Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-05-16
KnoM,.N othiagi IlIustrated.
4 Frs.- N.gro Bstlsr than q '1Wlate Man.

KNOWN thingi ism illustrated.
A Frss- NEGRO Bsttsr than q White Mon.
After all, the most patient research
and the rarest power of analyses and il.
lustration cannot convey per fecly Just
conception of the nature and effect of
any system or principle of public policy.
You must reduce the principle to practice
and subject the system to theetest of &C.
tual ;experim emit, before wescan be conf
dent that we thoroughly understand its
nature and operation. This remark is
especially and emphatieally true in res
psct to Know n othingism. "A thing that
reveals itself only by accident aud in pass.
ing glimpsess of visible iaFkness"-
that shrouds itselfin mystery and shrinks
from touch and scrutiny. that eludes the
grasp and exhibits q protean variety Of
shapes Ills impossible, We say, To COM
prehend the nature of such a thing az
Know Nothin gismS by mere. abatract con-
eeption.S We give it opportunities dis
play itself. You mu 81 see tin full flow
er and fruit, and the n NE ma determine
whether indeed it is the rank poison that
men suspect it to be.
In Massachusetts,, Know7Nothingism is
ripe even to rottenuess. And what is it
there Rank abolitionism 81 the bittersst
and deadliest sort. 1t is the same in
New York, in Ohio, in Penney lyania, in
Indiana and indeed in all the States Of
the North. This fact is nndeniable.
Descending from these general obser.
yations to particular instances; We invite
the attention of the people ofIYirginia
to an illustration Of Know nottingham.
which conveys a perfectly accurate idea of
its spirit and essential nature.
Mr.. D, L. Smith is the representative
Of the county of Allegheny in the Legis-
ture of Pennsylvania. He is a Know
Nothing, andis held in the highest es-
teen by his party. He is in dead earn
est. and wants TO reduce the professions
of his party to instant and complete
practice. Accordingly the Legislature
was hardly organized before he initiated
movement Of much consequence
movement which sho uld by Gsingleblow
overthrow the exist g politicalsystcm Of
Pennsylvania. and on its ruins establish
Kno W Nothingism in splendid and COM
plete triumph. He pro posed the enact
ment of law in these words:
An ACT to confer upon eolOred persons the right Of
citizenship.
SIC. l. Be it cmoctsd, &C., That from and after
the ussuge of this uet, all CoOred male persons
of African or mixed extraction, who are now, or
may hereaC tor become residents ofthis Common.
wealth, DO frcemen, and UTe hereby entitled 10 all
the civil religious and political rights as fully
aud am ply, TO all intents and purposes, - the
same are enjoyed and held by any person or per-
sons, citizens of this Commonwealth.
SEC. 9. That SO much of any law OF laws asmay
be incom patible with the provisions of this act
be. and tho SHmo hereby feDeolOd.
Now, wO say this is ACKNOWLEDGMENT
in full flower. It's KnoW>NothingiSm
in an in tellectual- as well as, a political
sense. And we assert that Mr.. D. L.
Smith, OF Allegheny, Pa, is the bestrOp-
rosentative OF Kuow-Nothingism that has
yet attracted the public eye. Here is an
Zgnoramus who has collapsed even Mr..
Kenneth Rayner. Gould any body but
genuine Know Nothing be SC. stupid as to
attempt to confer the right OF suffrage
by an ordinary act Of the Legis!alpro
Is there any other man out side tho
Know-Nothing Order in the State Of
Pennsylvania who is ignorant of the fol-
lowing clause Of its constitutions? ,,sgt
ART. Ill. SEC. /. III elections by the citizens
every ,ohits freeman Of the age Of t%entYsene
yeIrs, having resided III this State no y6ari and
in tho election district whore he offers toEyote.
ten days Immediately preceding such election,
and within two wears paid State or couptystax.
shull enjoy the rights Of an olcctor.
This is the intellectual aspect o.; Know.
Nothingism. But Mr.. Smiths proposi-
ton illustrates as well the political Spir~
it of Know Nothiugism.
The chiefaim Of Know-Nothingism is
TO disfranchise tho foreign born poppla-
ton Of the country, for the reason that
they are intellectually unfit for the enjoy
ment Of the rights and privileges Of FREQ
men. But, at the Same time, Know
Nothingism proposes TO elevate The Negro
30 the dignity from " hich il would de-
grade the white man w-Nothingism
proscribes and clothes the free negro with
all the rights and proud distinctions Of cite
zenship. This is the Craftsmanship which
aspiros TO govern the good old common
wealth Of Virginia.
Ro. JOHNSTON. Esq We copy .hsfo
lowing from the Richmond Enquirer: