The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-01-12
TO THE PUBLIC.

who, as citizens ofEvansville for many years
past fearlessly challenge the judgment OF
their fellow-townsmen as to their characters,
feel constrained to offer few words to the
public in relation to the gross and wanton
abuse that has been heaped upon themselves,
and their friends, because upon recent fes-
tival occasion they dared to resist most in
suising and outrageous invasion Of their
rights.
The undersigned are both Catholics and
Protestants; most ofthem have heretofore act
ed with the Democratic party. They have
been accustomed to be told, especially before
elections, that the Democrats were their only
true friends, and the Democratic press their
best defenders. Their votes have for years
elected every Democratic Office holder IN Van
derburgh county, whose salary has enabled
him to support his party, and party press,
and their grdtuities last year kept that dir
ty sheet, the Vanderburgh Democrat, from
starvation, and prolonged its sickly existence
to the present time. They can, therefore,
appreciate at its full value, abuse and villifi-
cation from such source. The "controll-
ers" of that press think it worth their while
now, in order to curry favor with a single
leading Democratic family, to distort and fall
lsify the plainest facts, and to write and pub
lish insult upon insult against the undersign-
ed, their friends and countrymen. Whether
they will continue to think SO when another
election rolls round, remains to be seen.
This public are, doubtless, sufficiently ac-
uuainted with the truth in regard to the I'M
fortunate affair to which we allude. 1t is
only necessary TO say, that small party of
Germans had assembled on New Years eve
to enjoy the holiday, as is their custom, with
music and dancing. The rooms engaged by
them being small the company was necessar-
| iIy limited. Even Germans who were not
subscribers, were not permitted to participate.
They had peacefully, and pleasantly enjoyed
themselves, as they proposed for severa
| hours, and until near 10 o'clock, when they
were rudely and violently interrupted by a
band Of desperadoes, numbering some Is
or 90, who took possession of the lower part
of the house, and behaved in so riotous and
disordeHy a manner, that the Germans were
compelled, in self defence, to expel them.
/ This being DONE the rioters, from the out
side, threw volleys of stones and brickbats
through the windows and doors above and
below, greatly injuring the house and badly
wounding several of those who were inside.
About this time one or more guns or pistols
were fired by some of the parties, and in the
melee one of the outside party, young Burns,
was killed-how, is unknown. The Coroner's
Jury have been unable, after a faithful exam
ination, to ascertain and from all that has
been elected, it is just as likely he was killed
by the outsiders as by any Of the Germans.
He was in advance of the party outside, and
brickbats and other missiles were at the time
flying from over his head. One thing is GER
tain, as found by the inquest, he was not
killed or wounded by fire arms. And if I'M
fortunately he was killed by the Germans, il
was certainly not without the greatest prov
location on the part of those with whom he
appeared to be acting.
/ Under these circumstances, we had right
Ito expect something like fairness in an account
of the transaction By paper so much depend.
ant upon Germans as is the Vaaderburgh De.
mocrat. But instead of this, that paper has
in all its publications upon the subject, SO re-
presented the affair as to throw all blame up
on the party, whose right and persons were SC
ruthlessly attacked. and entisely exonerate
those whose guilty conduct was the cause o
/ all that ensued. The Democrat, published
' two days after the occurrence, in substance
d charges the Germans with perpetrating ian
Fl other wanton violation Of the laws of the lanC
BY shooting and killing Burns with clubs
knives, &C." without givinga single particu
lar of the gross outrages committed upor
them by the crowd of desperadoes with whom
he was found, and leading the public to be
lieve that, without provocation, 'slike savage
! thirsting for American blood" they had muir
n dered and mutilated him in the most horrible
Y manner.
o Again in the Democrats two Extras O
O Wednesday, the same attempt is made t.
: lfalsify the facts to the prejudice of the Ger
r mans. Even after the Corone-'s jury, upo
: which were two able physicians, who exam
!. ined the wounds, had deliberately found tina
= he l0as not shot, it is repeated that "youn.
e Burns, doubtless thinking of his comfortably
d bed at home, was suddenly struck down 6y
e shot from the house" In one ofthese extraor
Il binary extras the marty at the Rail are das;,,