Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-31
SECRET PoLIrICs.

Secret political societies must necessarily
become criminal in a republican government.
No matter what principles may form the basis
Of the original association--no matter what OBJ
jects may be entertained at 6rst-the associa-
ton must either be destroyed, or become des-
potic and tyrannical. Secret organizations, de-
Gliding public questions with closed doors and
compelling the votes of its members by oaths
and obligations must Of necessity, make war
not only on republican principles, but upon all
the uses, habits, and customs which make re-
publican institutions practicable.
There are some persons who complain that
secret organization has made war on our
adopted citizens, and on those who adhere to
the Catholic Church 1t is wrong to excite
hostilities between our native and adopted citi-
zens. 1t is doubly wrong to foment religious
hate between the Protestants and Catholics;
but that evil, great as it may be, is not the
greatest evil which may come from the womb of
the new order. Secrecy-a hidden, covert and
carefully concealed purpose-made effective
and active by secret, hidden, covert, and
carefully concealed organization is the horrible
and detestible thing which true republicans
have to deal with
That organization makes war upon foreign
ers now-it makes war on Catholics now; but
how long will it con6ne itself to that warfare9
Indeed, has it not already gone far beyond
those narrow Timits7 Has it not already taken
| other matters under its care? Has it not al
ready interfered in local elections, and chosen
men to carry out local purposes? No man at
all acquainted with public affairs will give any
but affirmative answers to these questions.
But, if negative answers could be truly given,
such answers would not avail; they would not
avail, for the reason that if the secret organi-
cation has not done these things already, it
must of necessity, from compulsion inherent
| in its structure and indispensable to its ex-
istence, do them very soon.
We do not make war upon secret organiza-
tons only because Of the measures they may
have put forward. We make war upon them
now, and mean to struggle against them to
the bitter end, because Of the. method of
their organization. We will not, in this con-
nection, dispute as to what may constitute
republican princples-as to what laws the
people of the United States ought to sustain
or ought to condemn. We believe that there
are certain ideas Of public conduct and GER
tain principles Of party association, which
are indispensably and absolutely necessary, to
the success and permsnency Of republican in.
stitutions and to the healthy action of republi.
can principles.
First and foremost amongst these we would
place the right Of the people to know the can
didates for Office, and to be informed Of Their
moral, personal, and political character. Un
less that information is granted them, they
must vote in the dark; and they have no op
portunity afforded them Of making their i'm
press on their own legislation. The man who
would accept Office which he had obtained By
lodging an investigation Of his character ant
of his principles, would be selfconeicted o
that degree of personal infamy which woult
Justify an honorable man in refusing to take
} his testimony or in denying him any persona
, or social privilege. Yet the Secret Societ,
which has recently sprung up amongst us, no
( only advocates and enjoins such conduct
but administers such oaths as may carr.
into effect its anti-republican requirements.
Freedom ofspeech and of the press, and tn
n Importance of public discussion, are held to b
g 1.-The chief safeguards Of Republication. Blu
- H. 10Th v,otb,oo polooo c;tsxcna hc fra
d To listen, to read, and TO form their own cor
a cksions from what they have read and heard
o Tn, secret association will not permit that.
!, will allow its deluded adherants to hear and
# read but then it binds them by illegal OATH
It not TO act from the dictates Of their judgement
IS not to be influenced by what they may hav
o seen or by what they may have heard, but
L obey the behests and execute the commands I
q a secret and irresponsible bal, which has hi,