Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-27
VOL. 3.--NO. 223.
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
The London Times and the Know -Nothinss Of
The United States


we make the following extracts:
We have read with great interest state pa
per, which appeared TO US to be drawn up Win
ability and moderation, on behalf OF the Know
Nothings, or as the profess to call themselves'
the American party, in the United States. This
party has already obtained decisive ascendancy
in the Northern States of the Union, and it ID
extremely probable that II will name the success.
sor of President Pierce at the next Presidential
election. But the principle on which the party
is formed is of far greater Importance than any
personal consequence IL may produce Tor this
principle may lead to permanent results in the
policy of the Union. The American party, in
deed plaoos itself in opposition to the rival
olaims of the old political leaders, and it boasts
that its organization has been completed entirely
without their assistance. The object of its foun-
ders has been to preserve their design from tho
assaults of other parties until they could rely ON
thcr own strenl tn; and for this purpose they
state, curionsy enough, thnt "their organiSation
ismore or less secret in action, and almost aito-
gother secret in the source from which 1t derives
its counsel and design" Yet, in spite OF TINS
mystery, which would seem so little adapted to
the political habits of the United States, the party
has unquestionably gained ground with singular
rapidity. 1t must therefore, represent an opin-
ion shared by large masses of the American peo-
pie. Its main object is declared to be to reassert
the original purpose of the Union, to revive the
national spirit of tho country, to crush those fac
tions which have converted party warfare into
mere struggle for tho power OF dispensing pat
ronage, and, above all to resist the increase OF
foreign influences in the United States.
This last motive is more especially the pecn-
liar and immediate object Of the Know nothing
party. They state that not much less than half
n million strangers driven annually by pow
crty or misrule to swell tho population OF the
| United States; and that, although this acquisi-
! tion Of labor is in some respect useful to the
community, yet that those immigrants are igno-
rant of the institutions the laws, and even tho
! language OF tho country, and animated by
| spirit different from that of American cihzens.-
! These persons nre, however, very speedily in-
vested with the franchise and the exercise OF
political power.
This immigration furnishes what may, with
out much exaggeration of phrase, be called tho
distinct estate in our republic. Its ever swelling
| tide is visible in every community. IL ID banded
| into combinations or less apart from our
long known and familiar masses of native citi-
zcns by ties of foreign kindred, by uniorgotten
! aud ever cherished nationalites, and by sympa-
thies alien to the spirit which alone sustains our
peculiar, temperate, and complicated system OF
| freedom. Worse than this, it has caught the
notice and stimulated the craft OF selfish polti-
cal asprants md demagogues, who have too
easily found 1t pliant resource for party use,
and who have caioed, Hattered, and seduced it
| into the ranks of partisan strife, and mus im-
| parted to IL n consequence and an influence most
| powerful to aid perverse ambition, but utteriy
| powerless to accomplish any honest end Tor
which the highest prerogatlves. of o,uzensh,P
were originally designed" To this we may add
| that it exercises an undue and almost exclusive
! influence the American press. that 1t 10 al
ways endenvorng to embroil the United otatess
| for its own sinister purposes, with the European
powers, and that it is led by the renegades, the
sympathsers, and the annexationists OF every
cline who have sought refuge beyond the At
| lantlc.
But the views of the American party do not
stop here. They observe that very large por-
ton of this annual immigration belongs to the
Church of Rome--a body regarded with distrust
by the greater number OF the American people,
protesting at least moral allegiance to for
eign and absolute power, and organized in pe-
culiar manner for the promotion OF Roman Cath
olic objects at the expense of those very liberties
which these persons exercise and ENJOY Inc
American party, therefore, procaims that 1t taxes
its stand against the political action OF the no
man Catholic Church in the United States, not
from intolerance of the doctrines of that faifh,
but from conviction that the tendency OF that
church s to embody its adherents in party tho
objects Of which are at variance with the institu-
tons and national spirit Of the American people,
These declarations are to great extent new
! in the history Of the United States. Hitherto
| unlimited facilities and encouragement have been
held out to immigration, and the political parties
| in the community have professed absolute indif-
! ference to the religious faith OF their members.
| Experience seems to have convinced at least one
| considerable section of the American community
that these privileges cannot always be as literally
| conceded as they have hitherto been; and it is
obvious that the principles of this new party are
mainly directed against the extraordinary in
crease of the Irish element among the American
population. both aliens and as Papists. On
many other topics the manifesto preserves dis
Greet and significant silence, probably because.
although the Know No,hngs are cordially uni
ted on some points, that union does not extend
TO all. Thus the vital question of slavery is left
unnoticed because in Massachusetts,. for instance,
the Know Nothings have declared for emancipa-
tion while in other States they support the Fugi-
tive Slave Law. Again the annexation Of Cuba
and other territories is not alluded to, probably
because every extension of territory inhabited
by men of the Spanish race and the Roman Cath
olic faith must tend to weaken the national
American character of the Union.
| If these are the established principles of the
Know Nothing party, we cannot but regard them
with considerable sympathy. We have ever
watched with sincere admiration the progress Of
the United States.a long as it is directed to those
! legitimate objects which are to be found within
the magnificent territories of the Union. A less
favorable opinion of their policy and condition
has only been formed and expressed in Europe
when public opinion in the United States was
mised by factious agitators, or misdrected OBJ
jects Incompatible with the rights of others. The
strength of the Union and the peace Of the world
would be protected and secured by policy which
professrs 10 concentrate the strength OF the A
merican people on American objects. The Ian
guage of the new party appears to us to be patri
t;c and wise and far more nearly akin to the true