The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-12-23
For The Cecil Hhig.
KNOW NOTHINGISM;
PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

NTeat popular movements IN their lnclpl-
cnt stages seldom indicate. however d;mlv,
the power which characteristics their full de,
v>lopelncnt The restless uplcavings Of the
popular mind in their first crude formations
present to the casual observer such fantastic
shapes, that he is apt to look upon them as
the mere foam and bubbles OF the ever rolling
sea, which the next wave will scatter and
carry back with its rcccding flow. The
French Revolution. which in its relative in
fiucncc upon the world Of ioitics stands first
among the great movements which have dis
turbcd the order of society. was but rahLlc
mob of the sans cliottes of Paris. The Eng
liSh Revolution of 1910, which began by
'expecting from The King alone the redress
of all grievances" ended by the cxccutoncl
holding up the head of that same King before
tine people, and exclaiming, "this is the head
of traitor A dozen men tumbling over.
board the tea boxes into Boston harbor was
but faint index Of that heroic spirit whic h
declared 'thcse colonies free and indrpcn-
dcnt;' and Of the fifty-six brave, hopeful
hearts who signed the Declaration Of hide
pcndenee. it may fairly be presumed that not
one half ever dreamed, that the final result
of that days work would be the great system
OF civil, religious and political liberty under
which we now live. The first stepi in great
political movements is one of impulse rather
than design: but that first step taken, new
and broader road opens before the half-hcsi
tating advcnturcrs, while circumstances push
them forward toward goal, which their va
guest conjcctures had never reached before.
The petition for redress of grievances is al
most always the immediate precursor of open
war, and demands, which in their inception
might have been easily satisfied, soon attain
an Importance which precludes the possbili-
ty, and scorns the mention of Compromise.
Seldom have these distinguishing charac.
teristics of great movements been more clear
ly discernable, than in the one now attracting
such large share of public attention in this
country Known to the nimtia'cl by the
rather bite Observation-Disclosures.
A mere ld1Korganizaton- with n
view to correct the abuses in the appointment
of municipal officers in the larger cities of
the Union, Which had reached such pitch
that security for life and property had be-
come a mere chimcra-has in a few months
become great National party, unrestraincd
by sectional limits or political crecds, tramp
ling down Abolitionism in Boston and Dis
union in New Orleans and consianng Wings
and Democrats to the one common grave of
eternal oblivion. Numerous have been the
solutions Of this political Sphynx- problem
and causes, in endless variety, assigned for
the overwhelming progress Of know-nothing-
ism; but as well might the Tyro, who has
just mastered his A. B. c.. attempt to decy-
phcr the hicroslyphics of Egypt by his
knowledge of the English alphabet, as the
vcriest Rabbn, skilled in all the disgusting
| re Of party chicancry, expect to understand
the operation Of u principle having for its
object anything higher than the hope of
Public Plumber"
When the peculiar feature of this new
platform was first made known. men were
cautious in tinir enforcement of it, They
saw in it an clement potent both for good and
evil. That foreign influence was boldly at
work in TIE political affairs of this country,
sitting the honest aud undoubtcd expression
Of popular intelligence demanding from the
party in whose favor it was thrown the most
INSCRIPTIONS cXactions, doing the jackal $
work but Selling the lions sharc-inl,lsil..
its disgusting poison throughout the whole
political system, until il became one putri,l
mass of corruption-setting i,sclfup at public
sale in shc market place, and in a word rem
drring popular Suffrage a NEE d$gracefui
blrlcsque-that all this was known and felt
by large majority Of the people, there can
be no doubt. But with all this knowledge,
men still hcsitatcd to define strict line OF
demarcation. They knew that an issue di.
rect between the native and foreign popula,
ton was a thing to be deprecated, as well
on account Of its socialas its political results
Thus thousands of persons who forcsaw the
evil shects of foreign influence, and gave Their
unqualified appreciation to the principle that
Americans should govern America" still
hesitatcd to commence the warfare, hoping
that some plan less Objectionable, might be
originated. But no sooner were the fest
steps taken in this movcmcnt-albeit, 10y thos,
who might well have been presumed to be in
huenced entirely by motives Of self prcscrva'
ton, in that they sought the security of thci
lives AMI property by the selection of capaLl.
municipal otiiccrs--than the whole force Of
party influence was arraycd against its pro
jcctors, dcnouncing them as anarchists anc
traitors. The pandering to foreign avarc'
and foreign vanity, which had been hereto
fore but by-play, now become the singh
scene in the drama, and the issue which
cautious men had dreaded and avoided wa
forced upon them by gambling politicians
who boldly declared, "elcct lis to Office ant
foreigners shall govern America" This issu
once made there was no longer any time 70
hesitation. 1t was to be expected of mel
whose whole lives had been a desperate rattle
| mn bnDor r,n,,t.t;o,, o,1 ,vnry 1.;rtra n