the anti-slavery crusade-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　Aid　Society　be　effectively　protected　against　any　such　charge　of　betrayal　of　trust。　The　officers　of　the　Society　were；　in　fact；　aware　that　the　arms　which　had　been　purchased　with　Society　funds　the　year　before　and　shipped　to　Tabor；　Iowa；　had　been　placed　in　Brown's　hands　and　that；　without　their　consent；　those　arms　had　been　shipped　to　Ohio　and　just　at　that　time　were　on　the　point　of　being　transported　to　Virginia。　This　knowledge　placed　the　officers　of　the　New　England　Aid　Society　in　a　most　awkward　position。　Stearns；　the　treasurer；　had　advanced　large　sums　to　meet　pressing　needs　during　the　starvation　times　in　Kansas　in　1857。　Now　the　arms　in　Brown's　possession　were；　by　vote　of　the　officers；　given　to　the　treasurer　in　part　payment　of　the　Society's　debt；　and　he　of　course　left　them　just　where　they　were。*　On　the　basis　of　this　arrangement　Senator　Wilson　and　the　public　were　assured　that　none　of　the　property　given　for　the　benefit　of　Kansas　had　been　or　would　be　diverted　to　other　purposes　by　the　Kansas　Committee。　It　was　decided；　however；　that　on　account　of　the　Forbes　revelations　the　attack　upon　Harper's　Ferry　must　be　delayed　for　one　year　and　that　Brown　must　go　to　Kansas　to　take　part　in　the　pending　elections。　*　〃When　the　denouement　finally　came；　however；　the　public　and　press　did　not　take　a　very　favorable　view　of　the　transaction；　it　was　too　difficult　to　distinguish　between　George　L。　Stearns；　the　benefactor　of　the　Kansas　Committee；　and　George　L。　Stearns；　the　Chairman　of　that　Committee。〃　Villard；　〃John　Brown；〃　p。　341。　Though　Brown　arrived　in　Kansas　late　in　June；　he　took　no　active　part　in　the　pending　measures　for　the　final　triumph　of　the　free…　state　cause。　It　is　something　of　a　mystery　how　he　was　occupied　between　the　1st　of　July　and　the　middle　of　December。　Under　the　pseudonym　of　〃Shubal　Morgan〃　he　was　commander　of　a　small　band　in　which　were　a　number　of　his　followers　in　training　for　the　Eastern　mission。　The　occupation　of　this　band　is　not　matter　of　history　until　December　20；　1858；　when　they　made　a　raid　into　the　State　of　Missouri；　slew　one　white　man；　took　eleven　slaves；　a　large　number　of　horses；　some　oxen；　wagons；　much　food；　arms；　and　various　other　supplies。　This　action　was　in　direct　violation　of　a　solemn　agreement　between　the　border　settlers　of　State　and　Territory。　The　people　in　Kansas　were　in　terror　lest　retaliatory　raids　should　follow；　as　would　undoubtedly　have　happened　had　not　the　people　of　Missouri　taken　active　measures　to　prevent　such　reprisals。　Rewards　were　offered　for　Brown's　arrest；　and　free…state　residents　served　notice　that　he　must　leave　the　Territory。　In　the　dead　of　winter　he　started　North　with　some　slaves　and　many　horses；　accompanied　by　Kagi　and　Gill；　two　of　his　faithful　followers。　In　northern　Kansas；　where　they　were　delayed　by　a　swollen　stream；　a　band　of　horsemen　appeared　to　dispute　their　passage。　Brown's　party　quickly　mustered　assistance　and；　giving　chase　to　the　enemy；　took　three　prisoners　with　four　horses　as　spoils　of　war。　In　Kansas　parlance　the　affair　is　called　〃The　Battle　of　the　Spurs。〃　The　leaders　in　the　chase　were　seasoned　soldiers　on　their　way　to　Harper's　Ferry　with　the　intention　of　spending　their　lives　collecting　slaves　and　conducting　them　to　places　of　safety。　For　this　sort　of　warfare　they　were　winning　their　spurs。　It　was　their　intention　to　teach　all　defenders　of　slavery　to　use　their　utmost　endeavor　to　keep　out　of　their　reach。　As　Brown　and　his　company　passed　through　Tabor；　the　citizens　took　occasion　at　a　public　meeting　to　resolve　〃that　we　have　no　sympathy　with　those　who　go　to　slave　States　to　entice　away　slaves；　and　take　property　or　life　when　necessary　to　attain　that　end。〃　A　few　days　later　the　party　was　at　Grinnell；　Iowa。　According　to　the　detailed　account　which　J。　B。　Grinnell　gives　in　his　autobiography；　Brown　appeared　on　Saturday　afternoon；　stacked　his　arms　in　Grinnell's　parlor　and　disposed　of　his　people　and　horses　partly　in　Grinnell's　house　and　barn　and　partly　at　the　hotel。　In　the　evening　Brown　and　Kagi　addressed　a　large　meeting　in　a　public　hall。　Brown　gave　a　lurid　account　of　experiences　in　Kansas；　justified　his　raid　into　Missouri　by　saying　the　slaves　were　to　be　sold　for　shipment　to　the　South；　and　gave　notice　that　his　surplus　horses　would　be　offered　for　sale　on　Monday。　〃What　title　can　you　give？〃　was　the　question　that　came　from　the　audience。　〃The　best　the　affidavit　that　they　were　taken　by　black　men　from　land　they　had　cleared　and　tilled；　taken　in　part　payment　for　labor　which　is　kept　back。〃　Brown　again　addressed　a　large　meeting　on　Sunday　evening　at　which　each　of　the　three　clergymen　present　invoked　the　divine　blessing　upon　Brown　and　his　labors。　The　present　writer　was　told　by　an　eye…　witness　that　one　of　the　ministers　prayed　for　forgiveness　for　any　wrongful　acts　which　their　guest　may　have　committed。　Convinced　of　the　rectitude　of　his　actions；　however；　Brown　objected　and　said　that　he　thanked　no　one　for　asking　forgiveness　for　anything　he　had　done。　Returning　from　church　on　Sunday　evening；　Grinnell　found　a　message　awaiting　him　from　Mr。　Werkman；　United　States　marshal　at　Iowa　City；　who　was　a　friend　of　Grinnell。　The　message　in　part　read：　〃You　can　see　that　it　will　give　your　town　a　bad　name　to　have　a　fight　there；　then　all　who　aid　are　liable；　and　there　will　be　an　arrest　or　blood。　Get　the　old　Devil　away　to　save　trouble；　for　he　will　be　taken；　dead　or　alive。〃　Grinnell　showed　the　message　to　Brown；　who　remarked：　〃Yes；　I　have　heard　of　him　ever　since　I　came　into　the　State　。　。　。　。　Tell　him　we　are　ready　to　be　taken；　but　will　wait　one　day　more　for　his　military　squad。〃　True　to　his　word　he　waited　till　the　following　afternoon　and　then　moved　directly　towards　Iowa　City；　the　home　of　the　marshal；　passing　beyond　the　city　fourteen　miles　to　his　Quaker　friends　at　Springdale。　Here　he　remained　about　two　weeks　until　he　had　completed　arrangements　for　shipping　his　fugitives　by　rail　to　Chicago。　In　the　meantime；　where　was　Marshal　Werkman　of　Iowa　City？　Was　he　of　the　same　mind　as　the　deputy　marshal　who　had　accompanied　Colonel　Sumner？　Two　of　Brown's　men　had　visited　the　city　to　make　arrangements　for　the　shipment。　The　situation　was　obvious　enough　to　those　who　would　see。　The　entire　incident　is　an　illuminating　commentary　on　the　attitude　of　both　government　and　people　towards　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law。　In　March　the　fugitives　were　safely　landed　in　Canada　and　the　rest　of　the　horses　were　sold　in　Cleveland；　Ohio。　The　time　was　approaching　for　the　move　on　Virginia。　Brown　now　expended　much　time　and　attention　upon　a　constitution　for　the　provisional　government　which　he　was　to　set　up。　In　January　and　February；　1858；　Brown　had　labored　over　this　document　for　several　weeks　at　the　home　of　Frederick　Douglass　at　Rochester；　New　York。　A　copy　was　in　evidence　at　the　conference　with　Sanborn　and　Gerrit　Smith　in　February；　and　the　document　was　approved　at　a　conference　held　in　Chatham；　Canada；　on　May　8；　1858；　just　at　the　time　when　Forbes's　revelations　caused　the　postponement　of　the　enterprise。　It　is　an　elaborate　constitution　containing　forty…　eight　articles。　The　preamble　indicates　the　general　purport：　Whereas；　Slavery　throughout　its　entire　existence　in　the　United　States　is　none　other　than　a　most　barbarous；　unprovoked；　and　unjustifiable　war　of　one　portion　of　its　citizens　upon　another　portion　the　only　conditions　of　which　are　perpetual　imprisonment　and　hopeless　servitude　or　absolute　extermination；　in　utter　disregard　and　violation　of　those　eternal　and　self…evident　truths　set　forth　in　our　Declaration　of　Independence：　Therefore；　we　the　citizens　of　the　United　States；　and　the　Oppressed　People；　who；　by　a　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　are　declared　to　have　no　rights　which　the　White　Man　is　bound　to　respect；　together　with　all　other　people　degraded　by　the　laws　thereof；　Do；　for　the　time　being　ordain　and　establish　for　ourselves；　the　following　PROVISIONAL　CONSTITUTION　AND　ORDINANCES；　the　better　to　protect　our　Persons；　Property；　Lives　and　Liberties　and　to　govern　our　actions。　Article　Forty…six　reads：　The　foregoing　articles　shall　not　be　construed　so　as　in　any　way　to　encourage　the　overthrow　of　any　State　Government　or　of　the　general　government　of　the　United　States；　and　look　to　no　dissolution　of　the　Union；　but　simply　to　Amendment　and　Repeal。　And　our　flag　shall　be　the　same　that　our　Fathers　fought　under　in　the　Revolution。　In　Article　Forty；　〃profane　swearing；　filthy　conversation；　and　indecent　behavior〃　are　forbidden。　The　document　indicates　an　obvious　intention　to　effect　a　revolution　by　a　restrained　and　regulated　use　of　force。　Mobilization　of　forces　began　in　June；　1859。　Cook；　one　of　the　original　party；　had　spent　the　year　in　the　region　of　Harper's　Ferry。　In　July　the　Kennedy　farm；　five　miles　from　Harper's　Ferry；　was　leased。　The　Northern　immigrants　posed　as　farmers；　stock…　raisers；　and　dealers　in　cattle；　seeking　a　milder　climate。　To　assist　in　the　disguise；　Brown's　daughter　and　daughter…in…law；　mere　girls；　joined　the　community。　Even　so　it　was　difficult　to　allay　troublesome　curiosity　on　the　part　of　neighbors　at　the　gathering　of　so　many　men　with　no　apparent　occupation。　Suspicion　might　easily　have　been　aroused　by　the　assembling　of　numerous　boxes　of　arms　from　the　West　and　the　thousand　pikes　from　Connecticut。　Late　in　August；　Floyd；　Secretary　of　War；　received　an　anonymous　letter　emanating　from　Springdale；　Iowa；　giving　information　which；　if　acted　upon；　would　have