the anti-slavery crusade-第32章

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　the　execution　of　their　plans。　Another　significant　expenditure　of　the　Kansas　fund　was　in　pursuance　of　a　contract　with　a　Mr。　Blair；　a　Connecticut　manufacturer；　to　furnish　at　a　dollar　each　one　thousand　pikes。　Though　the　contract　was　dated　March　80；　1857；　it　was　not　completed　until　the　fall　of　1859；　when　the　weapons　were　delivered　to　Brown　in　Pennsylvania　for　use　at　Harper's　Ferry。　Instead　of　rushing　to　the　relief　of　Kansas；　as　contributors　had　expected；　the　leader　exercised　remarkable　deliberation。　When　August　arrived；　it　found　him　only　as　far　as　Tabor；　Iowa；　where　a　considerable　quantity　of　arms　had　been　previously　assembled。　Here　he　was　joined　by　Colonel　Forbes；　and　together　they　organized　a　school　of　military　tactics　with　Forbes　as　instructor。　But　as　Forbes　could　find　no　one　but　Brown　and　his　son　to　drill；　he　soon　returned　to　the　East；　still　trusted　by　Brown　as　a　co…worker。　It　would　seem　that　Forbes　himself　wished　to　play　the　chief　part　in　the　liberation　of　America。　While　he　was　at　Tabor；　Brown　was　urged　by　Lane　and　other　former　associates　of　his　in　Kansas　to　come　to　their　relief　with　all　his　forces。　There　had；　indeed；　been　a　full　year　of　peace　since　Geary's　arrival；　but　early　in　October　there　was　to　occur　the　election　of　a　territorial　Legislature　in　which　the　free…state　forces　had　agreed　to　participate；　and　Lane　feared　an　invasion　from　Missouri。　But　although　the　appeal　was　not　effective；　the　election　proved　a　complete　triumph　for　the　North。　Late　in　October；　after　the　signal　victory　of　the　law…and…order　party　at　the　election；　Brown　was　again　urged　with　even　greater　insistence　to　muster　all　his　forces　and　come　to　Kansas；　and　there　were　hints　in　Lane's　letter　that　an　aggressive　campaign　was　afoot　to　rid　the　Territory　of　the　enemy。　Instead　of　going　in　force；　however；　Brown　stole　into　the　Territory　alone。　On　his　arrival；　two　days　after　the　date　set　for　a　decisive　council　of　the　revolutionary　faction；　he　did　not　make　himself　known　to　Governor　Robinson　or　to　any　of　his　party　but　persuaded　several　of　his　former　associates　to　join　his　〃school〃　in　Iowa。　From　Tabor　he　subsequently　transferred　the　school　to　Springdale；　a　quiet　Quaker　community　in　Cedar　County；　Iowa；　seven　miles　from　any　railway　station。　Here　the　company　went　into　winter　quarters　and　spent　the　time　in　rigid　drill　in　preparation　for　the　campaign　of　liberation　which　they　expected　to　undertake　the　following　season。　While　he　was　at　Tabor；　Brown　began　to　intimate　to　his　Eastern　friends　that　he　had　other　and　different　plans　for　the　promotion　of　the　general　cause。　In　January；　1858；　he　went　East　with　the　definite　intention　of　obtaining　additional　support　for　the　greater　scheme。　On　February　22；　1858；　at　the　home　of　Gerrit　Smith　in　New　York；　there　was　held　a　council　at　which　Brown　definitely　outlined　his　purpose　to　begin　operations　at　some　point　in　the　mountains　of　Virginia。　Smith　and　Sanborn　at　first　tried　to　dissuade　him；　but　finally　consented　to　cooperate。　The　secret　was　carefully　guarded：　some　half…dozen　Eastern　friends　were　apprised　of　it；　including　Stearns；　their　most　liberal　contributor；　and　two　or　three　friends　at　Springdale。　As　early　as　December；　1857；　Forbes　began　to　write　mysterious　letters　to　Sanborn；　Stearns；　and　others　of　the　circle；　in　which　he　complained　of　ill…usage　at　the　hands　of　Brown。　It　appears　that　Forbes　erroneously　assumed　that　the　Boston　friends　were　aware　of　Brown's　contract　with　him　and　of　his　plans　for　the　attack　upon　Virginia；　but；　since　they　were　entirely　ignorant　on　both　points；　the　correspondence　was　conducted　at　cross…purposes　for　several　months。　Finally；　early　in　May；　1858；　it　transpired　that　Forbes　had　all　the　time　been　fully　informed　of　Brown's　intentions　to　begin　the　effort　for　emancipation　in　Virginia。　Not　only　so；　but　he　had　given　detailed　information　on　the　subject　to　Senators　Sumner；　Seward；　Hale；　Wilson；　and　possibly　others。　Senator　Wilson　was　told　that　the　arms　purchased　by　the　New　England　Aid　Society　for　use　in　Kansas　were　to　be　used　by　Brown　for　an　attack　on　Virginia。　Wilson；　in　entire　ignorance　of　Brown's　plans；　demanded　that　the　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