Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-07-25

J Chambersburg Pa depository and
Wing, one ofths most efficient and infuen.
tialpapers in that State. This is but one o
the signs of the times as to what thai
mushroom party is coming to. up like
the rocket, and down like the stick u
We are every day becoming frmer in Oul
opinion that the American people will
never tolerate a bigoted proscriptive party,
or one bound by oaths and secrecy.
Too Late Learning.
Our friends of the Washington Com
nsonweaztA are just now learning what we
Elearned months ago-that sworn and
secret political organization is susceptible
of the grossest abuse, and can scarcely
escape being perverted to the service Of
designing and dangerous men. Nori
our contemporary alone in feeling the
scourge of despotism. We have felt1il
and only averted its more deadly blows
by graphing with it in its own threshold;
and many of our Wing brethren of the
press who had aided to warm it into
life. and who thought us prompted by
prejudices or imaginary wrongs in our
early and decidedShostility to it. are now
threatened with the same dangers and
are compelled in self-defence to follow
our footsteps. The Commonwealth will
now agree withus that had it realized at
an earlier day the dark treason that ran
kles in the circle where it expected friehd-
ship, its task of selfspreservation would
have been much more easily and success
fully performed.
Our contemporary needs not warn us
''to beware"-to be prepared for char
ges of '' bribery" and to be accused o!
seeking to betray the Wings into the
hands of the Democracy. We have no
such fears-the time for such apprehen-
sions is past. We well remember, how
ever, but few months ago, when we
were threatened with humiliation at ev~
cry step, and exultingly invited to pre-
pare for bankruptcy. Even true friends
trembled for US, as they studied the
boosted strength of an organization ce-
mented by the combined power of extra
| judicial oaths and thoroughly excited
prejudices. But we felt that no revolu~
tion, not based upon the principles which
can stand the test of sober reason and
strengthen themselves in the calm iudg>
ment of the people by their beneicent re-
suits; could fail to recoil with increasing
power upon its advocates and we have
not been disappointed. We did not seek
to destroy, but to modify and strip il of
its evils. Heartily sickeued at the fear~
full Importance accorded to foreign inilu-
ences in this country by the base pander~
ing of parties, we could not but sympa-
thise with its apparently, and even avow-
ed. leading principle OF Americanizing our
whole political policy and we were most
reluctant TO resist until it presented, in
its despotic discipline, dangers to which
all other political dangers seemed insig-
nifcant,.
But it is now stripped Of its moral pow
err, and instead of insolenL dictation and
intolerant prescription, will soon WOO you
as gently as sucking dove. 1t still ex-
ists-stil has formidable array Of nom
inal members in this county, but it can
only now be potent by inaugurating mer-
it in meu and measures and reaching the
popular heart by seeking the public
good. 1t is no longer the firmly knit,
and Ponderous crushing power it once
was. 1t is now but loose aggregation OF
men, as all other parties, and blind sub
mission to the cdicLs of the council is
among the things that have been. True,
1t is not declared an open organization in
this country, for the very good reason
that there are ambitious leaders whose
only hope of using the order to promote
their own selfish ends, depends upon Sc
cret council and oath bound submission
but the great mass of the party is to all
intents and purposes open and free, for in
defiance of the demagogues who would
enforce discipline or impose disgrace,
they will act as they please, talk as they
please, and cote as they please. They
are sickened with dicLation and ilum>
merry, and the oath is robbed OF its NOR,
al force by its prostitution to SO unwor,
thy purpose. If the Commonwealth has
different surroundings men still bow
because oath~bound and prescribe be,
cause hidden so to dot has respon,
sible task to perform, and it must con-
quer the despotism that besets it or
fall beneath its remorseless stroke
There can be no halfway or middle
ground for safety, and only when coun,
ellis, oaths, grips and signs are totally
abolished, can AmeTicanism be stripped oil
its dangers and command the favor Of
liberal and conservative men.
MORALITY OF Know NorH1NGs- The
Pennsylvania says that it did not publish
the proceedings Of tie late Know Nothing
National Council. " not because the mem
bers were not purchaseable, but on &C.
count of the high price one-half the mem
bers at least held themselves at. The
smallest sort of creatures in the National
Council demanded one thousand do2iurs for
their notes of the proceedings from day
to day-but they were written SO imper-
fectly, for want Of education. that we re-
] refused to nnrchase at that exhnrhiiant