The daily union., 1854-12-20
SECRET POLITICS DEFENDED.

II is thing to hear the presumed objects Of
knownothngism defended, but it is entirely hear
any respectable person defend the character of its
ganization Yet this novelty exhibited Monday in
the House of Representatives Of the United States where
darkness attempted to be made light by Mr. Banks of
Massachusetts,. His attempt said yesterday,
most wretched failure and it would have been nothing bet
ter than that had he undertaken with the intellect
of Webster lie have felt the hopelessness of his task
amidst all the inconsistent weaknesses with which he strug
gled through his speech He will feel it more and more
with the lapse of time He will forget 1t and when
in little while the order shall have vanished like an
exhalaton came he will refer to his Mondays defence
oft with mingled emotions of astonishment and shame
He ought to have been saved from such sacrifice of him
self His old democratic impulses ought to have held him
back His popular sympathes should have checked him.
His political tact and information should have admonished
him of his danger He lives in Massachusetts, He should
have remembered the Ursune Convent there and the sec
committee which, Of night off he6gurehead
Of United States rgate Constitution He is reader of
the Bible and he should know that linen love darkness rather
than light because their deeds evin He is native
of New England and he ought not have forgotten the
Hartford Conventon which the political grave of so
many New England statesmen. That was a conclave in
which attempted to be made sacred by
throwing it the mantle of religion. An abomnable
conclave the historian describes it, whose first resou-
ton was that its meetings should be opened by prayer the
next intensely cabasc that the involable secrecy
should be observed by each member Of the convention in
cudng the secretary to all propositions debates and
proceedings and the third that not even the oorkeeper
messenger assistant should be made acquainted with
the proceedings Has Mr. Banks thundeed before
democratic assembly against the treason of the
Hartford Convention Has he observed how il has
been condemned by public opinion and how palaton
of it possible because its doings secre Has he
never read the edifyng confession of Mr. OTIS tits putavc
father that hereafter similar associations for political pur-
poses will be inexpedient unwse and impolitic?n How
them could he have copied that bad example? How could
he have arrayed himself in the caso garments of Massa
chuses federalism and have sought to justify similar
associations forpoitical purposes" all the Union?
Mr.. Banks claims that secret opinions the right Of
the citizen He is not obliged to divulge his political
views He may keep silence he may speak out upon all
public questions and hence he argues that he is per-
feet liberty to join Others in organization
troll the government The argument is puerile Why
even, matter of law, ndpdual action is broadly dsn-
gushed in the courts from associated action There is
distinction, too, between thinking and acting mans
thoughts his own but when he to put them in
practice he is responsible for them to the community But
the full and obvious this whole system of
politics is that where the people have deep interest and
required to act they have moral right also to the
means ofnfornng themselves to act correctly The
order looks to political power II seeks affect not
itself only but the whole public Why, then should not
the public know what IT processes and whom 1t means to
ustY Why should it mature its plans in the dark and
concentrate its power upon candidates who are known
such till they elected Is this republcanism Is
it not rather attempt to turn against repubcanism
the very immunities and privileges which it has it.
self established? The right of free speech under this
order, becomes only the privilege Of silence. free
press is regarded dangerous institution. The
right to assemble peaceably practically deserted for the
sake of secret concaves and midnight combinations Our
fathers looked upon these things very differently They
never dreamed that in this country would deliberate
y run array from their constitutional immuniies that they
would hide in the dark from open debate and unmuz
zled press that they would fly into underground meet
ngs while yet the amendment of the constitution was be-
fore hem which secured to them the privilege of meeting
ADORE ground S less did the patriots of the revolution
imagine that the floor of Congress politics would
come to be defended political right Not for any such
right as That did our fathers labor Secrecy indeed
exception everywhere to general rule 1t presupposes
that publicity is unsafe And Mr. Banks seems to have
felt this when he attempted to justify know nothngism by
argument from necessity.
This part Of his speech singulary unfortunate We
understood him TO say that the associated power of wealth
great in Massachusetts that labor could not MAIN
tain its rights against IL and therefore invoked the aid o
secret organization Heaven help the laborers of
lea when they have better reliance than ths IT. under
our constitution and laws and with abundance of re-
sources labor without the aid ofknow