Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-06-29
TFrom the Boston Advertiser
xEaShfnptOn not m Knnvy.Nothing.

! Washington not n Know-NOthing.
| Since the new +" American party" has sprung int
existence, an attempt, which was originated in th'
days of the last Native American" excitement has
beer renewed, designed to add the sanction of the
great name of Washington to the hatred OF men o
foreign birth A pretended order of his has been
running the rounds of the newspapers, and used fol
the purpose of iusfyng the ignobIe war upon for
eigners, into which portion Of the American people
have unwisely allowed themselves t be drawn
/" Place none but Americans on Guard )" this plthy
expression of exclusive Americanism, so accordant
with the policy of the party of secrecy, in.
tolerance and real hostility to the broad principles OF
American liberty, has been unscrupulously palmed
upon the illustrious founder of the Republic Fancy
Gen. Washington at the head of army in which
many of the most faithful soldiers were men OF for
eign birth-with such officers as the Marquis de La
Fayette, Baron Steuben, Lord Stirling, Gen Lee, and
above a his trusted friend, confidential ad7Iser and
a5eae coadlutor i'll military ala civil atfas, Aezan-
der Hamilton-not natives of the country-Wlth an
allied army of French troops commanded by the high
spirited and chvalrous gentlemen OF France, by
whose aid he brought the war OF the Revolution to a
triumphant close-fancy him. so surrounded and
supported issuing an order to ''place none but Amel
cans on guard The very statement is enough to
show its absurdty.
The maxim, "Place none but Americans on guard"
certainly never was used by Gen. Washington. An
attempt, however, has been made to make 1t appear
that he used words of similar import, as will be OBJ
DO0|NAA
Journal of yesterday morning:
"PLAcE NONE BUT AMERICANS ON GUARD."-Pro-
fessor Sparks has recently stated that in all the VIII
tings and manuscripts of Washington, he has never
met with the above quotation, famous one with our
K. N. friends. The original order, containing the
quotation which was in the possession of the late
Gen. Dearborn of Roxbury, has been published. and
reads follows:
CAMBRIDGE HEADQUARTERS, July II, 1775.
GENERAL ORDER.-The General has great reason
to be dispeased with the negligence and inattention
of the guard who have been placed sentinels on
the outposts-men whose characters he is not ac-
quanted with He, therefore, orders that tor the tu
ture none b, Natives Of this Country be placed on
guard sentinels the outposts This order to be
considered standing one, and the officers TO pay
obedience 10 it on their part.
1Signed7 FOX, Ait of the day.
Countersigned, Exeter, Pay Roll, Dorchester.
If President Sparks, is here affirmed, has been
unable to meet with the pretended quotation 'Place
none but Americans guard" IN the writings OF
Washington it is for the good and sufficient reast
that does not exist there. The pretended order is
Justification Of the words of Washington, which has
all the moral guilt of forgery. We suhon as a con-
1rast to the mutilaled document, the exact words
which are found in Washingon's general orders OF
July 7-(not l7) The substitution of pay Toll y
for parole is all amusing illustration of the turn of
mind in the Know Nothing .orger. Not content
with this specimen of Know Nothingsm, he evident
ly did not understand the meaning Of the common
military term, countersign, which he changes into
couers gned if he supposed the pass word OF the
day Exeter was the name OF some ofl"er' whose
duty it Was countesign the general orders of the
Con.nanderin chief. The passage IN question IS
found in the General Orders, dated " Cambridge,
Headquarters, July 7, 1775, Parole, Dorchester
Coutersign, Exeter" and printed in Forces Amer-
can Archives Vol. H. p. l. 634:
1.-The General has great reason and is highly dis
pleased with the negligence and inattenton of those
officers qcho haze placed sentrieS at the outpots, men
1CEh 1GhOSe characters they are not acquainted he
therefore orders that for the future shall be
appointed 10 these important stations, acho IS not HG
tee Of this country has qcfe or family an At, to
ariD he is kn0Un to be attached the order is to be
considered standing one, and the officers are to pay
obedience to it, at their peril"
The circumstances of the moment fully explain
the purpose of the order. Washington had arrived
at headquarters, in Cambridge only three days be-
FORE and finding want of care In the military ar
rangements, and having reason to fear that there
weR in camp persons favorably disposed 10 the
British, theme holding possession OF Boston, and
watching their opportunity to communicate lntorma'
ton to the enemy, directed certain precautions to be
taken in the selection of sentinels, not against for
egns SUCH but against traitors and spies IN dis
guise The words omitted or altered by the Know
Nothing forger, which have ltallcised, place the
interton of the General in the cearest light, and
prove beyond question the dishonesty of the purpose
for which this mutilated document has been put into
circulation 1t is altogether very curious instance
of the base reports TO which fanaticism and party
spli will not hesitate to stoop.
We may add that every student of the writings OF
Washington knows that they abound in the express
sior of sentiments of sympathy for the distressed OF
fotegn lands and cordial welcome for those from
abroad casting their lot in America, which are the
entire reverse of the doctrines held by the secret or
ganzation which pretenis TO bold his name in pecu-
liar reverence.