The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-02-28
Know Nothing Exposure.

Mr.. Lit,lejohn. the Wing Speaker of the
House Of Assembly, in New York, who is
recusant Know Nothing, has made the
following startling disclosures in a speech
to the New York Legislature. How con
an honest man unite himself to an organ
|ization such as he describes
''As TO his connection with the Know
Nothings, he would tell them all he knew
Of it. Last March. while member OF
this House, some Of his friends asked him
to attend lecture. He went with them
to room, whore he was assured by the
officers Of that society tina, he was to do
nothing that was contrary to anything a.
gaiIlsl which his conscience would revolt
lie was asked to make promise. lie
did make the promise, and if his recent
course was treason, make the most OF it,
If he had perjured himself, make the lost
of that. lie now declared himself oppos-
ed to the principles OF this association
He would give, as briefly as he could,
complete exposition OF the Know Moth
ngs; but he would say, from the moment
he left that room in this city, TO this. he
never entered it again. Ii was enough for
him to say tha; he saw in that room what
entering again. As to who he saw there.
their names would never besdivulged by
him. Was i, an institution to which an
honorable man-a freeman-a Christian
could belong He thought ii was not.
lie believed men here belonging to it were
honest. but they were deceived by po!i,i
cal tricksters. In July last Grand Lodge
was organized, called Grand Council.
Go to New York and you fnd the Grand
President. J. w. Barker, occupying
power in the state equal to q monarch
And this grand President alone appoints
one deputy in each county; and what sort
of man will this deputy BEG Why
second self. And what does this deputy
DO He Is armed with the power to cre-
ale as many lodges in the towns of the
State as he pleases. lie selects nine men
as the nucleus OF these lodges to estab
lish them-;his second self OF j. w. Bar
kcr. selects these nine men, and these nine
men select three delegates to the Grand
Council. to make nomin ations and oaths
to bind body and soul of the innocent
members of the order. These officers are
thus the creatures OF one man--james
w. Barker, in New York. Did ever a
man conceive anything so horrible in
republican government! These delegates
are TO remain as such three years. Two
hundred lodges send thus six hundred
men to this council, all Of whom are the
creatures of Barker. The duty Of these
men, this Grand Council. is to make oa,hs
TO bind men who are invited 10 hear lee
lures and to make nomin atoms. Orig
inal Know No,hingis,n was to use influ-
ence against foreign influence. This. as
a Wing. he (Mr. L could go with. Mr..
L. had read here proceedings ofthe Grand
Council, the purport Of it was that no
delegate was to be received who did not
sustain their State ticket, and members not
voting for Uilmann were expelled. MIR.
L. commented on these proceedings. point
ing out their tyranny. lie Inquired it In
Europe there was any power so despotic.
Had anything in this broad land ever been
heard OF equal to this Was ever a man
called upon and required 10 say, under
oath, whether he did ;ha, which the Con-
says he may do ?-whether he
voted against certain man? And what
was the crime of voting for Governor
Clark And yet this society, called A.
merican, expelled men for voting for Gov.
Clark. Was such society worthy of the
n anne American And he would predict
that in twenty -four months n o man will be
found who will ackn Wedge his connec-
ton with such political engine. Who
were the men Of this Executive Commit
tee I? He would not say it of all. but
some Of them were men Of broken repu-
tation, whose names were on the criml-
n al calendar of New York--men corrupt.