The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-11-18
])olitieal.
From the National Intelliscnccr
SECRET POLITICAL SOCIETIES.

form of Government. in the ssk now Nothing
Party as if there were never before any
secret political societies or combinations Of
either or any OF the great parties which have
existed in the country. Although not men,
Der, and not intending to be a member of this
new, and as it is said secret party, venture
TO say word or two in its Qualifications; but
disclaiming all sympathy with secret societies
| of every kind further than as inevitable evils
growing naturally out Of free systems of Gov
crnmcnt, the suppression Of which by law,
were it possible, would change the spirit Of
the Government. This Eno,c Nothing party
which, has astonished the people with its
sudden appearance and its extraordinary sue
cess, may be thought an cXcrescencc on the
body polite; but it cannot be forcbly extir
patcd without revolution in the Govern
mcnt it may die Of itself but it cannot be
killed by law.
1t was discovered more than sixty years
ago that the great body of the people could
be influenced and ruled by societies under
seductive special names. the Interior Objects
of which were as cncctualy disguised and
kept as secret from the many rs are the do
ings of Il Masonic lodge or the concavc of the
Pope. One Of these existed in the period Of
WAsmINGToN' Presidency, in opposition to
his administration. and in favor Of Il war in
behalf of Revolutionary France, which prob
ably nothing but Washngt"n's great influence
could have prevented. The same party ia
creased and became strong enough to over
throw the Federal party, whether for the good
or evil of the country it is not my purpose to
discuss. About the same time, or rather be-
fore, the famous 1'ammany Society Of New
York was organized. This was at first, and
is still understood to be in some sort, Il score!
society; or if it has in any respect lost that
| character, it is still not an open society into
which any citizen, without respect to party,
has a right to enter without initiation any
more than into the Know Nothing party.
These societies (the Democratic and the
Tamnany) were known to be political, and
supposed to be nothing else. The great State
of New York has been for the greater part
governed for a long series Of years by the in
hucnccs arising out of Tammany, and as a
consequence, largely influencing other States;
sometimes 10y one Democratic faction, some
times by another, chiefly as Mr.. Van Buren,
or his opponents have prevailed in the rig
mam. SO Of the great Federal. and Demo-
cratic and Wing parties Of the country gen
orally. Their schemes for the maintenance
of their own or the subvcrsion Of the others
power in the government have been cOnc0ct-
ed or originated, not by the people, but by
the leaders of their respective particsi the
people really having little more to do in the
matter than to rn'e for the parties to whicl,
they have respectively attached themselves.
This every man Of ordinary intelligence knows
to be the case. Parties can, in fact originate
in no other way than Ly such associations
and combinations, .lways commencing with
Il few. and sometimes with good and patriotic
intent, sonnet ines with merely personal and
interested design. which our political history
shows has been too frequently and most in
jiurouSly prevailed. The great danger to our
Government arises from the lust of power
and the love of Office, which govern and al
ways will govern mankind. This danger is
only to be countcractcd by the perpetual Wig
Hence of the people, or by such part of the
people, as may not be dcludcd by corrupting
influences, and who shall awaken those who
are to be a proper sense of the prevailing or
threntcncd evil.
That the practical working of our system of
Government has been and is such as we have
stated is unhappiy but too true, although the
theory proceeds upon the presumed virtue and
intelligence of the people. Why then should
the Know Nothing party be so especially and
rancorously ccnsurcd for doing substantially
only the same thing which has been done 10y
all parties from the very foundation of the
Government? Let us now inquire into the
allcdgcd cause and origin of this new party.
| Great and manifold as are the benefits
which the country has derived from the for
cign emigration, yet it cannot be overlooked,
for the facts are too palpablc that it has also
been the source of much political cvil-at
first in a small degree, and producing no very
| alarming effect until within few years when
emigration became so extensive and indis-
crimiatc from nearly all the nations of Europe
tant political porer, which the great parties Of
the country are constantly struggling by eve
| nv kind of means and device to appropriate
to their respective support. That foreigners
coming from despotic or monarchical coun-
tries should be ignorant of the laws and Gus
toms Of a free people. and to great extent
our language, and should be misled by the
misrcprc sc tation and devices trivial parties
| is not ut all surprising. Nor is it more so
that one of the consequences of this vast in
discriminate emigration of dissimlar charac-
ter to our own as political element, opera
ting upon ambition of political parties striving
for supremacy, should be found corrupting
| the very source of executive and legislative
authority and that all the ordinary corrctvcs
on the part of the people who see and deplorc
the evil should prove utterly inadequate as
remedy. it can he corrected by such a
party as the Knor Nothing, secret though it
be, am ono ofthosc who are willing i. should
be attempted. The party, to succeed, must
constitute or influence majority of the whole
people, and what the people may do in their
,sn.i,t,- L.. ..-Lk