Springfield (MA) Republican, "The John Brown Rebellion," October 25, 1859

   The John Brown Rebellion. --Brown and four of his associates are in jail at Charlestown, with an extraordinary guard of eighty Virginian troops and yet so great is their estimation of Brown's valor, they fear he will escape in spite of all precautions. Gov Wise called him "the greatest man he ever saw." The prisoners will be indicted for treason, murder and inciting the slaves to insurrection. The only citizens killed at Harper's Ferry were Turner, Beckham and Bourley, besides the negro Heywood, and private Irvin of the U.S. marines.

   The Baltimore papers publish extensive extracts from a journal kept by Jason, one of John Brown's sons, in 1857, but it throws no light on the Harper's Ferry affair nor anything else. Why don't they publish the letters implicating prominent northern politicians? The people are curious to see them.

   Mr Giddings has published a card denying that he was consulted about John Brown's Virginia expedition. The Worcester Spy states that some of the personal friends of John Brown in this state are making arrangements to secure able counsel for him. Judge Parker, of the circuit court of Virginia, charged the grand jury of Jefferson County on Friday, urging the necessity of securing to the conspirators a fair trial, both for the honor of Virginia and of the law.

   A gentlemen from New Hampshire, who was at Harper's Ferry during the closing scenes of the disturbance, was astonished at the cowardice and inefficiency of the people. It was his opinion that five resolute men could have dislodged the revolutionists in five minutes; but the whole community was wild with terror. The Baltimore American says it is difficult to decide whether to call the affair a ludicrous tragedy or a solemn farce, and the Baltimore Sun says: --

      "The whole affair dwindles into utter insignificance as the literal facts are brought out from the uncertainty peculiar to the first demonstration. And although so bold, sudden and formidable in course of action naturally aroused suspicion of a wide spread and preconcerted movement, and induced the most efficient means for its suppression, the measures adopted have almost a ludicrous disproportion to the necessity of the occasion and the result."

   An attempted stampede of slaves, supposed to be connected with Brown's movements, was frustrated in Virginia last week. The slaves were to have met near Finksburg in Carroll county, on Saturday, but one of them disclosed the secret, and five were arrested and placed in jail at Westminster. Horses and carriages were waiting to take them off.