For the Defiance Democrat.

Mr. J.J. Greene--
Sir: Permit me, through the medium of your paper, to correct certain falsehoods made by the Know Nothing candidate, P.S. Slevin, for Prosecuting Attorney for Defiance County, in a speech made at Hicksville a short time since. Perhaps the term Know Something would suit his taste better; if so, I have no quarrel about names, the principles of both are the same and work well in unison, having for their grand object the proscription of Foreigners, and all who are opposed to their midnight treason against the Liberties of the People, and the pulling down the great Bulwark and Shield of American Freedom, the Democratic Party. This P.S. Slevin, the better to cover his treacherous designs upon the People's rights, stated, as I am credibly informed, at a meeting in Hicksville, "That the Pro-Slavery Democratic party of Defiance county, and the Know Nothings, had united together at Defiance to defeat his election." This was denied by a prominent Democrat present, to which Mr. Slevin replied, "That Colonel Sprague had informed him that such was the fact-- that the Democratic County Convention, held on the 8th of September, was presided over by Know Nothing officers, and that to the number of seven or eight Know Nothings participated in the meeting." In answer to the above charge, I pronounce it a base falsehood; I never informed Slevin, or any other person, that a single Know Nothing participated in the Convention, and, in fact, to my knowledge, no such connection exists; but, on the contrary, the Democratic party repudiates, and on all political occasions refuse admission to the councils of noble Democracy of Defiance county, any who sympathize with that midnight order. It is true that some members of the Democratic party had been induced to go into their Councils, but only for the purpose of satisfying themselves of their base designs.-- But when they were initiated into the secrets and witnessed something of the height and depth of its iniquity, the solemn mockery of its rituals, the completeness of tyranny, its fiend-like indifference and its utter disregard for moral honesty, they knew what to detest, and turned their backs upon the fiends that sought their pollution, and wheeled into line with old, tried and staunch Democracy of Definace County. If these are the kind of Know Nothings the gentleman meant, he will find himself opposed by a whole regiment of deserters from the den of Know Nothings in Defiance County, who will, with the true friends of Freedom and Equal Rights, entirely overthrow and put to flight the mongrel Know Nothing, Know Something, Disunion Abolition parties, who have come together in Defiance County under the assumed and stolen name of "Free Democracy," with whom this P.S. Slevin, who traitorously deserted the Democratic party after it had given him all the influence and respectability he ever had, joined himself to, affiliates and sympathises with, and makes stump speeches in favor of this incestuous connexion for the reward of being elected Prosecuting Attorney for Defiance County.

The Democracy have a good man in the field, who will be elected over this political renegade, P.S. Slevin, triumphantly, and scatter ot the four winds of Heaven these combined forces of midnight conspirators.

S.S. Sprague
Defiance, O. October 1, 1855.

Defiance (Ohio) Democrat, October 6, 1855.

Copyright © 2007 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.