The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-30
The knUsy Nothing RevOlassrn-Its MOrs
and Political Aspects.

next.
The knGsy Nothing Rev0lassrn-Its Moral
and Political Aspects.
1t appears frem the Official communication
of the Corresponding Secretary of the National
Know Nothing Council, published in Thurs
day IS HERALD that the roper. of split among
the leaders of the party in this State was I'M
founded, and likewise that the rumors put in
circulation with regard to TIE supposed canvass
or President were destitute OF truth. Mr..
Deshler's assurance will be good news to many
who feared that the new party was being
already weakened 10y divisions produced by
jealousy and rivalry. This was the great
danger to be unprecedented; if the Know No
things eiude it, the rest is certain. Crowds are
fiocking daily to enroll themselves in the ranks.
Already, it is said, nearly two thousand lodges
with a couple of hundred thousand votes are
counted in the State of New York alone; a
similar development has been witnessed in
Virginia; altogether it is not likely that there
are less than $4,000 lodges in the various States
Of the Union. These lodges are mainly COM
posed of respectable men. They ceunt no
bullies or professional election mongers among
chem; bur consist of solid substantial citizens
who are sick of the corrnptons of the old
parties, and seek to restore our politics to a
decent footing.
There are at present two points towards
which he attention of the Know Nothing order
is mainly directed. The first of these is the
defeat OF William H. Seward, candidate for
Senator; the other that of Henry A. Wise, can
didate for Governor of Virginia These two
men, in different ways. may be regarded as
types OF the order of politicians produced by the
present system of corrupt electoneering. The
one sprung in direct lice from the fathers of
corruption in the North; the other is fully
identified with the horribly corrspt admins
tration at present holding Office at Washington
Both toresaw long since that new party basel
on the introduction OF honesty aud morality
into politics would necessarily treat them
enemies; ana both anticipated the inevitable
blow by frank declaration of war against
Know Nothingism. There is no couceament
or room + r guibbing on this point. Either the
Know Nothings must defeat Seward and Wise.
OF Wise and Seward must defeat the Know
Mornings. The importance of the conflict bears
an exact proportion to the consequence of the
States in which it is waged. Ii Wise and
Seward are defeated, the Know Nothing revo-
lu ion will have gone as far as it can go until
the Presidential election; if they are success
full, it will receive check which will materially
retard its progress.
To stop it altogether is impossible The re-
volution whose first ripple broke against the
shores of this country some months ago, is more
than political; it is moral and social; it sweeps
into the home OF the citizen as well as the
hall of the legislator. For twenty years aul
more the old Van Buren, and Seward cliques in
the North have been sedulously engaged in
sacrificing the morals of the nation to political
intrigues. 1t was under their inspiration that
the rum bottle became an essential ingredient
in political movements; that the place of honor
at party councils was allotted to vagabonds
and rowdies; and finally that the business of
governing the country was taken out Of the
hands of the citizens at large and usurped by q
band of corrupt adventures. For when
drunkenness and fighting became inyariable
concomitants of elections quiet respectable citi-
zens could not he persuaded to vote on any
terms. The restraint of their presence removed.
license throve, and electioneering affairs grew
more desperately depraved than ever. It is
beyond doubt that the progress of drunken
ness in this and other States is in great
measure due to the encouragement the vice has
received from political leaders at elections; aud
that the very men who are now clamorous for
Maine Law were among those who by pre-
cept and example helped the bottle go round
till ii has sapped society. Now, ii is the first
cardinal principle of the Know Nothing rgani-
cation to put an end to all this, and to estab
fish thorough divorce between rowdyism
and rum on the one side and politics on the
other Their councils are composed of peacea
BILE orderly men who neither get drunk them
selves nor hire Others to drink and fight
Should they obtain the supremacy throughout
the Union next year. a wonderful change will
be effected at TIE polls The remnants of the
old parties, and the knots of corrupt politicians
which adhere to the present administration will
doubtless pre- serve their ancient characteristics
and their henchmen will be seen rolling in
cutters, while the black bottle will continue to
figure conspicuously on the table whereat their
deliberations are held. But nothing of the
kind will be seen among the Know Nothings
What councils they hold will be sober ones;
what votes they poll will be unaccompanied by
thick sticks, unseasoned with profane language.
and unawed by troops Of shoulder hitters
They will endeavor at AL events to obtain aud
carry on the government of this country with
out the aid Of violence or profigacy.
There is enough in this novelty alone to
ensure the ultimate success Of the revolution
How earnest is the desire of the respectable
portion Of the community to put an end to the
vice which is rampant among US can be seen