The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-11-28
Correspondence Of the Detroit Free Press
A villainous Fabrication Exposed

Doubtless you have seen communi-
cation, in the Chicago Tribune, over the
signature of Frederick Amtho5 which
gives the citizens Of our town the charac-
ter Of barbarians, and, il true, they would
Justly merit the Indignation of all civilized
communities. The above mentioned com
munication has been extensively PUBLISH
ed in the black republican journals
throughout the Northwest and has Gre
ated considerable prejudice against the
people Of Texas. ! humbly beg, through
your widely circulated Journal to defend
the fair reputation Of the people of my
adopted State, whose character has been
SO maliciously slandercd. The, said Am
thor is German by birth, journeymah
tailor by trade, and by character man
Of no moral principle, and Of no respecta-
bility as a citizen in any community
And, more than this, he was regarded by
many as non eompos mentis, In his
letter 10 the Chicago paper he says:
"a young man from Illinois, 10y the
name of Evans, came, to Henderson, and
was incautious enough to say that he
thought free States preferable to slave
States. tr, tfa. nnr .rit o ,..at s,
'In December last, this young man
....o tol,an ~,,t hu ha ,,nuh anA AZ hinnal
to death. / saw the whip, the instrument
of death. 1t was covered with blood.---
/ saw Evans body. II was decayed and
swollen. The buzzards and hogs were
eating it. 1t had never been buried"
1t is astonishing that man with so
vivid an Imagination could have heart
base enough to fabricate such lie as
that. was not personally acquainted
with Evans; l do not allow myself TO as
sociate with such men. But have seen
him frequently, and know that he was a
drunkard, gambler and thief. He
drank and gambled until his money was
gone, and then broke into a jewelers. store
and stole four or five hundred dollars
worth of watches. He was suspected
arrested, and confessed his guilt. The
watches were found where he SAID they
could be; but on account Of the law re.
jectipg mans confessions, under arrest
as evidence, he was discharged and went
away unmolested, and has frequently
been heard of since. t
Such are the facts in the case. Anc
ms tho black republican party has grown
TO its present enormous proportions by
feeding upon such outrageous lies, tolc
by irresponsible men, to excite the Nortl
against the South, l deem il due 10 my
country, and especially to the good PEG
pie o. Texas, TO contradict this vile Sian
der. 81 rtfa p d IS r-ait
nm a northern man By birth. wa
raised in the State of Michigan, where
lived until 1857. Since that time | hav
lived in the State of Texas. And | cal
say that l never saw a more intelligent
noble, charitable and generous people il
my life. They are not only industrou
and honest, but enlightened, high-minde,
and refined. They have been prosecute,
beyond, it would seem, what human ma
ture could bear; yet they have been yer.
careful that the innocent should not sui
fer, and have treated their enemies wit
a Christian forbearancc. Such are III
people with whom, am proud to say,
live; Notwithstanding the black repubI
cans call them barbarians. AS TO thei
peculiar institution, slavery, / believe
is an institution born of God, sanctione
by our Savior when he was on earth, an
recognized by the constitution Of this RI
public further believe that the slave
in the South are the happiest beings 0
earth; happier than they could be in an
other condition. With these views
Intend TO defend the institution of Africa
slavery 10 the best Of my ability. A
We ask of the republicans is 10 let I
alone, and we will lot them alone.
they do not believe in the morality Of o.
course, let them leave that with us al
our God. / was raised in the North, al
am living in the South; and l spei
what al do know" when | say that,
the northern people understood the ins
tuition Of slavery lit really exists in Z
South, there would be no black repub
can party no abolition party. And Il
sectional division, thai now threatens (
dissolution of the Union, would not
heard Of. have received letters fro
men in Michigan asking if Amtho
statements were true. This is intend
81 ms an answer 10 all such questions. A
u A