St. Louis (MO) Republican, "The Whig's Niggers," March 31, 1863

       From the Quincy Herald

     THE WHIG'S NIGGERS.  

   The facts in this case as related by Wash. Minter, an intelligent contraband, and one of the party, are these: Himself and eight others, whose former masters had deserted them for situations in Price's army, concluded, as they had been left to take care of themselves, they would do it, and left Hannibal for this city. While on the way they were attacked by a gang of ruffians numbering about fifteen, one of whom levelled a pistol at Wash's head and demanded his arms.––[Whig.

   "A lie well stuck to is as good as the truth"––so long as the perpetrator is not caught in it: and were the article from which we cut the above a shade less barefaced, we might have taken no notice of it. The fact is this: Wash. Minter, in whose story our sympathetic neighbor places so much confidence, was never owned by a rebel master, but is the "chattel" of Mrs. Carter, a highly respectable lady, whose husband has been in his grave for years. The character of this "intelligent contraband" is about as good as such characters usually get. He can hardly be considered a contraband, as he has had the use and profit of his own labor for some time past. He left a good mistress, whose only remark when he left was, "If he can do better elsewhere, let him go."––Five of this gang of runaways belong to Judge Porter, a man whose loyalty and patriotism were never impeached. Two of them belong to R.F. Lakenan, whose sympathies are and ever have been with the rebel cause. The others, some fifteen in number, are the property of Mayor Stillwell, whose loyalty is unquestionable. 

   The skedaddling of these negroes, and their conduct since their arrival here, proves that they have forsaken good homes and kind treatment only to receive the "cold shoulder" form their abolition seducers, and become a burden to themselves and the community in which they intended to locate. Twenty-five of them left Hannibal in a gang, and are now the cause of much excitement and ill-feeling in this city. The story of their being attacked and robbed by white men is a base fabrication––at least we have it so far from an eye-witness, whose words is better than the oaths of a thousand negroes.