Conspiracies of the North's reasoning of Abolishing Slavery (Part 1)

John Brown was an abolitionist who believed in overthrowing the slavery system. He and his entire family all had opinions that slavery should not be allowed. The North agreed that slavery should be abolished and developed their own theory as to why that should be put in place. John Brown was viewed as a powerful, if not heroic, person to those who supported his beliefs.

There is a conspiracy that lies within these beliefs. Robert Mercer Hunter wrote a statement titled, “A Northern Party is Seeking to Convert the Government into an Instrument of Warfare upon Slavery” in 1850. This conspiracy lies within the stand that the North took on slavery at this time, which was hard to believe from those in the South. Hunter states, “that there can be no property in man.” (Hunter, pg 145) This supports the North’s beliefs that slavery should be abolished.

This theory also states the fear and feelings behind this movement, but Hunter is quick to shut those ideas down. He claims, “But it may be said that these persons, whose efforts are so dangerous to our peace and our property, constitute but a small portion of the people of the free States. But, Mr. President, when we look to the effects they have had upon the legislation in the free States, and even here, we cannot suppose that they are contemptible in point of numbers, or to be despised in regard to ability.” (Hunter, pg 146)

Do we believe that the freedom of slaves would cause this much chaos in the states, or do we think slaves would peacefully enjoy their freedom? Do we really think that the North was trying to gain something, or start something, by abolishing slavery? Or are they simply giving humans their God given rights?

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Davis, David Brion. The fear of conspiracy: images of un-American subversion from the Revolution to the present. Cornell University Press, 1979.

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