Disunion Feed

America has argued itself to the edge before. The words come from 1854–1861; the arguments are the ones we are still having.

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Staunton Vindicator @StauntonVindicatorOct 21, 1859 · Staunton, Va. · original ↗

So mad and hopeless an enterprise could hardly be credited. But it is true — no less strange than true. These men must have been not only the wildest and silliest of fanatics, but wholly unacquainted with our State and our people.

Next post: Gov. Henry A. Wise, Oct 21, 1859 →

The post above is condensed. From the original, word for word
"So mad and hopeless an enterprise could hardly be credited. But it is true, and no less strange than true. [...] They must have been not only the wildest and silliest of fanatics, but wholly unacquainted with our State and our people."

Democratic Valley paper's first-issue reaction: dismissal as delusion, days before the same press turned to dread. Fragments from the same article joined with [...].

Read it in the original — Staunton Vindicator, Oct 21, 1859 (Valley of the Shadow) ↗

Next post: Gov. Henry A. Wise, Oct 21, 1859 →

Southern press · Democratic Condensed — not verbatim Verified against the source — see the record
Staunton Vindicator, "The Doings at Harper's Ferry," Oct. 21, 1859 (Valley of the Shadow transcription) ↗

Next in order

Gov. Henry A. Wise @GovWise · Richmond, Va.

They are mistaken who take him to be a madman. He is a bundle of the best nerves I ever saw — cut and thrust and bleeding and in bonds. Clear head, courage, fortitude. A fanatic, vain and garrulous — but firm, truthful, and intelligent.

Original passage & context
"And they are themselves mistaken who take him to be a madman. He is a bundle of the best nerves I ever saw — cut and thrust and bleeding and in bonds. He is a man of clear head, of courage, fortitude and simple ingenuousness. [...] He is a fanatic, vain and garrulous, but firm, truthful and intelligent."

The governor preparing to hang Brown vouches for his sanity, nerve, and truthfulness — the assessment that helped make Brown a martyr. Text from the LoC scan of a contemporary reprint, OCR-reconciled (e.g. 'siuipl' -> 'simple'); wording varies slightly across 1859 reprints.

Read it in the original — Orleans Independent Standard, Nov 4, 1859 (LoC scan) ↗

Just the page image, faster to open — page 3, Gov. Wise’s words (Library of Congress) ↗

Political · Democrat Condensed — not verbatim Not matched to the source on our last check — see the record
Speech of Gov. Henry A. Wise, Richmond, Oct. 21, 1859, as reprinted in the Orleans Independent Standard (Irasburgh, Vt.), Nov. 4, 1859, p. 3 ↗

Where this sits

Post 6 of 22 from the Harpers Ferry weeks, Oct 18, 1859 – Dec 2, 1859 — each post linked to its primary source.

Part of 134 verified passages across 5 flashpoints, Jan 6, 1854 – Apr 13, 1861 — read the feed from the start.

Read on, in order← Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Oct 20, 1859Gov. Henry A. Wise, Oct 21, 1859 →

Anywhere in the feedA passage at random →

In contextHarpers Ferry, 1859

The other flashpointsKansas-Nebraska, 1854The Sumner caning, 1856Dred Scott, 1857The secession winter, 1860–61

How this was made