Brown's　plans；　demanded　that　the　Aid　Society　be　effectively　protected　against　any　such　charge　of　betrayal　of　trust。　The　officers　of