The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-12

The Knov-Nothing Chinese .Piatfsrm FOR the
Presiaency-John M. CiaSton's Pronuncaa-
mento.
From the development. Of the recent political I
elections, it is abu dainty NANTES. that the
Know. Nothings are power in the land, and
that, IS a new and Independent political organ
ization, they are in the held for the Presi-
dency.
The speech delivered the Other day in De-
laware by the Hon. John M. Clayton which we
putqish this morning, oreshadows, uudoubted-
1y, the programme Of = is my terious order, Of
which be is the chief, for the great contest Of
1885, It is the double istilled and concentrat-
ed quintessence Of native -Americanism, and
the epidemic bids fair to 60 on and eliminate
in the Presidential electi n. The fusion of the
wings Of Delaware into this extraordinary
movement, is, in this connection, most signif-
cant fact It signifies the absorption Of the bulk
of the Southern whig party into the party of
the Know Nothings. Toere are very decided
symptoms in the present political agitation in
Virginia to this effect The dem cratic papers
in that State appear, in fact, to regard the Goa
lition as already virtually accomplished, and
are ereadfully frightened at the prospect Of
wholesale slaughter f ON sortie from the in
visible enemy in ambush.
The projkt Of Francis Granger for re-or-
ganization of the national wing party on the
New York silver gray platform, meets with
little favor in the South The silver grays
though conservative upon other points in regard
to Southern slavery, stand in open hostility to
the repeal Of the Missouri compromise; and
leading Southern journals say this will never
do. The silver grays, then, will have no other
alternative than conjunction with the Know
Nothing coalition of John NJ. Clayton in oppo.
sition to the Northern anti slavery alliance OF
w. II. Seward.
The Clayton platform, on the other hand, is
so thoroughly impregnated with the worst
features of the old exploded and obsolete doc
trines of Native Americanism, that we suspect
it will not be quite SO popular IS he supposes it
will be. He goes for American in preference to
foreign labor" American mechanics, American
manufactures, American navi cation, American
commerce, and above all, American agricul-
ture. 81 am for American breadstufs," he says,
land an American market for them"
This platform revives the exploded protective
system of Mr.. Clay, in all its bearings, and
good deal more American manufactures can
only have the monopoly of our home market by
the absolute prohibition Of foreign manufac
lures, and American breadstuffs exclusively
will require the same interdict against
foreign agricultural products. Establish these
prohibitions, and we shall, of course, have
an exclusively American commerce, and
an American navigation-our commerce
with all the rest Of the world being cut
of. All imports, then, from abroad being
interdicted by prohibitory laws, the re-
venues from the customs will cease our Gus
tom houses will have to be changed into bar
racks for the detective coast guard against
smugglers, and the seventy five millions of dol
lars year now drawn from the tariff upon i'm
ported goods, and all required for the current.
and contingent expenses of the government, will
have to be raised by direct taxation of atleast
q hundred millions, directly from the pockets Of
the people.
At the same time the stringent laws fbresha-
dowed in this Clayton platform against foreign
ers and foreign immigration purpose little less
than the Chinese system of exclusion of all
"outside barbarians." In fact, the programme
Of the Delaware statesman involves the practi-
cal introduction into the United States of the
ancient commercial and political system of
Chinese isolation including Chinese wall
along our Canadian frontier, and another, in
lieu of the Pacific Railroad, along our Mexican
boundary.
Such is the Know Nothing programme, as
enunciated from their Delaware chief, Joha NJ.
Clay ton. It is america for the Americans"
precisely after the Chinese model of China for
the Cinnamon. Itproposes to throw our present
beautiful political and commercial system of
American civilization, refinement and progress
back into the monstrous and horrible despotism
of the elbow barbarans of China. If such
platform-so revolving to civilized man, so
monstrous, and SO utterly preposterous and alb
surd, in this age Of free trade and free inter-
course among civilized na,ions-does not "crush
out" the Know Nothings and their champion
in 1856, 1t will be because they will have aban-
doned him. and repudiated his abominable pro-
nunciamento, in the interval.
This Clayton platform, however, furnishes |
the key to the organization Of great Ameri-
can party, in principles and in fact, as well as
in name-a party with the federal constitution
as'its basis, and with the Union, the peace of |
the Union, the harmony Of the people, and the
advancement of the country in all the arts Of
peace, the elements Of power, and the sinews
of war. The two old parties Of the last TWEEN
ty-five years are not only defunct, but their |
dead carcasses have become offensive to the |
nostrils of the people. The Know Nothings |
have led off with q new party upon the Chi
nese platform. Who leads the way for Con-
stitutional American partyi The coast is