Questions About John Brown

[L Verge]

John Brown is IMHO the most difficult person to deal with in our history as he combined the noblest of goals-the end of slavery-with violent means that were incompatible with the existence of republican government if his deeds were emulated by others in pursuit of their own ends.

We pay insufficient attention to Brown's Pottawatomie Massacre of 5/24/1856 in which Brown and his associates hacked to death 5 pro slavery Kansas settlers, an act which was denounced by leaders of the Kansas free state faction as totally without justification and did nothing to free anyone.

Tom

Thank you, Tom, for having the nerve to say what I've been thinking ever since this thread got started. How noble can one's cause be when it requires such violent means to achieve it? (Sometimes I ask that same question about the whole circumstances of the Civil War. Not to belittle the slavery issue, but to consider what else could be done.)