the anti-slavery crusade-第33章

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！


uri　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　led　to　an　investigation　and　stopped　the　enterprise。　The　24th　of　October　was　the　day　appointed　for　taking　possession　of　Harper's　Ferry；　but　fear　of　exposure　led　to　a　change　of　plan　and　the　move　was　begun　on　the　16th　of　October。　Six　of　the　party　who　would　have　been　present　at　the　later　date　were　absent。　The　march　from　Kennedy　farm　began　about　eight　o'clock　Sunday　evening。　Before　midnight　the　bridges；　the　town；　and　the　arsenal　were　in　the　hands　of　the　invaders　without　a　gun　having　been　fired。　Before　noon　on　Monday　some　forty　citizens　of　the　neighborhood　had　been　assembled　as　prisoners　and　held；　it　was　explained；　as　hostages　for　the　safety　of　members　of　the　party　who　might　　be　taken。　During　the　early　forenoon　Kagi　strongly　urged　that　they　should　escape　into　the　mountains；　but　Brown；　who　was　influenced；　as　he　said；　by　sympathy　for　his　prisoners　and　their　distressed　families；　refused　to　move　and　at　last　found　himself　surrounded　by　opposing　forces。　Brown's　men；　having　been　assigned　to　different　duties；　were　separated。　Six　of　them　escaped；　others　were　killed　or　wounded　or　taken　prisoners。　Brown　himself　with　six　of　his　men　and　a　few　of　his　prisoners　made　a　final　stand　in　the　engine…　house。　This　was　early　in　the　afternoon。　All　avenues　of　escape　were　now　closed。　Brown　made　two　efforts　to　communicate　with　his　assailants　by　means　of　a　flag　of　truce；　sending　first　Thompson；　one　of　his　men；　with　one　of　his　prisoners；　and　then　Stevens　and　Watson　Brown　with　another　of　the　prisoners。　Thompson　was　received　but　was　held　as　a　prisoner；　Stevens　and　Watson　Brown　were　shot　down；　the　first　dangerously　wounded　and　the　other　mortally　wounded。　Later　in　the　afternoon　Brown　received　a　flag　of　truce　with　a　demand　that　he　surrender。　He　stated　the　conditions　under　which　he　would　restore　the　prisoners　whom　he　held；　but　he　refused　the　unconditional　surrender　which　was　demanded。　About　midnight　Colonel　Robert　E。　Lee　arrived　from　Washington　with　a　company　of　marines。　He　took　full　command；　set　a　guard　of　his　own　men　around　the　engine…house　and　made　preparation　to　effect　a　forcible　entrance　at　sunrise　on　Tuesday　morning　in　case　a　peaceable　surrender　was　refused。　Lee　first　offered　to　two　of　the　local　companies　the　honor　of　storming　the　castle。　These；　however；　declined　to　undertake　the　perilous　task；　and　the　honor　fell　to　Lieutenant　Green　of　the　marines；　who　thereupon　selected　two　squads　of　twelve　men　each　to　attempt　an　entrance　through　the　door。　To　Lee's　aide；　Lieutenant　Stuart；　who　had　known　Brown　in　Kansas；　was　committed　the　task　of　making　the　formal　demand　for　surrender。　Brown　and　Stuart；　who　recognized　each　other　instantly　upon　their　meeting　at　the　door；　held　a　long　parley；　which　resulted；　as　had　been　expected；　in　Brown's　refusal　to　yield。　Stuart　then　gave　the　signal　which　had　been　agreed　upon　to　Lieutenant　Green；　who　ordered　the　first　squad　to　advance。　Failing　to　break　down　the　door　with　sledge…hammers；　they　seized　a　heavy　ladder　and　at　the　second　stroke　made　an　opening　near　the　ground　large　enough　to　admit　a　man。　Green　instantly　entered；　rushed　to　the