John Brown – Abolitionist, Terrorist, Communist

Abolitionist/terrorist John Brown had, and probably still has, a reputation in Eastern Kansas as, if not a political messiah, at least a close cousin to one. Having been through that part of Kansas on more than one occasion, I’ve had the opportunity to disagree with Kansans there who were, and probably still are, convinced that John Brown would be a suitable member of the Holy Trinity. They’re just not sure which member of the Trinity should be removed to make room for John Brown to ascend to that lofty position. Now admittedly, that statement is a bit of an exaggeration – but not much!

An article by Jim Bovard appeared on The American Conservative for July 9, 2020. Mr. Bovard took a much more realistic view of Brown’s qualifications for divinity than did some of his rabid supporters in the 19th Century. Bovard wrote: “Many Americans have been aghast at violent mobs toppling statues and the widespread looting and destructive rampages that followed the killing of George Floyd. Media coverage often ignores the damage inflicted by righteous rioters and the businessmen, black and white, whose livelihoods have been destroyed. Instead, activists are portrayed as heroic because of their political rhetoric and demands for radical changes.” And naturally, the “news” media does not bother to explain that all these changes help to usher in a leftist agenda.

Bovard compared this to some of what went on in this country 160 years ago. He noted the reaction of Henry David Thoreau and how he turned into an apologist for terrorist John Brown. Bovard noted that Thoreau was a Transcendentalist (a radical Unitarian) who had “…initially been wary of fire-breathing abolitionists until…he met and swooned for John Brown in 1857. Thoreau donated to Brown after hearing him make a rabble-rousing speech…” It would appear it didn’t take all that much to convince him. But, then, Unitarians are not long on discernment.

Bovard noted of Brown that: “Mount Holyoke University Professor Christopher Benfey aptly characterized Brown…in 2013 as someone who was murderous, inept, politically marginal, probably insane.” Even some abolitionists had problems with what he did at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where the first man his “soldiers” killed was a free black man. Bovard observed that “Thoreau thought that Brown was literally Jesus – or at least that Jesus and John Brown were ‘two ends of a chain which I rejoice to know is not without its links’…” Thoreau referred to Brown as an ‘angel of light’ and described Brown’s Harpers Ferry accomplices as his ‘twelve disciples.’ Thoreau hailed the ‘new saint who would make the gallows as the cross’.”

Such theological hogwash was to be expected from Unitarians. And some wonder why I look at “Yankee” theology with a jaundiced eye! Due to what Thoreau grasped of Brown’s “self-evident goodness” to Thoreau, Brown’s killings were irrelevant and his willingness to kill for what he believed made no difference. Bovard noted, as he concluded, that “Thoreau’s deification of John Brown should be a reminder of the perils of glorifying political violence in the name of any ideal.” What Bovard probably didn’t realize is that Thoreau’s would-be “messiah” was really an icon of the political Left.

In his book To the Victor Go the Myths and Monuments, Arthur R. Thompson has exposed Brown’s affinity for the political and theological Left. Mr. Thompson noted that an anti-Christ conspiracy has been at work in this country since its founding, and that Brown had involvement in that conspiracy. Brown had, as one of the trustees of his will, William Russell, the founder of the Order of Skull and Bones. You have to wonder why Brown would have had any association with someone like that! But it seems that he did, even though more current “history” books neglect to mention it. What was Brown’s connection to the founder of Skull and Bones?

Mr. Thompson also told us that John Brown hired Hugh Forbes to train his “soldiers.” Forbes had fought under Garibaldi in Europe. Forbes was a European leftist. So, why did Brown want him and how did he know about him? Forbes was an emissary of Mazzini in the United States, and he was asked to come to this country to work with the emigrants that came here after the 1848 socialist and communist revolts in Europe. So, Forbes had connections with the 48ers – and Brown was asked to take on Forbes at the behest of his backers in the East, among whom were the so-called “Secret Six,” who were mostly Unitarians, one of which was Thomas Wentworth Higginson, the man who was “always ready to invest in treason” when he had the money to do so. As you can see, Brown was involved with some pretty seedy characters on the Left. Besides which, Brown in Kansas, had three socialist 48ers among his “soldiers.” So, between all these folks herein mentioned, John Brown had plenty of leftist “help” to do what he did.

I expect, about now, someone will lodge a major gripe that I called John Brown a communist and they will shout “no way, Jose.” Well, sorry folks, but you’ll be wrong. No less a personality than John Brown’s son, John Jr., admitted that his father was “a convert to communism in the 1840s.” Mr. Thompson noted this on page 295 of his above mentioned book! I imagine his congregation of Brown worshippers in Eastern Kansas will not be all that happy to find out their patron abolitionist saint was a devotee of communism, but I guess that’s the way the cookie crumbles!

Leftists seldom have any pure motives. So, I guess we can pretty well figure those leftists involved with John Brown and the abolitionist movement had something more in mind than the liberation of slaves – quite possibly the rending apart of the country – North from South – and doing it in such a way as to make the South look bad.

– By Al Benson, Jr.