The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-09-01
KNOW NOTuINcs.

ountry, for purely political purposcs- 4 y
lace Of meeting is secret--the neI|Ij N /
heir of6cers are sccret--the lme11I| ~
'nknown--and in short, oqtsi||6ya e
Know Nothings" SO far ss ~
and workings of the order stI Ia |
With this veil of my,ts9y
hem we are groping ID tho a. j b. - ~ b
attempt any opinion or theIr s1pcI1 ~ or
an expose OF their objects, W1>.k 51rlinzII
tinctly understood byo@ rc&ttyI
not a member of the ORDER nj.
that such an organizstido h1s
mont County, we merel, gd>b9<
pies from the lips of Ma3ame h n : /, \
To political secret soGetie1 q IA Ia
we are opposed, and really b>I|9t6 }l2.y When
they have nothing to contend " biit urdi.
nary, honest eectionssring, nd 10 object in
view except the elevation ofm<a, Without
regard to principles, tdofhce, thst shey will
not only accomplish ogood, bptsbe produc-
tive Of much evil. There are circumstances,
however, which would seem to Justify Just
such an organization as we conceive the
Know Nothings to be. 1t is aimed to put
down all demagogical electioneerng schemes,
and to elevate none but ppse mea .ts Office.
To these principles no honest man can OBJ.
ject in the present order OF things, for under
the rule of parties as they have existed in
times that are past, shrewd, designing Of
flee seeker can, by energy and prudence, so
work his wires that he can control by unfair
means, an immense power at the ballot box.
Assisted by his well-drilled friends, he cat
pack Conventions to secure a nomination,
and being nominated, he can, to a great ex-
tent, control the votes of the community by
his demngogical mnnoeuvreing, and political
chicanery. Now no one will for a moment
hesitate to say that something should be
done to put stop to this giant evil. 1t
might, with propriety, be questioned whether
secrecy is the best mode Of stoppin this evil,
were there no other objects in the Know
Nothing organization. But this Is but moi
ETY. Of what they propose to do. About 800
years ago Gin l64O) Roman Calhel,c monk
organized the order of Jesuitss "a order of
known political objects, and whose cardinal
principle was--Get poper--honestly if you
can--forcibty If you must. What rendered
this order infinitely worse, was it professed
religion. 1t really
"Stole the livery OF the court Of fHeaven
To serve the Devil in"
it is to counteract the influence of this or.
ganzat;on that the Know Nothings are said
to be organized. To overthrow Its rapidly
increasing influence, and counteract its inn
mense power. This, they think is best ac-
complshed by secret means, and that they
can awe the Jesuits into quiescence by fright
ening them. They know not
"Where the bolt will strike, Or how"
and they feel as if walking upon a powder
magazine.
1t is objected to the Know Nothings that
they seek to set up a religious test,--that
they prescribe form Of religion, and sacri-
flee all its followers. This, If we are cor
rectly informed, they do not do They allow
Roman Catholics the same privilege of wor-
shipping God "ac cording to the dictates of
their own consciences" hat any other de-
nomination enjoys, it is only where they re-.
fuse to honor our government, and our laws
above The canons Of the Pope that they are OF
jected to. 1t is no objection to them that
they worship God in peculiss' manner, but
it is an objection that they NpfshI pan in
a foreign cline as better than zeat s6vern-
ment, or our laws. This the Know Nothngs
are opposed to, and ,heylsay, 70 effect, that
no Roman Catholic shall hold an Office Of
honor, profit, or trust. The reason Of this Is,
they cannot swear allegiance to tn nqyern-
ment without menIal reservation a 1avor Of
the Pope. Who then blames the Kno,o
Nothings for thus fixing themselves in oppo-
stion 10 a system Of political religion that
has proved the curse and bane Of every land
upon the face OF the earth where it has OBJ
tained the control of affairs of State!
But the great bugbear of this organization
the huge, mountainous objection that dem
agogues cannot get over, is that its members
do not meet the foreigners at their landing
on our shore and on their knees receive them
into this "land of liberty"-"this home Of
the oppressed"- refuge for the exile"
Directors to The organization say that its
members carry their prescription of foreign
ers 50 far that poor Irish servant girls will no
longer be allowed place in the kitchen. 1t
10 needless to say that this is but the idle
twaddle of political soreheads, who, about
election times, profess unbounded love for
that "yicn Irish brogue" and "sweet German
accent" The Know Noihings respect, and