The following letter was promised to our readers a long time since, but was unavoidably set aside at the time, and is published now from the desire to fulfill the first promise, and to give a more correct impression of colored Americans in the United States, and especially of those in the places designated, than has hitherto been given to our Canadian readers through such a medium:

The Canadian Refugees' Own Narrative,

by Benjamin Drew.

  Since the great pecuniary profit to the authoress and publishers of Uncle Tom's Cabin, numerous aspirants for fame and "tin" have been, and are actively employed in getting up, "producing," and multiplying works, in some way or other, relating to colored people; and so swelling the bulk of what is now known as "Fugitive Literature."

  Some have said Uncle Tom's Cabin does not suit them,—especially those liable to a doubt of originality in themselves,—and that a thing to be indisputable, should be fresh and unvarnished (that is the term) for the fugitives themselves. Others see in such productions, a ready sale; and that quick profits are to be realized from the well-filled purses of a sympathizing public. Latterly, the colored people of these Provinces have been visited by women and men, not a few, who, looking forward to the recompense, and who thinking—

scruple not to wander in and out, and in the name, without much claim to the pure spirit of philanthropy, as their publications show, unless such proceedings can be justified on the principle that man may do evil that good may come; visit people, colored and white, making their intention known to the latter, but generally keeping from the fugitives their design to scatter broadcast their conversations, names, and residences. The whole proceeding is reprehensible in the highest degree, and we are satisfied is most unpleasant to the fugitives themselves.

  As earnestly as we hope to see, and work for the overthrow of American Slavery, we would most emphatically condemn a resort to such modes to effect it, even could publishers and others, interested in the sale of such books, convince us that nothing but the most disinterested generosity prompted the motive: a cause that must resort to such means for support, in view of the common sense and common usage of society, must be in a sad plight. But we do not believe it.

  The sinfulness of American Slavery is too evident; does not need Mr. Drew's book, Mrs. Knox's long-looked for one of the "same sort," with their detail of names in full, residences, and wholesale voluntaries, by the authors themselves, or by parties in Canada interested; one of the great benefactors of the fugitives, Hiram Wilson of the British American Institute at Dawn; of the great work of Messrs. Scoble and Henson; the former of the two being, we are told, the party who holds the Dawn by "lease and re-lease; and the puff of the Refugees' Home," looking for all the world as if that had been added by C.C. Foote, of Detroit, or some other brother who gets twenty-five per cent of the thousands begged. We challenge Mr. Drew, and the whole company, to get, first, from any number of respectable fugitives in St. Catharines, or in Canada, an endorsement of his statement regarding the great need of the Hiram Wilson Mission. He nor any other living man can do it!!! The whole affair is a grand deception, and has been from the beginning, and if he or friends dispute the point, we will volunteer to have our statement confirmed by the fugitives of the place, en masse, the influential among whom have not only urged us, from time to time, to publish the true state of things, but who, when they can get a friend far enough away from the coat skirts of the missionary (?) to prevent his personal influence, as a white man with white men, from weighing down their facts, by his bare assertions, are ready to say so, and glad to do the same for their own personal and collective interests.

  Where, we would like to know, of Mr. Drew, can he or any one else find such a thing as the British American Institute? No such institute exists, and he well knew it if he knew anything about it,—neither would he get from any fugitive in Canada, of veracity, an endorsement of his statement respecting the Scoble and Henson efforts—it is very strange that his book should support in detail, those men and measures, that the fugitives as one man condemned, through the papers of the United States, as well as Canada, and can only be reconciled, on the probability of a direct understanding between the author and those men, in this country, known to the fugitives as their enemies only.

  That statement, good readers, about the Dawn being held by Mr. Scoble, by "lease and re-lease," will excite a smile from every man in Canada, colored and white, who has heard Mr. Scoble's statements in public. The fugitives in Chatham, the people of Detroit, and at Dawn, have been told by the occupant that it was held by him, and would be afterwards, by "his heirs and assigns," in trust, not for the colored people at all, but simply held! The white citizens of Chatham remember when, by public proclamation of the Reeve, they were called together to examine into the charge made through "friend" Scoble's man "Friday"—friend Henson—that by exercising then legal right to hold a Convention at Dawn, the "negroes" were said to threaten the person and "property" of this said Scoble, namely, this property that Mr. Drew says is held by "lease and re-lease."

  Readers, there is a little colored government school at Dawn; the Trustees of which are colored men, and Messrs. Scoble nor Henson have nay more to do with it than you or I; that, can hardly be worth dignifying with the name of British American Institute. The latter, had a sort of ephemeral existence, just long enough to make trouble, and the name has been flying about sufficiently long to induce some men, who like on public occasions to sing—

"Funny, honey, sonny, money,"

to help to get about thirty thousand dollars; but the fugitives!—dear souls—have not even seen the "pile!" The men of the Refugees Home, and fugitives elsewhere, who are reported to have spoken, are said to be under some misapprehension. Men known to colored people of this County, as tyrants, and as beggars by profession, for this institution, that Home, and the other pretended Mission, are be-praised without stint by Mr. Drew. One is almost led to believe that by special consultation of the begging fogies, that portion of the work so lavish in commendation of themselves was undertaken!

  But, untruthful reference to the workings of those men who have clearly had their day of mischief, is but the minor part of the work! The giving in full, name and place, is so contemptible, so clearly in violation of every appearance of "good taste," that something so highly appreciated by white men, and is such a violation of the confidence placed in the author, by every sensible colored man, that terms are insufficient to express the full measure of censure due to him. Were the case of these colored people, that of white men, no epithets would be too severe to apply to the man who could thus, in the name of philanthropy, win their acquaintance, and without leave or license, sell the result of the same, for greedy gain; at the same time, that he will prostitute his pen to the foul purpose of volunteering an increase of the begging evils, against which they have so long protested, by recommending to a partially—informed public, contributions for a day or two; or to certain Missions only; or, indirectly the British American Institute; or, it may be, the Refugee's Home Lands! For old clothes, &c., he dare not ask, for the reason, that upon that point, the public have made up their mind; but for these other things, and especially the Institute, so called, there is not yet the information to satisfy the public, although the fugitives have condemned them time and again, except the Dawn Institute, which now comes out, dusted and whitewashed, as the British American again, and served up in a new book with colored covers. This Institute, suggested by Hiram Wilson, too! What are we to have next? Is Mr. Wilson to take charge of the Institute, as Missionary, in case his conduct at St. Catharines should become so insufferable that a residence on his farm and mansion at Dawn (bought, by the way, from supposed services to fugitives, by the English people) would be desirable? and especially as factor, or whatever you please, for Mr. Scoble? who holds the second Deed, given by the Rev. Mr. Wilson, to one and the same hundred acres of the Dawn lands, though given, of course, to different parties; particularly, too, would this residence be desirable, should the party who 'holds by lease and re-lease,' not be able to stay thereon. Oh shame! where is thy blush!! Oh canting, whining hypocrisy!!! And you, colored people, God help you!