His hopes were raised to their highest at the Free State Conventionwhich met at Lawrence on Monday, the twenty-fifth of June, 1855. ThisConvention spoke2 in tones that stirred Brown's admiration3.
It meant Action.
They elected him a vice4 president of the body. He had expected to bemade president. However, his leadership was recognized. All he neededwas the opportunity to take the Action on which his mind had long beenfixed. The moment blood began to flow, there would be but one leader. Ofthat, he felt sure. He could bide5 his time.
The Convention urged the people to unite on the one issue of makingKansas a Free Soil State. They called on every member of the ShawneeLegislature who held Free Soil views to resign from that body, althoughit had been recognized by the National Government as the duly authorizedlaw-making assembly of the Territory. They denounced this Legislature asthe creature of settlers from Missouri who had crowded over the borderbefore the Northerners could reach their destination. They urged allpeople to refuse to obey every law passed by the body.
The final resolution was one inspired by Brown himself. It was a bolddeclaration that if their opponents wished to fight, the Northernerswere READY! The challenge was unmistakable. Brown felt that Action wasimminent. Only a set of poltroons would fail to accept the gauge6 ofbattle thus flung in their faces.
To his amazement7 the challenge was not received by the rank and file ofthe Free Soil Party with enthusiasm. Most of these Northerners had movedto Kansas as bona fide settlers. They came to build homes for the womenthey had left behind. They came to rush their shacks8 into shape toreceive their loved ones. They had been furnished arms and ammunition9 byenthusiastic friends and politicians in the older States. And they hadeagerly accepted the gifts. There were droves of Indians still roamingthe plains. There were dangers to be faced.
The Southern ruffians of whom they had heard so much had notmaterialized. Although the Radical10 wing of the Northern Party had madeLawrence its Capital and through their paper, the _Herald of Freedom_,issued challenge after challenge to their enemies.
The Northern settlers began to divide into groups whose purposes wereirreconcilable. Six different conventions met in Lawrence on or beforethe fifteenth of August. Each one of these conventions was divided incouncils. In each the cleavage between the Moderates and Radicals11 becamewider.
Out of the six conventions of Northerners at Lawrence, out of resolutionand counter resolution, finally emerged the accepted plan of a generalconvention at Big Springs.
The gathering12 was remarkable13 for the surprise it gave to the Radicals ofwhom Brown was the leader. The Convention adopted the first platform ofthe Free State party and nominated ex-Governor Reeder as its candidatefor delegate to Congress.
For the first time the hard-headed frontiersmen who came to Kansas forhonest purposes spoke in plain language. The first resolution settledthe Slavery issue. It declared that Slavery was a curse and that Kansasshould be free of this curse. But that as a matter of common sense theywould consent to any reasonable adjustment in regard to the few slavesthat had already been brought into the Territory.
Brown and his followers14 demanded that Slavery should be denounced as acrime, not a curse, as the sum of all villainies and the Southern masteras a vicious and willful criminal. The mild expression of the platformon this issue wrought15 the old man's anger to white heat. The offer tocompromise with the slave holder16 already in Kansas he repudiated17 withscorn. But a more bitter draught18 was still in store for him.
The platform provided that Kansas should be a Free White State. And inno uncertain words made plain that the accent should be on the wordWHITE. The document demanded the most stringent19 laws excluding ALLNEGROES, BOND AND FREE, forever from the Territory.
The old man did not hear this resolution when read. So deep was hisbrooding anger, the words made no impression. Their full import did notdawn on him until John Brown, Jr., leaned close and whispered:
"Did you hear that?"The father stirred from his reverie and turned a dazed look on his son.
"Hear what?""The infamous20 resolution demanding that Kansas be made a white man'scountry and no negro, bond or free, shall ever be allowed to enter it?"The hard mouth twitched21 with scorn. And his jaws22 came together with asnap.
"It doesn't matter what they add to their first maudlin23 plank24 on theSlavery issue.""Will you sit here and see this vile25 thing done?"A look of weariness came over the stern face with its deep-cut lines.
"It's a waste of words to talk to politicians."John, Jr. was grasping at the next resolution which was one surpassingbelief. He rubbed his ears to see if he were really hearing correctly.
This resolution denounced the charge that they were Radicals at all. Itdenounced the attempt of any man to interfere26 by violence with slaves orSlavery where protected by the supreme27 law of the land. It repudiatedas stale and ridiculous the charge of Abolitionism against them. Anddeclared that such an accusation28 is without a shadow of truth to supportit.
Charles Stearns, the representative of the New England Society, leapedto his feet and denounced the platform in withering29 tones. He fairlyshrieked his final sentence:
"All honest anti-slavery men, here and elsewhere, will spit on yourplatform!"He paused and faced the leaders who had drafted it.
"And all pro-slavery men must forever despise the base sycophants30 whooriginated it!"John Brown, Jr., applauded. The crowd laughed.
Old John Brown had paid no further heed31 to the proceedings32 of theConvention. His eyelids33 were drawn34 half down. Only pin points ofglittering light remained.
The resolutions were adopted by an overwhelming majority.
In the East, Horace Greeley in the _Tribune_ reluctantly acceptedthe platform: "Why free blacks should be excluded it is difficult tounderstand; but if Slavery can be kept out by compromise of that sort,we shall not complain. An error of this character may be corrected; butlet Slavery obtain a foothold there and it is not so easily removed."Brown's hopes were to be still further dashed by the persistencewith which the leaders of this Convention followed up the program ofestablishing a white man's country on the free plains of the West.
When the Convention met at Topeka on the twenty-third of October, toform a Constitution, the determination to exclude all negroes fromKansas was again sustained. The majority were finally badgered intosubmitting the issue to a separate vote of the people. On the fifteenthof December, the Northern settlers voted on it and the question _was_settled.
Negroes were excluded by a three-fourths majority.
Three-fourths of the Free State settlers were in favor of a white man'scountry and the heaviest vote against the admission of negroes waspolled in Lawrence and Topeka, where the Radicals had from the firstmade the most noise.
The Northern men who had come to Kansas merely to oppose the extensionof Slavery were in a hopeless minority in their own party. The Americanvoters still had too much common sense to be led into a position toprovoke civil war.
John Brown spent long hours in prayer after the final vote on the negroissue had been counted. He denounced the leaders in politics in Kansasas trimmers, time servers, sycophants and liars35. He walked beneaththe star-sown skies through the night. He wrestled36 with his God for avision.
There must be a way to Action.
He rose from prayer at dawn after a sleepless37 night and called for hissons, Owen, Oliver, Frederick and Salmon38, to get ready for a journey. Hehad received a first hint of the will of God. He believed it might leadto the way.
He organized a surveyor's party and disguised himself as a United StatesSurveyor. He had brought to Kansas a complete outfit39 for surveying land.
He instructed Owen and Frederick to act as chain carriers, Salmon asaxeman and Oliver as marker. He reached the little Southern settlementon the Pottawattomie Creek40 the fifteenth of May.
He planted his compass on the bank of the creek near the Doyles' houseand proceeded to run a base line.
The father and three boys were in the fields at work beyond the hill.
He raised his compass and followed the chainman to the Doyles' door. Themother and little girl trudged41 behind, delighted with the diversion ofthe party, so rare on the lonely prairies. Little could they dream thegrim deed that was shaping in the soul of the Surveyor.
When they reached the house she turned to the old man with Southerncourtesy:
"Won't you come in, sir, and rest a few minutes?"The strange, blue-gray eyes glanced restlessly toward the hill and hesignaled his sons:
"Rest awhile, boys."Frederick and Oliver sat down on a pile of logs. Salmon and Owen, ata nod from their father, wandered carelessly toward the stable andouthouses.
Owen found the dog Doyle had brought from Virginia and took pains tomake friends with him.
Brown's keen, restless eyes carefully inspected the door, its fasteningsand the strength of its hinges. The iron of the hinges was flimsy. Thefastening was the old-fashioned wooden shutters42 hung outside and closedwith a single slide. He noted43 with a quick glance that there was nocross bar of heavy wood nor any sockets44 in which such a bar could bedropped.
The windows were small. There was no glass. Solid wooden shutters hungoutside and closed with a single hook and eye for fastenings.
The sun was setting before the surveying party stopped work. Theyhad run a line close to the house of every Southern settler on thePottawattomie Creek, noting carefully every path leading to each house.
They had carefully mapped the settlement and taken a census45 of everymale inhabitant and every dog attached to each house. They also made aninventory of the horses, saddles and bridles46.
Having completed their strange errand, they packed their instruments androde toward Osawatomie.
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1
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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2
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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3
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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4
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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5
bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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7
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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shacks
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| n.窝棚，简陋的小屋( shack的名词复数 ) | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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10
radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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11
radicals
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| n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数 | |
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12
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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13
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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14
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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15
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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16
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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17
repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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18
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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19
stringent
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| adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的 | |
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20
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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21
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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22
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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maudlin
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| adj.感情脆弱的，爱哭的 | |
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24
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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26
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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27
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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28
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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29
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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30
sycophants
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| n.谄媚者，拍马屁者( sycophant的名词复数 ) | |
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31
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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32
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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33
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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34
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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35
liars
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| 说谎者( liar的名词复数 ) | |
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36
wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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37
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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38
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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39
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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40
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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41
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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42
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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43
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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44
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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45
census
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| n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查 | |
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46
bridles
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| 约束( bridle的名词复数 )； 限动器； 马笼头； 系带 | |
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