“It clearly appeared that the scheme of Brown was to take with him comparatively but few men; but those had been carefully trained by military instruction previously, and were to act as officers.  For his military force he relied, very clearly, on inciting insurrection amongst the Slaves.”

3.  “It does not appear that the contributions were made with actual knowledge of the use for which they were designed by Brown, although it does appear that money was freely contributed by those styling themselves the friends of this man Brown, and friends alike of what they styled the cause of freedom (of which they claimed him to be an especial apostle), without inquiring as to the way in which the money would be used by him to advance such pretended cause.”

In concluding the report the majority of the Committee thus characterize the “invasion”:  “It was simply the act of lawless ruffians, under the sanction of no public or political authority—­distinguishable only from ordinary felonies by the ulterior ends in contemplation by them,” etc.]

[Footnote 30:—­The Southampton insurrection, August, 1831, was induced by the remarkable ability of a slave calling himself General Nat Turner.  He led his fellow bondsmen to believe that he was acting under the order of Heaven.  In proof of this he alleged that the singular appearance of the sun at that time was a divine signal for the commencement of the struggle which would result in the recovery of their freedom.  This insurrection resulted in the death of sixty-four white persons, and more than one hundred slaves.  The Southampton was the eleventh large insurrection in the Southern States, besides numerous attempts and revolts.]

[Footnote 31:—­In March, 1790, the General Assembly of France, on the petition of the free people of color in St. Domingo, many of whom were intelligent and wealthy, passed a decree intended to be in their favor, but so ambiguous as to be construed in favor of both the whites and the blacks.  The differences growing out of the decree created two parties—­the whites and the people of color; and some blood was shed.  In 1791, the blacks again petitioned, and a decree was passed declaring the colored people citizens, who were born of free parents on both sides.  This produced great excitement among the whites, and the two parties armed against each other, and horrible massacres and conflagrations followed.  Then the Assembly rescinded this last decree, and like results followed, the blacks being the exasperated parties and the aggressors.  Then the decree giving citizenship to the blacks was restored, and commissioners were sent out to keep the peace.  The commissioners, unable to sustain themselves, between the two parties, with the troops they had, issued a proclamation that all blacks who were willing to range themselves under the banner of the Republic should be free.  As a result a very large proportion of the blacks became in fact free.  In 1794, the Conventional Assembly abolished slavery throughout the French Colonies.  Some years afterward, the French Government sought, with an army of 60,000 men, to reinstate slavery, but were unsuccessful, and then the white planters were driven from the Island.]