Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-09-15
for tne LeWisourg OIIuHIcIe.
The "KnoW Nothings" all Exposed !!

MR.EpITOR: The extracts you recent
made from Harrisburg journal, respec
ting the association of Know Nothing
may be worthy of a moments attention.
The apostle Paul was determined t
Know Nothing among the" people bu
the Gospel he preached. And when tha
Gospel in certain town wrought destruc
tion to the arts of the worshipers of thu
goddess Diana, they raised storm almos
equalled by that of our dcvotees Of Party
who tremble at the Handwriting on the
WALL" and read their doom.
| The, great trouble with the Democratic
party is, that most of this victorious new
party come from their own ranks, and
thereby endanger their asccndency. Were
the Know Nothings mostly Wings, the
Democrats would not care enough about
them to dencunce them.
But when did our Democratic friends
imbibe their hostility to secret societies !?
Quite recently, think. And now, they
10 not condemn Masons, Odd Fellows,
&c.-only the Know Nothings.
"But the Know Nothings are POLITICAL
it is argued. And SO are other secret asso-
Citations. So is the Tammany Society of
New i ork, which, for forty years, has most
of the time ruled the Democratic party; so
was the Washington Benevolent Society,
of the Federal party; SO is the Democratic
Miami Tribe, of Ohio; and SO are or have
been hundreds of other clubs, caucuses, or
societies for accomplishing certain plans
1t is therefore evident that the Union and
its adjuncts are not opposed to secret poll
tical socities in general, but only to this
one in particular.
Without assuming omniscience upon q
point where "know nothing" more than
my fellow citizens in common, l conclude
that it is family quarrel of the party in
power, and, like most internal disscnsions,
is very violent.
The alleged cause, is, that foreign-borh
and Catholic citizens, have been unjustly
favored and promoted over native-born
and Protestants. How correct these allc-
cations are, and how expedient the meas
ures proposed by the new organization, are
other points for discussion.
Probably radical revolution in the
party will cure the evils, and afterwards
the association will be dissolved.
The idea that the Know Nothings are
violating the Constitution, "proscribing,'
&c. &c, are utterly erroneous. 1t is not
proposed to divest any one of bis acquired
rights, but foreign as well as native born
citizens must submit to whatever rcgula-
tions the proper authorities may make.
1t is not "proscription' Of all others,
because l choose to vote for one person
only. l do no. "proscribc' the Methodist
church, although l prefer the Lutheran
nor do l "proscribe" a Catholic in ehoos-
ing to trust my best interests with a Pro
tcstant. If honest preferences are to be
branded as intolerance" then is our
great Democratic party monster of into
erance, for it would never allow Wing
to hold a single Office, if it could help it;
and on the other hand, the Wing party
would "proscribc" all Democrats, for if it
would never give one Office to the Demo
,rats. In voting for Americans and for
Protestants only, the Know Nothings
would be no more intolcrant or proscrip- {
i've than the Wing and Democratic parties
ire towards each other.
Many of the charges against the Know i
Nothings, arc the wild vagaries Of heated
maginations-others are the broad jokes
# time-killing humorists. No sensible |
nan will be mis.led by either. ,
"By their fruits ye shall know them ;
A LOOKER-ON.