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History>eXplorations>John
Brown: Hero or Terrorist?> John
Brown and the Secret Six>John Brown to Theodore Parker
John
Brown to Theodore Parker, February 2, 1858
Source: Sanborn, John Brown, 434-435
I am again out of Kansas, and am at this time concealing my whereabouts;
but for very different reasons, however, from those I had for
doing so at Boston last spring. I have nearly perfected ar¬rangements
for carrying out an important measure in which the world has a
deep interest, as well as Kansas; and only lack from five to eight
hundred dollars to enable me to do so, the same object for which
I asked for secret service money last fall. It is my only errand
here; and I have written to some of our mutual friends in regard
to it, but they none of them understand my views so well as you
do, and I cannot explain without their first committing themselves
more than I know of their doing. I have heard that Parker Pillsbury
and some others in your quarter hold out ideas similar to those
on which I act; but I have no personal acquaintance with them,
and know nothing of their influence or means. Cannot you either
by di¬rect or indirect action do something to further me?
Do you not know of some parties whom you could induce to give
their aboli¬tion theories a thoroughly practical shape? I
hope this will prove to be the last time I shall be driven to
harass a friend in such a way. Do you think any of my Garrisonian
friends, either at Boston, Worcester, or any other place, can
be induced to supply a little "straw," if I will absolutely
make "bricks"? I have written George L. Steams, Esq.,
of Medford, and Mr. F. B. Sanborn, of Concord; but I am not informed
as to how deeply dyed Abolitionists those friends are, and must
beg you to consider this communication strictly confidential,
unless you know of parties who, will feel and act, and hold their
peace. I want to bring the thing about during the next sixty days.
Please write N. Hawkins, care William J. Watkins, Esq., Rochester,
N. Y.
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