The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-20
AFFAIRS IN VENEZUELA.


zation from the Executive. The law is liberal,
and will do doubt be popular one.
The cid Native Americans and the New Party
osrhe Know Nothi~gs-Poiiticai Prospects,
Politicians of all parties, at this crisis, will
rcsd with peculiar interest the instructive MIS-
terical chapter which We publish this morning,
touching tie rise, progress, and temporary sue
cesses of the late outside political organization
known as the Native American party.
From the remains of this party, and from the
ruins Of its narrow platform, the new and secret
political society called the Know Nothings has
suddenly risen into life, exhibiting such signs OF
unity, strength and vitality, as to alarm and
disgust all the orthodox political hucksters, of
both the wing and democratic parties, through
out the country. Anything, therefore, calcu-
lated to enlighten the inquiging mind in re-
gard to the prospective strength and future
movements Of this mysterious fraternity of the
Know Nothings, will doubtless be studied with
all that care and elaboration to which the gPavi-
tyofthe subject isjustly entitled. To this end, in
connection with our chapter Of facts and statis-
tics compiled from the political elections of the
last twenty years, concerning the Native Ameri-
can faction, some passing observations upon the
late Developments respecting the Know No
things, and upon the existing decentralization and
disruption Of the late national wing party, and
the late overwhelming and united democratic
party, may be useful. 1t is manifest that, from
the scattered fragments of both these old,
corrupt, eiiete and disjointed parties, the
Not 10 a
capable of controlling the balance Of power in
all our future elections of any moment, and of
efecting complete revolution in the party po-
litics Of the country in the grand campaign of
1856. Let US consult, then, for moment, the
state of things which surrounds us, and the drift
of passing events
The first announcement to the public of the
existence of this secret society of the Know
Nothings was, we believe, on the occasion OF
the Ninth ward riot Of last July, and the dis
closure was made in the inquiry into the causes
which led to that outbreak Subsequently,
some unexpected results in our November mu-
nicipal elections admonished all concerned that
the Know Nothings were a regularly organized
political association. Meantime, the inf1ammato,
ry anti-Catholic harangues of Gavazzi the
visit of the Popes Nuncio, Bedini, to our
shores, and the scenes Of disorder and violence
which his presence excited in different parts of
the country, resulted in establishing the full
conviction in the public mind that hostility to
the Catholic Church, and particularly to all
ellen born Catholics, was the great cardi-
nal principle of this new political order of the
MI f,.x
ing upon this point, the great procession on
Broadway of the "Order of United Americans
Oh the 22d of February last, and the subsequent
street preaching excitements, to say nothing of
the Know Nothing organs recently established
in this city, Boston, Philadelphia, and elsewhere,
have abundantly furnished the evidence re-
quired. The political objects Of this mysterious
party being thus satisfactorily ascertained,
their secrets yet undisclosed are Of but trifiing
Importance They are probably limited to the
signs and cabalistic phrases Of recognition es-
tablished among themselves, for the purpose of
excluding all uninitiated interlopers from their
meetings, their plans, and political arrange
ments for our forthcoming and future elections
That the Know Nothings are united and
Geliberative political body is conclusively
proved in the nice distinctions which mark the
results of the late municipal elections in New
Orleans, Washington, and Philadelphia. That
they count upon larger, more decisive, and
comprehensive victories than these late achieve
ments, is evident from the Wanting and vain
glorious Civilizations of their newspaper organs
Their continued existence as political body.
and the extent Of their successes, will materi-
ally depend upon the reconstruction of the dis
located factions and fragments OF the late pre-
dominant factions of the Union. The Know
Nothings have thus far been acting with the
wings. and the increase of the whig vote re-
sulting from their cooperation betrays some
accessions from the democratic side of the house.
This may have resulted wholly from the I'M
popularity Of the administration with the party
which brought it into power; or partly from
individual WEAKNESS with old party ties, or
from anti-Catholic prejudices, or other limited
and local causes. But the facts are, that while
the administration has continued thus far to
manage refractory Congress, its whole infu-
ence has been thrown away upon the municipal
elections of Washington and Philadelphia. The
late results in these Cities though scarcely to be
designated as wing victories, are undoubted
democratic and administration defeats, and the
Know Nothings are clearly responsible for the
consequences.
Accordingly, there has been lively "hue
and cry" raised among the organs of the "ter-
rifed democracy"-for they are no longer un-
terrified, North or South. The Washington
Union dencunces this Interpolation of the
Know Nothings into our democratic politics
with considerable alarm, and with much of pa
triotic detestation and adherence. Other
democratic papers join in the echo, while the
little administration free soil soft shell organ of
this city stigmatizes the Irish Catholics as little