the anti-slavery crusade-第35章

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tended。　When　Kansas　was　opened　for　settlement；　John　Brown　was　fifty…four　years　old。　Early　in　the　spring　of　1855；　five　of　his　sons　took　up　claims　near　Osawatomie。　They　went；　as　did　others；　as　peaceable　settlers　without　arms。　After　the　election　of　March　30；　1855；　at　which　armed　Missourians　overawed　the　Kansas　settlers　and　thus　secured　a　unanimous　pro…slavery　Legislature；　the　freestate　men；　under　the　leadership　of　Robinson；　began　to　import　Sharp's　rifles　and　other　weapons　for　defense。　Brown's　sons　thereupon　wrote　to　their　father；　describing　their　helpless　condition　and　urging　him　to　come　to　their　relief。　In　October；　1855；　John　Brown　himself　arrived　with　an　adequate　supply　of　rifles　and　some　broadswords　and　revolvers。　The　process　of　organization　and　drill　thereupon　began；　and　when　the　Wakarusa　War　occurred　early　in　December；　1855；　John　Brown　was　on　hand　with　a　small　company　from　Osawatomie　to　assist　in　the　defense　of　Lawrence。　The　statement　that　he　disapproved　of　the　agreement　with　Governor　Shannon　which　prevented　bloodshed　is　not　in　accord　with　a　letter　which　John　Brown　wrote　to　his　wife　immediately　after　the　event。　The　Governor　granted　practically　all　that　the　freestate　men　desired　and　recognized　their　trainbands　as　a　part　of　the　police　force　of　the　Territory。　Brown　by　this　stipulation　became　Captain　John　Brown；　commander　of　a　company　of　the　territorial　militia。　Soon　after　the　Battle　of　Wakarusa；　Captain　Brown　passed　the　command　of　the　company　of　militia　to　his　son　John；　while　he　became　the　leader　of　a　small　band　composed　chiefly　of　members　of　his　own　family。　Writing　to　his　wife　on　April　7；　1856；　he　said：　〃We　hear　that　preparations　are　making　in　the　United　States　Court　for　numerous　arrests　of　free…state　men。　For　one　I　have　not　desired　（all　things　considered）　to　have　the　slave　power　cease　from　its　acts　of　aggression。　'Their　foot　shall　slide　in　due　time。'〃　This　letter　of　Brown's　indicates　that　the　writer　was　pleased　at　the　prospect　of　approaching　trouble。　When；　six　weeks　later；　notice　came　of　the　attack　upon　Lawrence；　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　bee