at Brown was meditating a bold stroke and
could see at once the connection between Chatham and Harper's Ferry.
The raid was reported in detail in the Canadian press and widely
commented upon editorially. In a leading article extending over more
than one column of its issue of November 4, 1859, _The Globe_, of
Toronto, points out that the execution of Brown will but serve to make
him remembered as "a brave man who perilled property, family, life
itself, for an alien race." His death, continued the editor, would
make the raid valueless as political capital for the South, which
might expect other Browns to arise. References in this article to the
Chatham convention indicate that George Brown, editor of _The Globe_,
knew what had been going on in Canada in May, 1858. Three weeks later,
_The Globe_, with fine discernment, declared that if the tension
between north and south continued, civil war would be inevitable and
"no force that the south can raise can hold the slaves if the north
wills that they be free."[3] On the day of Brown's execution _The
Globe_ said: "His death will aid in awakening the north to that
earnest spirit which can alone bring the south to understand its true
position," and added that it was a "rare sight to witness the ascent
of this fine spirit out of the money-hunting, cotton-worshipping
American world."[4] Once again, with insight into American affairs it
predicted that "if a Republican president is elected next year,
nothing short of a dissolution of the union will satisfy them" (the
cotton States).

The special interest taken by _The Globe_ in American affairs and its
sane comment on the developments in the slavery struggle were due to
George Brown's understanding of the situation, resulting from his
residence for a time under the stars and stripes before coming to
Canada. The feeling of the public in Toronto over the execution of
John Brown was shown by the large memorial service held in St.
Lawrence Hall on Dec. 11, 1859, at which the chief speaker was Rev.
Thomas M. Kinnaird, who had himself attended the Chatham
convention.[5] In his address Mr. Kinnaird referred to a talk he had
had with Brown, in which the latter said that he intended to do
something definite for the liberation of the slaves or perish in the
attempt. The collection that was taken up at this meeting was
forwarded to Mrs. Brown. At Montreal a great mass meeting was held in
St. Bonaventure Hall, attended by over one thousand pe