Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-03-07
Anti.Know Nothing Meeting at St.
Johns Berkley.

Johns Berkeley.
ST. JoHN's, BERKLEY, Feb, 8, 1855.
At meeting held at Biggin Church Mus.
ter Ground, the following preamble and res.
outions were adopted. A committee Of
three having been previously appointed, con-
sisting of Messrs. Charles A. Ward, Thorn.
as S. w. McCants, and Mr.. Vleponteaux,
a motion was made to convene the meeting
by calling Captain G. w. Gaillard to the
chair, and Lieutenant N. H. Guyton to act
as Secretary. Captain Gaillard, in few
words, explained the object of the meeting,
and moved that the report of the committee
be laid before the Company.
Mr. Ward being loudly called for, rose
and gave in the reports as follows:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: 1t is now
one month since a committee of three has
been appointed by this Company to examine
as far as possible the principles and purposes
Of certain political organization known as
the Know Nothing Society, and to report
for your consideration thereof at our next
meeting.
Your committee have been at some pains
to discharge the duties assigned them, and
now most respectfully beg leave to lay be-
fore you the following facts:
First That there is secret political Or
ganization styling themselves the Know
Nothngs.
Second That this society originated at
the North, and has made rapid progress
through all the non.s .slaveholding States of
this Union.
Third'It is impossible that this society can
ever become popular at the South; for
whilst it has one or two features that might
suit our common interest, its main principles,
if carried out, must certainl prove ruinous
to the South.
One of their objects is the suppression of
foreign influence; that we believe would
correspond with the views of every honest
American, whether North or South, native
or naturaized; but they do not recognise
State sovereignty. This principle you will
at once perceive aims at nothing less than
consolidation.
We believe State sovereignty to be light
upon which the safety Of the South in
great measure depends; and should this gov
ernment ever become consolidated, devasta-
ton and ruin throughout the whole country
must be the inevitable result.
With these views and considerations, your
committee would most respectfully recon.
mend that we have no connexions Whatsq..
I ever with this so.called society; and we
further beg leave to offer for your consdera-
ton the following resolution:
Resolucd, That we, the citizens of South
Carolina, as peace.loving and law.abiding
subjects thereof, having long anxiously
watched the many evils daily growing
around US, emanating from blind policy on
the part of our Government or State Legs.
lature, in regard to the naturalization of
foreigners, whereby said foreigners may at
any time after the short space of five years
residence, and without any regard to their
knowledge Of the principles of our institu-
tions, become at once free and independent
voters
That we, deeming the said privileges as
extremely detrimental to the progress of a
republican government, feel it duty incum-
bent upon US to use our every effort with
due reverence to the laws of our country to
suppress those influences, the continuation
of which must eventually prove ruinous to
this republic.
And with view to that end, we hereby
pledge ourselves that inasmuch as every ma
tive born has to be citizen of this republic
for twenty y-one years before he can become
an independent voter, we believe it no more
than what justice to ourselves and the future
welfare of our country requires, that every
foreigner shall be a citizen for the same
length of time before he in like manner shall
become an independent voter, and we are
determined to support no one for any office
whatsoever who is not in favor Of the twenty
one years, citizenship of every foreigner be-
fore he can become naturalzed.
The voter being called for, the resolution
was unanimously adopted.
NOVEL MoDE OF GRANTING A DIVORCE.
In San Francisco lately, man named
James Mulqueen was arrested on charge
of bigamy. Upon the hearing of the case a
certificate was produced, showing that he
| dllu SdIdu - "CiC ii tdS
parish church of Steatham, Surry, England,
April 10th, 1913, and the fact of the mar.
riage, according to the common and civil
laws of England, was also proved by cor.
robrative testimony. 1t was also shown, it
is alleged, that the Roman Catholic Vicar
General of San Francisco had assumed au.
thority to annul this marriage, on the ground
that Mrs. Sarah Summers, his pretended
wife, was not baptised, neither dispensaton
had been given in order to contract legally
before the church; and further not being
married by any magistrate lawfully authori.
zed," therefore the Vicar General declared
in the certificate, which is published in the
San Francisco papers, that the marriage
"has never existed and is null and void. "
He followed this up by marrying Mulqueen
to Miss Margaret Mcbride. This is rath-
er novel mode of granting divorces.
SUDDEN DEATH.-Here was Russian
on one knee, in the act of taking aim; the
muzzle of his firelock rested on forked
stick. He was dead; the side of his head