Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-18
% The Third Degree Obligation '-The
Richmond Enquirer.

Richmond Enquirer.
The Richmond Enquirer Of yesterday, pro-
nounces the Third degree obligation "a trick
Of the enemy" 1t says:
"One week in advance Of the elections In Vir-
sinina the public are, for the first time, informed
mat the obligation Of the Third Degree Of the
Kuow-Nothing order affirms principles which no
aboltionist can profess, and imposes the duty of
devotion to the rights Of the South
This statement is entirely erroneous in say
that "the public are for the frat time informed
of the bearing and effect Of the Third degree
obligation. The Enquirer has frail memory,
or but very slight regard for fairness. The
Third degree was adopted at Cincinnati, last
November and on the adjournment Of the
Grand Council, the New York Tribune alleged,
upon information communicated to it, that the
Grand Council had adopted Third degree, and
resolved toignore the question Of slavery, and
to silence all agitation Of the question. We
copied the Tribune's articles more than once,
to the effect, that the new degree created at
Cincinnati, imposed upon the American
party" an obligation not to agitate the slave
question, nor to interfere Herewith, to the
n lZard oil tho Union.
We adopted the statement than made by
the Tribune, knowing its correctness, and yet
wc did not consider ourselves authorized to
publish the "obligation." Several Of our edi-
torials were founded upon this undsnied and
llndeniaJle statement Of the import of the OBJ,
legation. How then can the Enquirer truth
fully assert that " the public are for the first
time informed, TINT the obligation Of the Third
degree of the Known Nothing order, affirns
principles which no abolitionist can profess,
and imposes the duty of devotion to the rights
of the SOUTH" Our readers will bear us wit
ncss, that we have maintained steadily and re-
peatedly, that our party was the only true con-
servative party in the country, on the slave
question, and in reference to the preservation
Of the Union. The Enquirer knows it.
The Enquirer asks: "Why was not this OBJ
lection brought to light in an earlier stage in
the canyassf' Let the Enquirer ask Mr..
Wise this question, for he assumes to know all
the signs, grips, and obligations of the order !
II the obligations Of this degree were known to
Mr. Wise, and il their PRONUNCIATION would
have injured our party, doubtless they would
have been made known, but Mr. Wise knew
Gf he knew this obligation) that it was patri-
otto and truly american obligation, and OF
course that its PRONUNCIATION would benefit US
And how was 1t promulgated, and by whoms
Why, by the Aboitionists of Ohio, and by
them denounced as a pro-slavery degree! Is
|, asked why our party did not proclaim the
oblivationp Because ii is our policy to keep
our workings and our obligations from our ene-
mics, whilst our principles are proclaimed
through our presses to the world! There is
not a single principle maintained by the
American party, that has not been published
thousands of times through our presses, but
our workings and our obligations, outsiders
have no right to know.
But says tho Enquirer: "lts genuincness
"a attcsted by no responsible authority. The
Washington Organ Of Tuesday refuses to ad-
nit II. authenticity" And pray, by what
" responsible authority are the obligations Of
tho first and second degrees "attested, and
which obligations Mr.. Wise has been for weeks
mast repeating, in his numerous addresses
gut the Enquirer says, the Organ refuses to
admit its authenticity" That is not fair In
t,rpretation Of our article--it is not what the
world, or any part of the world, will say is
meant by our article. We were not called
npon 10 admit its authenticity" and Of course
did not "refuse to admit its authenticity" We
do not understand that man can "rcfuse to
do a thing not solicited. The language which
we used, touching the authenticity Of the obli-
cations Of the Third degree, was the following
ave are not authorized to say, and do not feel
Al liberty 10 saw, that the obligations and address
Of the Union Degree, are those which our enc
mics have now published, but we do feel at liberty
10 say and therefore say, that the principles there
IN developed, are our principles, and our creed /;
and we say further, that We have taken no obiiga-
lion and made no promise iaconasfe,tt NTH fhis
olotform and we say again further, that no man who
S,s taken the Third or Union Degree, can be, con.
sstently with bic obligations, an enemy Of the
Union or an ADVOCATE OF that agitation, which
would lead 10 the destruction OF The Union. upon
mia ground. we have over and again repeated,
that The American party is the true Union party
Of the country, and that the charge OF Abolition
lam made against ~, Is an unqnaified and unniti-
gated falsehood, and this we now sgain repeat !;
t,at all charges Of COLLISION or sympathy with ABB
olitionism, or with the agitation Of slavery, made
against tho American party are utterl, untrue
and wholly unfounded.
. Our friends and the country may draw their
own infcrenccs from these declarations on the
poiut, whether the published obligations and adj
dress' are genuine or not. Our enemies cay they
are penuine--we do not deny II, and yet we are
not at liberty TO admit It,
.our readers viii remember that upon the adj
iournment of the National Council at Cincinnati,
last November the New York Tribune and other
ant;.savery presses, published In their journals,
tbe statement, that the National Council had re-
solved to ignore the question Of slavery, I'VE did
not thon deny t--but we adopted the principle.
How far this fact may sanction or confirm the
Truth Of the present publication, Others may judge
for themselves.
aBut, upon this showing Of our adversaries, and
upon these evidences on the question OF the gen.
uneness of the published obligations and address,
we NAV DO permitted to reassure the South, and
The whole country that the rights and interests OF
oh and every section Of the Union, will DO safe
/ the keeping Of the American party We may
o,r also safely ask every intelligent citizen Of the
United States, to discard the preudices against our
marty which falsehood and misrepresentation have
rroated and unite with us in our patriotic strug-