the anti-slavery crusade-第38章

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d　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　back　part　of　the　room；　and　climbed　upon　an　engine　to　command　a　better　view。　Colonel　Lewis　Washington；　the　most　distinguished　of　the　prisoners；　pointed　to　Brown；　saying；　〃This　is　Osawatomie。〃　Green　leaped　forward　and　by　thrust　or　stroke　bent　his　light　sword　double　against　Brown's　body。　Other　blows　were　administered　and　his　victim　fell　senseless；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　leader　had　been　slain　in　action　according　to　his　wish。　The　first　of　the　twelve　men　to　attempt　to　follow　their　leader　was　instantly　killed　by　gunshot。　Others　rushed　in　and　slew　two　of　Brown's　men　by　the　use　of　the　bayonet。　To　save　the　prisoners　from　harm；　Lee　had　given　careful　instruction　to　fire　no　shot；　to　use　only　bayonets。　The　other　insurgents　were　made　prisoners。　〃The　whole　fight；〃　Green　reported；　〃had　not　lasted　over　three　minutes。〃　Of　all　the　prisoners　taken　and　held　as　hostages；　not　one　was　killed　or　wounded。　They　were　made　as　safe　as　the　conditions　permitted。　The　eleven　prisoners　who　were　with　Brown　in　the　engine…house　were　profoundly　impressed　with　the　courage；　the　bearing；　and　the　self…restraint　of　the　leader　and　his　men。　Colonel　Washington　describes　Brown　as　holding　a　carbine　in　one　hand；　with　one　dead　son　by　his　side；　while　feeling　the　pulse　of　another　son；　who　had　received　a　mortal　wound；　all　the　time　watching　every　movement　for　the　defense　and　forbidding　his　men　to　fire　upon　any　one　who　was　unarmed。　The　testimony　is　uniform　that　Brown　exercised　special　care　to　prevent　his　men　from　shooting　unarmed　citizens；　and　this　conduct　was　undoubtedly　influential　in　securing　generous　treatment　for　him　and　his　men　after　the　surrender。　For　six　weeks　afterwards；　until　his　execution　on　the　2d　of　December；　John　Brown　remained　a　conspicuous　figure。　He　won　universal　admiration　for　courage；　coolness；　and　deliberation；　and　for　his　skill　in　parrying　all　attempts　to　incriminate　others。　Probably　less　than　a　hundred　people　knew　beforehand　anything　about　the　enterprise；　and　less　than　a　dozen　of　these　rendered　aid　and　encouragement。　It　was　emphatically　a　p