The true Democrat., 1855-08-28
Letter from Ex Gov. A. v. Brown.


 Letter from Elk. Gov. A. v. Brown.
 NashviNe July 23, 1855.
 GENTLEMEN:--Excuse my not being able to be with you on the 18th; am engaged at Me Minnville, in Warren county, on that day, and after that 1 shall be engaged in my old Con- gresSional district up to the very last day be- fore the election. There is no county in the State to which l would come with more plea sure than to Dickson. Accident has heretofore prevented me from cutivating that intimacy with the noble band of democrats in your coun- | ty which have desired. Say to them to be | of good cheer-the skies are bright and every day gives assurance that know nottingham with all Its un-Amerlcan secrecy and its unchristian oaths must go down. 1 say unchristian oaths If any professor of religion has gone into this midnight junto, let him turn to the lst Epistle of James, 5th chapter and 12th verse, where it is laid down emphatcally, "But above all things my brethren, swear not neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, lest ye fall into condelnna- tion." So likewise to Mathew, 9th chapter 34th verse, {" But say unto you, swear not at aU neither by heaven, for it is Gods throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool nor by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king."
 
 on this passage, uses language that. ought to make every professor of religion instantly with draw from this oath bound order:
 |" He that uses any oath, except that which he is solemnly called by the magistrate to make, so far from being Christian does not deserve the reputation of decency or common sense" I wish every professor of religion would look into this matter The day is coming, and now is, when he will find that by joining this order, which, like sin and pestience, walketh in dark. ness, he has done more to retard and iniure the cause of religion, than by any other act of his life It IS from this view of the case that one at least of our religious denominations has made 1t a cause of exclusion from the church.
 It is certain too, that the paths administered are all illegal, and that both they who admin ister them, and they who receive them make themselves liable to indictment under the laws of the country.
 Look at that oath which says "You do so- lemnly swear that you will support in all poli- tcal matters, for all political offices members of this order in preference to other persons; you do also promise and swear, that this and all other obligations which you have previously taken in this orler shall eoer be Leit through life sacred and inyiollte' Mark how that wicked man who devised this horrld oath has worded it No matter how worthless the can didate nominated in the order, may be- you must support him. If he be a Benedict Arnold in the order, you must vote for him. even against a George Washington out of the ordcr--you must do so, too through your whole life, No matter how corrupt and tyrannica this order may become in after times, still you must hold on to it in its colruption Now, what is all this but conspiracy against the freedom of e!ectioa, and tltara4ord iplictabla h.,ll. It. law?
 | hlS new order now SavS every day, that 1t took its rise ont of the coruptions of the two old political parties. Why, then, may t not become corrupt itself? and when it becomes 50, why should it swear its followers to stick to it even in its corruption? Gov. Neill s. Brown, who is rendering himself most conspicuous in foundin this new party, said himself, mA one of his speeches. "that he has no confidence, for one, in the perpetual purity and success of any party, however 1t may be organized. ."- Well, then, if this know nothing party is to be pure only for time, why brace it up, by oaths, that shall ever De Kept through life sacred and inviOlate? Nc good man can fail to see, that perpetual p0aCer was the object; and perpetual ooth as the means of securing it.
 Perpetual power! over what? Another of tn 9se horrid oaths informs Us, as 1t has been often published and not denied, "you do so- lemnly swear that you will, in all things, poli- tcal or social so far as this order is concerned, comply with the will of a majority, though it may conflict with your personal preferences" What anbounded power over every thing poli- tical, and every thing sociaH Under this pow CT it can pull down any merchant or business man that it does not like. It can pull down any mechanic or iaboring man 1t chooses On any night, when the town or neighborhood council shall meet, they can doom to destruc- ton every man of any profession or calling which majority, even of one, may not like All this can it do with perfect safety to its mem bers. They are all sworn to secrecy They will not testify in court or out of court, any thing against themselves or one another. The judge Is member and sworn to comply with the will of a majority. The jury, who may have to try any suit which may be brought to recover damages for loss of property or charac- ter, are all members, and leagued and sworn to carry out the unholy work of destruction.- Now, what is this oath but an outrage on all law, human and divne-an outrage against all the precepts and principles of true religion? and what man had not better live at Consanti- nople among the Turks, or among the rowing Tartars of the desert, than to live in constant dread under the power ana COHOIOl Oi SucI secret and midnight order?
 The truth is that no man can tell the extent of the wickedness and danger of this new and strange organization. Originally 1t was never intended that any one not of the order should look into this charnel house, filled with dead mems bones"-but disclosure after disclosure, made by men that the public could not doubt, has compelled the order to lift up the veil, or rather one little corner of it, and manifest, here and there only, few of the huge enormties that lie concealed in its dark bosom.
 But no matter: cannot come and speak at large to you, nor can write as fully as my feel ings would dictate. But if 1 had the power now to speak to all my fellow-citizens of the State, would say, touch not handle not, this accursed thing" In the coming election let every good man unite, with all his mind, and soul, and strength, in putting it down. When you have first crushed this strange monster, then you can look round, and, by open and puo- lie discussion in the way we always did, pass any laws about naturalization which may be deemed just and proper. repeat, kill this know nothing monster first, and afterwards pass any proper and constitutional laws about foreigners. You must kill it, or it will kill you. It will kill your republican government. It will kill and murder you in all your business, and pro- fessions, and cmployments of life; it will kill no it cannot kill-but it will retard and embar- rass the progress of Christianity more than any thing that has ever happened in the 18th cen- tury. The secrecy of the. J asuits-the horrid scenes of the French revoluton-never did half the mischief to true religion, that know nottingham will do, if it ever shall prevail in this country.
 Yours respectfully and earnestly,
 AARON V. BROWN. MT. THos. MNoNEnIr, N ,