The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-02

the Know Noehings-uAslesf An9 Pussaic
Opinion. Est@
One Of the most extraordinary anomalies in
the politics Of the Jay il the b. Armonious hos
tility Of the democrl tic spoi As and secession
organs Of the Soath, and the Seward and abo-
lition organs Of the North, the new, mystic
rious and terrible par y OF the Know Nothings-
True, these ultra Southern i. and ultra Northern
journals according to heir geographical To-
calisy, assail the Know Nothinga from opposite
directions; but they are working as despe-
rately in common ause as The allies at Sc
bastopol with the Russians swarming all
around them.
The Washington Union, the Ricbm nd En-
quireT, and the Laxieson -Mercury- he first
and second the pecial Southern organs of the
spoiis coalition Al Washington, and the third
half and half 81 ciisman and secessionist-
the forlorn hop against the Know Nothings in
the South. ] he Seward organs in this State,
the anti-slav Try National Era at Washington,
and Lloyd iar1ison's infdel abolition Li6era-
tor at Bos' on, head the allies in the North.
The Union and its echoes assailing the Know
Nothings On tie Southern side attack
them as an anti,slavery party, as the Gin
troduc IL m of secret abolition party into the
South;' while Lloyd Garrison dec ares in
his Ii 6erato of yesterday, that he is
'satisf ed, so far as the nation at large is con-
cerne /, that the Know Nothing movement is to
be pl astic in the hands of the slave power, and
will be moulded to suit its own evil designs
agai INST the cause of universal emancipation
Thi is strong language, and Garrison is
chr swd observer of passing events with all his
TO cality. But the Cabinet organ at Washing
tc is Just as decided on the other tack, in its
eclaration that this same Know Nothing move
| ,nent "has superseded ard intensified the aboli-
ton party, by building up an organization con-
trsiled by abolition sentiments, political pro-
scriI ton, and religious in olerance.'
Now it is impossible tina Garrison md the
Cabinet organ can both be RICH. Both may
be WI, ng and both are wrong 1t is abundant
ly manifest, from the official Know Nothing
platform which we published substantially yes
terday, in the proceedings OF Their late Massa-
chusctts banquet that this new party is neither
a slavery nor al anti-slavery party; that it is
sold neither to the one side nor to the other;
but that upon he slavery question its policy,
as national party, is the safe and sound policy
Of non.interventon. l platform is adherence
TO the Constitution, to the rights Of the South
under the Constitution, and the rights of the
States oil Of which will be respected ia
national campaign in the simple policy Of non
Intervention.
The Cabinet organ informs us that the Know
Notbings have mot yet chosen single Union
wbig or Union democrat to the national legis-
lature;" but that they have defeated some OF
the most.fearless and self-sacriiic;ng spirits iu
the North" Now, VIVA are the facts After
the perlous agitation Of the slavery question
had been closed by the compromise acts of
| 1850; after continual peace had been promised
to and expected by the country in the election
Of Pierce, rom the most positive assurances
tibet he would labor faithfully to maintain the
peace which had been secured, what do we find ?
| In desperate effort to wash off the stains o
his free soil Affiliations, we find Gen. Pierce
opening anew the box of Pandora, and scatter
ing its mischiefs broadcast over the country.
Tie has been punished for it., and his unfsrtu-
nate spoilsmen who hoped to find refuge be-
hind the cousttutionality of the Nebraska bill
have been punished as his instruments.
Under honest auspices, the Nebraska bill
might have sustained itself, even in the North,
upon the sound doctrine of popular sovereign
ty but in this instance the thing was q juggle
for Southern political capital, trick to cover
up the blunders Of the administration in the
hue and cry" Of the Northern anti-slavery so
| cieties And the trick has failed. II [" fearless
and self-sacrfcing men," who voted for the Ne
braska bill, have been inundated by the Know
No,hings, it is because those I" fearless" mes
were the tool Of the administration, and no.
because Of their vote upon the principles
Of the bill. A paramount object OF
the Know Nothings is to ''crush out" this pre-
sent imbccile spoils administration, and so,
wherever its instruments could be pinned, they
have pinned them to the wall, like curious bugs
and beetles in showman's case. The abstract
question of slavery had little or nothing to do
with this new party in thus transfxing the ed
ministration candidates. The Know Nothings
were dealing with the administration, and their
argument was the argumentum ad hon,insm
Nothing more.
| But the Presidents spec al mouth-piece AMI
its southern satellites are deceiving the South,
in their representations that the Know Nothings
have invariably sustained the Anti-Nebraska
against the Nebraska candidates for Congress
The case OF Thomas H. Benton is q striking
example to the contrary. He occupied in the
House the position Of the Achilles Of the ene-
mics of the Nebraska bill. He was defeated
Of reelection by the Know Nothings of his
| district who voted in solid body against him.
They recognized in him powerful instrument
in behalf Of the projected Northern anti-slavery
league, and so they crucifed him; because, next
to the administration, this anti-slavery league
stands in the way Of the Know Nothing schedule
for the Presidency. They are thus clearing the