Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1854-11-07
,''a From the National Intelligencer.
Secret Political Societies.

- ..s.s. i % ".
The Democratic papers generally and
some of the Wing press see, or pretend 10
see. something highly inimica. to our re.
publican form Of government in the "Know
Nothing Parry" as If there were never be-
fore any secret political societies or COM
bina.ions Of either or any Of the great par
lies which have existed in the country. Al
though not member, and no, intending TO
be member, Of this new, and il 10 said 10
be a secre, party, | venture TO say word or
two in its justification; but discIaiming all
sympathy with secret societies .of svery
kind further Than as inevitable evils, grow
ing naturally out of our free system Of
Government, the suppression Of which by
law, were ], possible, would be 10 change the
spiri. Of the Governments, This Know
Nothing Party, which has aslonished the
people wiIhits sudden appearance and its
extraordinary success, may be thought an
excrescence on the body polite; bu, il can.
no, be lorcibly ex,irpaied without revolu.
ZION in the Government. Il may die Of
itself, but it cannot be killed by law. f'
|, was discovered more than sixty years
ago. shat the greal body Of The people could
be influenced and ruled by societies under
seductive special names, the pllerior objects
OF which were as effeciually disguised and
kept as secret from the many, as are the
dOings OF Masonic lodge or the conclave
Of the Pope. One Of those existed IN The
period Of Washington's Presidency, in op.
position 10 bis administration and in favor
Of war in behalf Of revolutionary France,
which probably nothing bu, Washing,on's 8
grea, influence could have prevented. The
same party increased. and became strong
enough 10 overthrow the Federal party,
whether for the good or evil OF the country
il is not my purpose 10 discuss. Abou. the
same lime, or rather before The famous Tam.
many Society Of New York was organized.
This was a, first, and is sill understood TO
be, in some sort, secret society; or II il has
In any respect, losi iha, character, l. is still
not an open society into which any citizen,
wi,hou, respec, TO party, has right 10 enter
Without Initiation any more than into The
Know Nothing parry. Those societies
THE Democratic and The Tammany) were
known 10 be political, and supposed to be
nothing else: The great State Of New
York has been for The greater par. governed
lor long series Of years by the influences
arising ou, Of Tammany, and, as a conse.
quence, largely influenced other States,
sometimes by one Democratic faction, some.
times by another, chiefly as Mr., Van Buren
or his opponents have prevailed in The wig.
wan. So Of the great Federal, and demo.
cra,, and Wing parties Of the country gen
orally. Their schemes TOR ihe ,naint en-
aDce OF their own or The subvsrsion Of the
others power in The Goyefnmen, have beer
cohcoc,ed or originated. not by the people
but by the leaders of their respective par,
ties; The people really having little more 4
do IN the matter than TO vote fcr ths par,ie.
70 which they respectively attach themselves
This every man Of ordinary intelligence
knows 10 be the case, Parties can, IN fac
originate In no other way than BY such as
socia,ions and combinations, slways com
mencing with few, sometimes with good
aBd patriotic intent. some,imes with mereI,
personal and Interested design, which ou
! pclhical history shows hes bu, ,co ffequsni