The Yazoo City weekly Whig., 1854-09-01
from tue Albany Register
X OW NOTHINGs.
no ARE THEY AND WHAT ARE THEY D8IYrNo

Al i.
4 geod many of The political neuspap
are just now discussing Tie merits and de-
merits Of Che Know Nothings and the prob
able influence which they viii exercise IN
the fall elections. Enough none 81 the Ell
lftors seem to know anything about these
mysterious people. their numbers Or organ-
ization yet al assign to them q position and
q somewhat poetical one-among the polit-
ical entities of these chaotic times. It has
become quite common to discuss the princi-
Eples they profess though nobody appears
to understand with any degree Of elearness
what ansa principles are. Some assert
that the Know Nothings are native born
Americans, sons and grandsons Of reyolu>
tionary sires, who hold the doctrine that a
native born man is just as good and may in
some thingsa little better, than those who
are born q educated under monarchiaI insti-
tutions; that man who was Graded in
Massachusetts,, N. York, or any Of the States
of this Union is quite as likely to be an in
telligent citizen, as good republicansas one
who was rocked in a'the green Isle ofthe
Ocean, : "the brightest gem Of the sea-
and that the speech of an American is
recommendation for official preferment quite
as good as the erich Irish brogue." 9th
ers assert that they are Protestant people
who see dangers in our institutions in sur
rendering the public schools to become the
instrument of sectarian propagadism; who
would restore the Bible as class book in
primary institutions for the instruction of
youth. and make its reading in all our COM
mon schools; people who would not yield
our system of public education to the tens
derness ofthe Roman conscience or place a
large portion Of the public money, raised
by general taxation for educational purpo-
ses atthe disposal Of the Roman priesthood
ofthe country.
We do not pretend to be wiser than our
or to know more about the
Know Nothings" than any body else, but
we have suspicion that this Know Moths
ingism" is neither more or less than the
genuine American and Protestant feeling,
reused into activity and energy by a course
Of action pursued by a set Of political dem~
agogues exceedingly well calculated to give
vitality to sentiment which every inde-
pendant, right minded citizen of this coun-
try has felt and still feels throbbing and
struggling in his own bosom. There is
shapter in the political history Of this State
which no patriotic citizen can study with
out feeling Of indignation. Certain pslit>
cal leaders looking upon the religious pre-
udices ofthe catholic people Of this country
who are Of foreign birth, conceived the idea
IF making these prejudices bond of politi-
cal Union and harnessing them into the ser
vice Of party. In this they succeeded.
And where the catholic naturalized citizens
were thus banded, they we're used as sort
Of body guard. to be hurled against and
crush every body who was in the way of
those who had thus organized them into an
corps. These Catholic voters and
the Irish, were courted and fiat
tered and feasted upon official patronage,
until they came to be to some extent the ru.
ling power Of the state. When the name
Of candidate was proposed for an Office
the question was not as to his merits, his
fitness for the station to which be aspired,
but whether he could command the Irish
vote. Ii he could not be was thrust aside,
and some other, in whose elements Of
strength could be enlisted, preferred before
him. Everything and every body was sac
rifced to the Irish or the Catholic influence
until the political aspirant, no matter what
his intellectual or moral excellence might
be, if a native born citizen was driven. If
be would be successful, to the deniel Of his
and Reputation Of bis
faith.
Every resident Of The cities and large
towns where the people were thus ought
to be propitated mainly congregate knows
the truth Of this. They too knew and felt
is truth and they ayailed themselves 70 the
utmost of their power By clamoring FOR
patronage. and claiming allthe minor Offices
going Those who organized Them and
welded their influence, became not only
powerful but arrogantin their power; wiel-
ding this tremenduoUs influence, they assn.
med The right of dictasion and exercised i
until not only The American but the Prote-