Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-11-27
From the New York Herald.
Henry A. Wise, Of Virginia, on tho Know
NOthings.

The Real Merits Of the Question.
We spread before our readers this morning, in
all its amplitude the elaborate spirited and exter
minating manifesto Of Henry A. Wise, of Virginia,
against the Know Nothings. At this time, when
the principles and objects Of this new, mysterious,
and powerful political organization are the theme
of universal discussion, this Virginia manifesto will
naturally commend itself to the special attention Of
all classes of our readers.
Mr.. Wise has made this onslaught upon the Know
Nothings in behalf Of the administration and the
Democratic party, and especially Of the Democratic
party Of Virginia Acknowledged as their most
active and energetic leader his letter may be re-
garded as the platform Of the Virginia Democracy
In reference to the principles and purposes of the
Know Nothings. 1t may also be regarded as the
platform of the administration from the hearty
commentator which it has received from the Cabi-
net organ at Washington. In this light it is doc
ument of no ordinary Importance. 1t foreshadows,
to great extent the reconstruction Of parties for
the great campaign of 1864 campaign which
will most probably, give shape and direction TO the
policy Of the general government for twenty years
to come.
We have read this manifesto of Mr.. Wise, and
we are clearly of the opinion that he does not como
within gun-shot of the real merits of the subject
His examination Of the case IL narrow and con-
tracted. He docs not touch upon the broad and
comprehensive bearings into the past and into tho
of the KNOWN othings. He assumes their princ-
pies from conjecture, starts up constitutional tech
nicalties and tears them to pieces with the skill
of county-court lawyer. Believing the organiza-
ton of the Know Nothings to be mischievous their
principles to be unconstitutional and ntocrant and
their purposes an indiscriminate prescription OF
foreigners by birth and Catholics in religion, Mr.
Wise is opposed to this order Of natives, with
all his mind and all his might" notwithstanding
that he himself is "a virginian, irtas ct d, cute
virginian descended from Virginians, through the
respectable period of two hundred years. And
this is the gist of his argument
We can inform Mr.. Wise that the purposes Of
the Know-Nothings are not summed up in an In
discriminate prescription of Catholics and foreigners
born and that the which have brought about
this spontaneous and most remarkable uprising Of
this secret party arc not limited to American pre-
JUDGES against the Catholic religion to foreign
influences in our elections nor to a spirit OF hos
tity against adopted citizens in Office. We may
trace this sudden, spontaneous, and extensive or
ganization of the Know-Nothings 70 the utter de-
moralization, corruption and dissolution of the old
political parties of the day, and to universal spi
rit of disgust among the people against being any
longer badgered and bartered away among the un-
principled and huckstering politicians, Wing aud
Democratic that have been leading their credulous
followers by the nose for the last twenty-five years.
Mr. Wise lives in the county of Accomack, in
which, some years ago, he boosted, like one Of the
old colonial governors that there not solitary
newspaper But for all that, outside of Accomac,
railroads and telegraphs, and the Independent news
paper press, have been doing wonders, in the gen
eral diffusion of political facts and information
among the people During the first part of the
despotc reign Of Martin Van Buren,, the organ and
the kitchen cabinet at Washington with regency
at Richmond, New York, Albany, and other places,
managed the Democracy and the elections pretty
II, 4. al md tha Whio mn tn n
great extent, was under the same savish discipline.
That day is gone, and gone forever Party tram
mels have given away TO individual independence,
and party lines, as they have existed, no longer
exist. The Wing party WAS finally demolished in
the campaign Of 1852; and Pierce and his cabinet
spoils coalition have just effectively broken up,
root and branch, the unity, the power, and tho
prestige Of the democratic party. Reckless spoils-
men and clustering patriots and dirty caucuses and
INSCRIPTIONS political bargaining and selling, have
done the work for both the old parties. They are
powerless--they are defunct. Their fragments
which remain can never be brought again into CO.
hesion. The old parties Of the last twenty-five
years are done away with; there Is wide opening
for new party, upon new principles ana ior new
lied and spontaneously stepped In to Gil up the
chasm.
Nor are we much alarmed for the consequences.
We do not share in the apprchcnsions of Mr..
Wise. We do not believe that the Know-Noth-
ings intend to wage war OF determination
against our Roman Catholic adopted felow-citzens.
We do not imagine that this secret order intend to
ovcrturn the Constitution Of the United States.
On the other hand II Is manifest from their action
in our late New York elections, and, still more
strikingly, in tho recent Massachusetts, election,
that the Know othings are practically operating
to uphold the constitution and the Union against
the seditious Vaccinations Of W. II. Seward and
his northern league Of anti-slavery agtstors. The
Know-Nothings, upon this issue, have literally
stepped into the breach between the North end
South In defence of the constitution and the laws
Nor is this new party purely of Northern origin.
II h Of spontaneous growth, North and sosth,
springing up mysteriously everywhere, adapting
itself to every locality, and everywhcre powerful
The native American experiment OF ten years ago