An extraordinary survival of radical abolitionist activity in the lead up to John Brown’s raid of Harper’s Ferry. Apparently, only two hundred copies of this were printed before Lysander Spooner (1808-1887) withdrew it from circulation. He did so at the behest of John Brown, feaful that it would tip off authorities to his own plan.
Herbert Aptheker’s article “Militant Abolitionism” describes the incident in detail: “At a time when old John Brown had fully matured his plans for an invasion of the slave area, another Abolitionist, Lysander Spooner of Boston, developed, quite independently, put into writing, and finally into print, a proposal strikingly similar to the ideas of Brown. Spooner printed a long circular, one side of which contained an appeal ‘To the Non-Slaveholders of the South’ calling upon them to overthrow the domination of the Bourbons and thus assure their own well-being and advancement, as well as the liberation of the slaves. The other side contained ‘A Plan For The Abolition Of Slavery’ which envisaged the sending of money and arms to the slaves, the inciting of rebellion, the use of arson, flogging, and kidnapping to destroy the property and morale of the slaveholders, the formation throughout the nation of Leagues of Freedom, the members of which, finally, were to descend upon the slave-holding area, declare freedom for all, and, if necessary, wage a war of liberation. Moreover, said Spooner, should such a war be necessary, the property of the slave-owners was to be confiscated and given to the slaves as some compensation for their years of unrequited toil, and in order to make certain that their rights as free men would be retained after the war. Some copies of this amazing document were distributed, but John Brown learned of it, and upon his informing Spooner that continued publicity and distribution would injure the possibilities of the successful carrying out of his own plan (of which Spooner heard for the first time) its dispersion was stopped.”
Spooner encourages the following:
1. “To make war (openly or secretly as circumstances may dictate) upon the property of the Slaveholders and their abettors …”
2. “To make Slaveholders objects of derision and contempt by flogging them whenever they should be guilty of flogging their slaves.”
3. “To risk no general insurrection, until we of the North go to your assitance, or you are sure of success without our aid.”
4. “To cultivate the friendship and confidence of the Slaves; to consult with them as to their rights and interests, and the means of promoting them; to show your interest in their welfare, and your readiness to assist them.”
5. “To change your political institutions soon as possible. And in the meantime give never a vote to a Slaveholder; pay no taxes to their government … as witnesses and jurors, give no testimony, and no verdicts in support of Slaveholing claims; perform no military, p[atrol, or police service; mob Slaveholding courts, gaols, and sherriffs; do nothing, in short, for sustaining Slavery, but everything you safely nd rightfully can, publicly and privately, for its overthrow.”
Lysander Spooner was born and raised in Athol, Ma. He trained as a lawyer and upon joining ther bar, set up his own practice in Worcester. His career in law was underwhelming and his speculation in real estate was unprofitable. He did much better in 1844 with the American Letter Mail Company which he set up to undercut USPS and their high rates. The business did well until a change to the law in 1851 strengthened USPS’s monopoly and closed his enterprise down. It was during these years that Spooner became interested in abolition and published his most important work, The Unconstitutionality of Slavery (Boston, 1845). He continued his to campaign for the abolition of the slave trade until the outbreak of war in 1861.
John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry “sent tremors of horror throughout the South and gave secessionists a persuasive symbol of northern hostility. It hardened positions over slavery everywhere. It helped to discredit Stephen A. Douglas’s compromise policy of popular sovereignty and to divide the Democratic party, thus ensuring the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 … Both Brown’s fanaticism and his passion for freedom make him an enduring icon” (ANB). Spooner’s entreaty to revolution was built from the same feeling and with the same goal. From the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 to the outbreak of war in 1861, this circular is evidence of the increasingly aggressive abolitionist position during the 1850s.
Very rare with just a handful of copies in institutions. None listed on Rare Book Hub.
Aptheker, H., “Militant Abolitionism” in The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 26, No. 4, (October, 1941), pp.467-8.
