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Excerpt from Frederick Douglass, by Booker T. Washington:
"At the
time to which I now refer, this man was a respectable merchant in a
populous and thriving city, and our first place of meeting was at his
store. A glance at the interior, as well as at the massive walls
without, gave me the impression that the owner must be a man of
considerable wealth. My welcome was all that I could have asked. Every
member of the family, young and old, seemed glad to see me, and I was
made at home in a very little while. I was, however, a little
disappointed with the appearance of the house and its location. After
seeing the fine store I was prepared to see a fine residence in an
eligible locality, but this conclusion was completely dispelled by
actual observation. It was a small wooden building on a back street,
in a neighborhood chiefly occupied by laboring men and mechanics,
respectable enough, to be sure, but not quite the place, I thought,
one would look for the residence of a flourishing and successful
merchant. Plain as was the outside of this man's house, the inside was
plainer. There was an air of plainness about it which almost suggested
destitution. My first meal passed under the misnomer of tea, though
there was nothing about it resembling the usual significance of that
term. It consisted of beef-soup, cabbage and potatoes-a meal such as a
man might relish after following the plough all day or performing a
forced march, of a dozen miles, over a rough road in frosty weather.
Innocent of paint, veneering, varnish, or table-cloth, the table
announced itself unmistakably of pine and of the plainest workmanship.
There was no hired help visible. The mother, daughters and sons did
the serving, and did it well. They were evidently used to it, and had
no thought of any impropriety or degradation in being their own
servants. Everything implied stern truth, solid purpose, and rigid
economy. I was not long in company with the master of this house
before I discovered that he was indeed the master of it, and was
likely to become mine too, if I stayed long enough with him. He
fulfilled St. Paul's idea of the head of the family. His wife believed
in him, and his children obeyed him with reverence. Whenever he spoke,
his words commanded earnest attention. His arguments, which I ventured
at some points to oppose, seemed to convince all; his appeals touched
all, and his will impressed all. Certainly I never felt myself in the
presence of a stronger religious influence than while in this man's
house.
"In person he was lean, strong, and sinewy, of the best New England
mold, built for times of trouble, and fitted to grapple with the
flintiest hardships. Clad in plain American woolen, shod in boots of
cowhide leather, and wearing a cravat of the same substantial
material, under six feet high, less than 150 pounds in weight, aged
about fifty years, he presented a figure straight and symmetrical as a
mountain pine. His bearing was singularly impressive. His head was not
large but compact and high. His hair was coarse, his strong spare
mouth, supported by a broad and prominent chin. His eyes were bluish
gray, and in conversation they were fall of light and fire. When on
the street, he moved with a long springing race-horse step, absorbed
by his own reflections, neither seeking nor shunning observation. Such
was the man whose name I heard in whispers; such was the spirit of his
house and family; such was the house in which he lived; and such was
Captain John Brown, whose name has now passed into history, as that of
one of the most marked characters and greatest heroes known to
American fame.
"After the strong meal described, Brown cautiously approached the
subject which he wished to bring to my attention; for he seemed to
apprehend opposition to his views. He denounced slavery in look and
language fierce and bitter; he thought that slave-holders had
forfeited their right to live, that the slaves had a right to gain
their liberty in any way they could; did not believe that moral
suasion would ever liberate a slave, or that political action would
abolish the system. He said that he had long had a plan which could
accomplish this end, and he had invited me to his house to lay that
plan before me. He said that he had been for some time looking for
colored men to whom he could safely reveal his secret, and at times he
had almost despaired of finding such men ; but that now he was
encouraged, because he saw heads of such rising in all directions. He
had observed my course at home and abroad, and he wanted my
cooperation. His commend it. It did not, as some suppose, contemplate
a general rising among the slaves, and a general slaughter of the
slave-masters. An insurrection, he thought, would only defeat the
object; but his plan did contemplate the creating of an armed force
which should act in the very heart of the South. He was not averse to
the shedding of blood, and thought the carrying of firearms would be a
good rule for the colored people to adopt, as it would give them a
sense of their manhood. No people, he said, could have self-respect,
or be respected, who would not fight for their freedom. He called my
attention to the map of the United States. 'These mountains,' he said,
'are the basis of my plan. God has given the strength of the hills to
freedom; they were placed here for the emancipation of the Negro race;
they are full of natural forts, where one man for defense will be
equal to a hundred for attack; they are fall also of good hiding
places, where large numbers of brave men could be concealed, and
baffle and elude pursuit for a long time. I know these mountains well,
and could take a body of men into them and keep them there, in spite
of all the efforts of Virginia to dislodge them. The true object to be
sought is first of all to destroy the money value of slave property;
and that can only be done by rendering such property insecure. My
plan, then, is to take, at first, about twenty-five picked men, and
begin on a small scale; supply them with arms and ammunition and post
them in squads of fives on a line of twenty-five miles. The most
persuasive and judicious of these shall go down to the fields from
time to time, as opportunity offers, and induce the slaves to join
them, seeking and selecting the most reckless and daring.' " |
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