the anti-slavery crusade-第31章

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；　John　Brown；　Junior；　went　with　the　company　of　Osawatomie　Rifles　to　the　relief　of　the　town；　while　the　elder　Brown　with　a　little　company　of　six　moved　in　the　same　direction。　In　a　letter　to　his　wife；　dated　June　26；　1856；　more　than　a　month　after　the　massacre　in　Pottawatomie　Valley；　Brown　said：　〃On　our　way　to　Lawrence　we　learned　that　it　had　been　already　destroyed；　and　we　encamped　with　John's　company　overnight　。。。。　On　the　second　day　and　evening　after　we　left　John's　men；　we　encountered　quite　a　number　of　pro…slavery　men　and　took　quite　a　number　of　prisoners。　Our　prisoners　we　let　go；　but　kept　some　four　or　five　horses。　We　were　immediately　after　this　accused　of　murdering　five　men　at　Pottawatomie　and　great　efforts　have　been　made　by　the　Missourians　and　their　ruffian　allies　to　capture　us。　John's　company　soon　afterwards　disbanded；　and　also　the　Osawatomie　men。　Since　then；　we　have；　like　David　of　old；　had　our　dwelling　with　the　serpents　of　the　rocks　and　the　wild　beasts　of　the　wilderness。〃　There　will　probably　never　be　agreement　as　to　Brown's　motives　in　slaying　his　five　neighbors　on　May　24；　1856。　Opinions　likewise　differ　as　to　the　effect　which　this　incident　had　on　the　history　of　Kansas。　Abolitionists　of　every　class　had　said　much　about　war　and　about　servile　insurrection；　but　the　conservative　people　of　the　West　and　South　had　mentioned　the　subject　only　by　way　of　warning　and　that　they　might　point　out　ways　of　prevention。　Garrison　and　his　followers　had　used　language　which　gave　rise　to　the　impression　that　they　favored　violent　revolution　and　were　not　averse　to　fomenting　servile　insurrection。　They　had　no　faith　in　the　efforts　of　Northern　emigrants　to　save　Kansas　from　the　clutches　of　the　slaveholding　South；　and　they　denounced　in　severe　terms　the　Robinson　leadership　there；　believing　it　sure　to　result　in　failure。　To　this　class　of　abolitionists　John　Brown　distinctly　belonged。　He　believed　that　so　high　was　the　tension　on　the　slavery　question　throughout　the　country　that　revolution；　if　inaugurated　at　any　point；　would　sweep　the　land　and　liberate　the　slaves。　Brown　was　also　possessed　of　the　belief　that　he　was　himself　the　divinely　chosen　agent　to　let　loose　the　forces　of　freedom；　and　that　this　was　the　chief　motive　which　prompted　the　deed　at　Pottawatomie　is　as　probable　as　any　other。　Viewed　in　this　light；　the　Pottawatomie　massacre　was　measurably　successful。　Opposing　forces　became　more　clearly　defined　and　were　pitted　against　each　other　in　hostile　array。　There　were　reprisals　and　counter…reprisals。　Kansas　was　plunged　into　a　state　of　civil　war；　but　it　is　quite　probable　that　this　condition　would　have　followed　the　looting　of　Lawrence　even　if　John　Brown　had　been　absent　from　the　Territory。　Coincident　with　the　warfare　by　organized　companies；　small　irregular　bands　infested　the　country。　Kansas　became　a　paradise　for　adventurers；　soldiers　of　fortune；　horse　thieves；　cattle　thieves；　and　marauders　of　various　sorts。　Spoiling　the　enemy　in　the　interest　of　a　righteous　cause　easily　degenerated　into　common　robbery　and　murder。　It　was　chiefly　in　this　sort　of　conflict　that　two　hundred　persons　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　o