Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-06-30
STAUNTON VIRGINIA. SATURDAY, JUNE 80. 1850.


) From the Georgia Constitutionalist
Letter From the Hon A, q Longstreet CT
KnowaNothingism.
We find it, the last number Of the Nash
vile Union and American. letter on llii
absorbing question, from this disins hlsh &c
native Georgian, how President Of TIT
University OF Mississippi. The name .
r Augustus b. Longstreet is endeafed to ,hs
people Of Georgia BY a,any ties in the
history Of the past. It is a name which
we were taught to revere in early youth
as synon. nous with all that was bold and
fearless in the character Of the advocate.
with all that was parental aud dignificd in
the sage instructor, and with all that was
pure aud honest snd upright in the minis
ter CT the gospel. The old n.en Of Georgia
haze been accustomed to love him as a
brother, the young men. scattered through
out the State, who, from his lips, have
heard tie LESSONS ct wisdom, continue to
revere him as father. There is no man
in Georgia who will dare stand up and say
that A. B. Longstreet speaks from impure
motives. The indignant ifowus OF an
honest people would paraly.e the sacrie
gtous effort. Judge Longs!reet has been
forced from his retirement to come out aud
speak upon this question but having
come out he has met the Issue with thai
boidnes, and honesty which characteri .es
the man. He speaks 10 the people in the
voice of warning wisdom and tells them
to beware OF ali organization, which must
lead IL religious Intolerance and persecu.
| ton.
The circumstances which led to til e
publication of this letter. arose from an at
tack made upon The Judge ty the Memphis
Eagle and Enquirer, charging him with
preaching anti.know Nothing doctrines.
After abiding TO the editors Of that pa
per. who have assaulted him as The head
Of the Mississippi, University, he proceeds
to condt mn the Order ia the terms to be
found III the extracts below. Let every
Georgian read them carefully and ponder
owe, them well, wht thee he be Know
Nothing or anti Know Nothing. 49,
%la July las. bad just heard of new
Organization in the coun,ry--secret in lis
movements, aud going under the name
Know Nothings. lis principles. | under
stood 10 be, opposition to Csthollcs and
foreigners, to be planned in the dark
strengthened BY oaths and manifested al
the balEot-box. Il filled me with alarms.
saw in it the elements Of rapid expan-
sion and awful explosion. | exhibited
them TO the class that graduated in that
menth, and forewathsd them to have
nothing to do with il. Had been in
spifed, | could hardly have forcshadowed
its history more accurately than ! did
U, my prediction, notltng remains to be
fulfilled bu. the uuiponring OF more blood.
My forecast III relation 10 il ought to EN-
sure respect for my judgment IN and about
Oxford at least; bui it is that very forecast
which is raising buzz of discomfort
against ne in this vicinity how. This is
the Sill which brought out against me th,.
recondrte presses which have named
above. 1t is called "da6sling in politics.;"
but its tue uame is "Unpalat IDLE Truth"
This is the sin Tor which am soon, per-
chance. to be sacrificed. They that stoued
the prophets OF old are yet alive, and why
should expect better fate than theirs |?
Well, do not know thst Il better use
could be made oil my old carcass than the
offering OF it up on the altar OF this .4meri- |
can Baal An Incense would arise from
il that would do more to purify the Church
and the. Staie from this uoceln abomina-
lion than any tliug which can einanatt
from nv poor irost.covered Brain. Thc
public has now the sum iota, Of my polite
al sins, public aud private. shall speak
at large OF the new order in an appeal TO
my Church at son,e future day, if may
be allowed TO do 50. am committed
against it, and | shall oppose it forever
not in the classroom, but every where
else-not as partisan, but as IA CArstian.
This the patrons OF the University should
know. For all the honors and emolumenis
oil earth could not be induced to assume
a position Of neutrality in regard to it. III
all experience be rQt faIsehood, and all
history fable, it will throw this country
into ceaseless commissions, ii it be not crush
ed, and that speedily.
In my view, every mani who has scru-
pies Influence SHOULD rise against it-pow
Immediately, ere it be forever too late
Indeed, it allows no neutrality. With all
its proiessed Amrrlcanism, it assumes al.
absolute dictatorship. 1t will allow no
man to question its purity or its policy.--
II gathers within its pale, gien Of dignit,
talent and piety, preachers and teachers,
and with them the most depraved, abap-
dontd, desperate, God-drfying sinners
upon earth ; binds them BY oaths in the
bonds OF fellowship and sets them all at
work in politics. aud nothing but politics
| tind a christian brother among them
read 10 him II Cor, Il. ii and on, and
I implore him TO come GU, from such con-
nectons and it addresses me in tones If
drspotic authurit, in this i,e "Sir, my
name is Poiiiics-you ate Clergyman,
and Clergymen should have ho;hing to do
with Politics r fright" cries M, broth
er, sold man you'll ruin Yourself if YOU
NEEDLE with poiticsl" say 10 him,
your oaths are against the laws of God
and your Church" Sit" it responds,
'do YOU thus denounce ia, pous of my
orde'-have You NJ respect for The Church
or yodr phces' ! denounr,. the sinners
Of tie band and the Saints reprove me-. /
iepfove the Saints and the sinners de-
nounce me- The Saint shields the sinner,
and the sinner the Saint. II such com
bination is not enough to make the Church
and State both shudder. know not what