The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-06-06
PROM sns Augusta Ceastascaalst snd Republican, May ~
LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF MESSRS. STEPHENS. TOOMBs, AND THOMAS

elr8
Monday morning. that Mr. stephens would address hi Al
-ci,izensthe people turned . hear th,
distng aishcd and patriotic representatives The bali ~
crowded 10 suGocatiou and hundreds standing oct
side unable get In, and clamorous for Mr. Sephens
come out on she steps This being suggested TO the ss
shortly after he opened his address, Mr. Stephens said X
would aoquiesce checrfally ia the general wish, and d.
ceeded to the northern portal Of tho hall Herr our ca
Gems TO the number OF two thousand were coMpcle !.
stand the damp ground for wsnt Of suitable platform
Ar Stephens commenced his remarks by expressing M
regret being compelled 10 speak ia tbc dark for sss
always his pleasure when he spoke 10 look the people
the eve He said that he had travelled over lhaa ~
the State In order the people Of Augusta ongh
Sinee his communication TO Mr. Thomas had been peA
shed il had been said that the OF bis Retirement
from the in this district was his fear OF being beat
en-. For himself he afraid Of nehing-of nothing
under above thu earhhnt 10 do wrong CO taiheNs,
afraid bnt Of being beaten, be wouldn't giyca Ak ota
who nos willing 20 he beaten In defence 81 whs
he believed be right He had come ihere then he said
In response various calls 20 that he again
a candidate for Congress from this district Nominated
said he by any two-thrds rule but here upon Ms
stand nominate my self FOR Congress rom TIE sh
gressiona district.
Mr. stephens here interrupted by deep and enthV.
sasc shout OF appreciation from the great crowd he Vas
addressing He continued, that this knownohiug Op,r
had been created said Tor 'he purpose Of putting
down aenagogues, small men, and ricss'egs. For him.
self he no tsickser Ifioksers never walk In opef
/ day. They skulk in hiding places and he warmed IN
people To beware OF leaders who resorted 10 the darn
4 order 10 coneoct their schemes.
II had been said by some whO had commented upon I'd
letter but Of whom bad the bodncss ont b.
those who shooting AT him 10 the dark that David
and his adherents formed secret organization aud ha
| Samuel Adams and others hrmed secret clique for til
purpose OF striking blow for American liberty This Oh
ject said he, revolution and the object OF the know
nothinps revolution II is To overthrow the eonsts
ton Of the coantry 10 create religious test when the
constitution saia that there should he no religious
The know-nohings knew that their object revolution
they knew that they had taken ansoah support
Catholic for Office. They might deny H. and explain
away the denial by casulscal slippery know-noh
| ing construction bu, there monitor within which
! told them they had taken it.
Mr. stephens continued for some time in eoqncut
strain Che sablmity OF truth the Foundation Of all
honor and integrity among wnnt Of which, bad
as the know -nothiugs charged the Catholics To be- COIL
he preferred against them; and then introduced Al
beautiful passage Of sacred history II after Judas
/ had betrayed Christ with kiss and Peter denied hml
thrice, that Lord asked, what is truth ~ he called
upon all know-nothngs, bu especially all ministers q M
Gospel who might have joined the order TO repent al
saokcioh and ashes and go about aud preach from 1
pulpit on that text what Is truth n
He here eIoquenty appealed 10 know-nothngs 70 burst
asunder these oatfs which bound them down as with
cords and abandon this spirit Of prevarica,icn which lh
had adopted for the purpose OF violating the Constituted
of the country He poured forth glowing patriotic audi
orcble appeals in behalf Of the principles laid down I
i late letter against knownohingsm. He dcpice, IN mas
tery STYLE the corruptng and disastrous ntiueaees NJ
suit to society from the decetlu eguieoca.ing and tar
ulcnt practices of know-nothingsn~ anti American
antrepubean and humanity character Of Its secret
1aiopthe danger to liberty, 10 the peace Of commun
ties and TO social order OF political conclaves plot
ting in the darkness OF midnight for the advancement n
purposes disclosed TO the public they sought TO govern
and whose rights they aimed TO control and dispose Of al
4 this clandegnc aode lie held that such conduct
worthy Of men and rceen who held principles worthy Of,
| success,
Truth never skukcd from the light Of day and bid Itself
in dark corners afraid Of discussion and investigation
the characteristic Of and Of f.ischood thus n
hide, and there TO work their purposes Truth w
the foundation stone of civil ordcrthc very life and 4
sence Of all social integrity Yet know-nothingsm bone
to spell and influence more potent than truth 20
reconcied the conscences Of to resort 10 cquyoao
and slippery construction to deceive the public But e
monitor from high in the breast Of e#sry bone
man that must at times whisper to him that this was
i wrong.
Khow-nothingsm bound lie poaries under the third DE-
gree OF ts ritual BY solemn oath to maintain the Une
at all hazards against all efforts Of aconsts and Of
soniss But il nowhere bound It's members to mainai|
the constitution yet that constitution the very I'm
and soul Of the Union. II could only have been made
it and through IL and the principles it consccraies Wa}
out it, the constitution would be valueless thai
/ valneless
There the aboi,onsm Of this order in disguise lie
l called ON southern TO notice H. He Mr. 5tephws |
stood upon the Georgia platform. Should Kansas BE-
ectad on account Of slavery he tor resistance Send
him To Congress- and he would resist 1t there If unues
full he would return 70 the people and tell them to resist
i " had been said that the Foreigners who to h
country joined the abotoniss in their crusades upon
| rights IL was not he knew 1t not fbe 10 !
eigners who here with reverence for the
stitution. Where did these foreigners mostly setei
the Northwest. And from the Northwest the b.
/ friends OF the Souihrom Indiana, Illinois and Iowa
last the only free State which had bowed TO aho
tonism and for the first time to be represented BY
ree-soiler when know-nothngism had sprung into eaF
l ence.
4 Every know-nothing took an oath that he would WI
| port no Roman Catholic for office. This striking
one OF the fundamental principles Of the constitution wis
declares there shall he religious test gualifeaB
for Office. He therefore, who took that oath took oa
inconsistent With the support Of the constitution u "
an oath in violation Of this letter and spirit Of that sa
| instrument
Upon the exclusion from Office and disfranchsemeni
oregn-born citizens the orator leas emphatic
orcbe 10 his denunciaon of this feature of knaw-no
ngism Upon the social evils the injustice aud disastre
consequences threatening stres and boodshed and a
war; Of making men aliens at heart q government who
thus made war upon their religion, and set them apart
account Of their nativity degraded class the peak
was eloquent and convincing and the repeated pisad
which greeted him from the beginning to the close Of
address rising up from the whole mass and from eve
SIDE o. this dense assemblage wrapt in eager aud earn
attention, proved bow thoroughly be had enlisted te
ngs and convinced the Judgment Of bis auditors Weoa
scarcely realize in such demonstrations that there we
al probability, hundreds Of know-nothngs among ha
He paid just and eloquent tribute to those
The North who had long and periodically stood BY
South w her struggles with aboli,ionism BE pointed
VINO u was that had voted Ia Congress with the SOUTH
delegation 70 spare the south from The Wmot PROV
that bsdge Of infcriorify and degradation wit, which
was Threatened that had rciescd her from the Asso
.onproInse restriction and opened Kansas the inhsi
her cItzebs snd aided her In the enactment Of tha M
slave law he referred by name 10 the noble exerton
Douglas and Richardson OF Illinois ta protect the
tuition and The rights of the South under ID and sho
sat up with him two days and two nights without resi-