Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-04-27
AN IMPRESSIVE ADMONITION.

II there TO any impartial person in the State who
is really il doubt rs to tho ultimate issue Of Know
Nothingith, LEI him look to the developments in Mas
sachusetir. Scarcely is tho public mind rec0v-
cred from the excitement into which it was thrown
by the recent invasion Of Catholic School, ana the
outrages upon def6nceless women, hy a knowNoth.
ing committee from Know Nothing Legislature
when still more atrocous violation Of the principles
OF free government Is pclperated By the same Know
Nothing party, i'll driving the representatives oi the
press from tue floor ofthe Legislature, aud introducing
the secrecy of the oat-bound Council into the trnns
action OF public business. We repeat the story "s II
is told by the leading Wing papers Of Boston. Can
any intelligent man read the following articles ana
not Le convinced of the uischicvous tendency oi
Know Nuthingam
(From the Boston Advertiser iN mg
SECRET SESSION OF THE LEGISLATfRE. +.
The public were taken by surprise On Saturday hy
the ru,nor that the House III Representatives had rX
necd tho =. porers from the SEATS anu were engaged
i'm secret debate with closed doors. Few persons
probably had Imagined until that m"mcni' th"' me
principle al secrecy, which forms the husI" "i oT|n
Latiop of - doplnunt party was In he carried l'll"
the lcsiss re, especially upon matter al mere per
soual cnn.Y Yrl Ia the members Il" the House case
of this snrf we believe s without precedent III "u'
egisulSr;; and Is lar as weare informed III any o'ic'
The only within unr recollection, "i s"'r.' S'a
sion iD our legislature for any purpose occurred Sn
ri..u =, lrs uco, The doors u both b0usrs IN that
rass were closed the recommendation "i III" H"V-
.rnur for the 'piidn and consideration" "i an cN"c"
five communication relating doubtless to some meas
ure OF exclusively pubic concern me n"',ne ~
which Inv NOT TO nur knowledge ever been made pup
lie Ir wH. supposed - relate either 10 some hcr
ic measure of devLcr in our hnrb"r.H b,i!"% lh'
when there was apprehension ola ,rriIh7 ih''u'
,erstnnlng with Il foreign power ana "hci u" II"
,u, collision had recently taken place on III" IRON
,;or ar In so,. question connected with the nc6iIa'
tious of the national goverenen Oh anaticr III w'ci
the Commonwealth had n special interest. NJ amy
rate il was proceeding which AFFORDS no precedent
fr t,,ot which we record at length i'll our Legislative
reror fc Iay and to which we invite the attention OF
the render. r,
room for comment on tins proceeding 1t presents
hnw,yer some points which deserving ul serious
,on-ide, .tun. The first ia the question whether the
urucipi Gbt secrecy enforced under the sanction "i
nm OATH which introduced into political assnca-
ton tor the first time in this country 10y the know
Nothing party and which Is beginning 10 lind nd"p'
tun in other Iar.," associations IL - be brought n"
common ar frequent in the Legislature. Ii 81, II
i unnecessary eay that il will he III" nirnins iI"n
ot most tlarInmS change into our ysten Of govern
ucni which cannot fail Ia be destructive oi ali publ"
confidence. Measures "I legislation "t the m""t de-
structivcn nature may under such usngc be sprung
upon ih bubble, much 10 their surprise as was The
result oN Nlhr late election and for anGht the public
can know, without discussion, and Tor the most cor
rupt and u,,us,ituhle motives. We trust that the
l-gisa,urr will page before adopting the practice oi
secret scs.iGr,s as acomn"n eNP"d-nt t"r -rmc in.
uliry an that they will he content withlhat system
Of universal publicity which is the most ccclua suic
guard Of political honesty.
As to the wisdom Of attempting 10 stiff" any part "i
this inquiry, or 10 suppress any oi the facts which
constitute the sui cct matter OF il, by pursuing the
investigation with closed doors it mlIst be already mp
parent think, that nn good purpose can br served
by it, and that this ought 10 have been toresecn
from the beginning 1t may be fairly presumed that
in full proportion 10 the degree of suppression, by
means uf closed doors, Of any of the facts which
would have been bruugh, TO light full iscu,
in open debate prcsump!ious of equal weight nn the
public inDd, vii! be substituted sufficient to count,
raci any anticipated advantage from the snrpr"s
SION.
y remark able, fcntnr" "f In" days proceedings s,
hat the entire responsibility "ihc action Of the house.
is thrown upon the comparatively small pr"l"rIom Of
tn" members wh" take part III the debHtrs, by the
shrinking Of the house from the taking Of the yeas and
nays. This another eXl'edrnt for Gonccanrni
somewhat similar its character to that of debating
with closed doors which shows singular want OF in
dependence.