Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-13


do not know They are many oil ,neh my 'hiiliia'e
friends " hon l respect in all the relations OF ie.
make no cha, &c of treachery, nor would imply
any They perhaps have some Justification, and
e men usually of the purest faith have erred in
,b;s some allowance is to be made for the perverse
bias of the human mind under the excitement of
politics. If their own conscience justifies them,
am content. a ~
Enough for me, the old party is desdi Phoenix
like from its ashes has risen strange monster, huge
and terrible Ike the Cloud Giant on the mountain,
of gigantic proportions and with the conyulsive
and spasmodc strength of the whirlwind. l had
heard of them before, just such--lar back in the
darkness of the middle ages-wben the irca heel
of oppression was on the necks of all men, and they
spoke in whispers, and dared not trust the friend
with whom they spoke face to face. Then Ger
many and Italy and Spain were full Of such things,
but they were retiring and protective. thought
they had gone away as the light advanced, that like
the dragon and the unicorn they were only fabulous
Least of all would l have expected such thing 10
America, where freedom of opinion is our greatest
boast where each citizen prides himself upon the
IMMUNITY with which, under the shield of our Con-
sttution he may boldly exercise his right of thought
and freely speak in open day, without fear or IA
vor But it is startling fact the existence of this
huge delormity. Family suspected at frst oecom-
ing better defnedby degrees, and last uumisaka-
ble but with dim and misty outlines, overshadow-
ing the country, stands the giant Sam. Not timid
and fearful like the secret affiliations of the middle
ages but defiant and aggressive Unseen in his
parts known as an actual power, recognised in the
aggregate, he stalks along with the strength of
Hercules, and the jeer of Mephistophales. Out CT
the old dead wing party has risen this, and the
slough of the venerable parent, few ofthe simple
minded men of obsolete and stled notions, are left
adrift driving any whittier. g
Hence, have said in the beginning, am unoer-
tain now how precisely it becomes me to act. My
objections to the know nothing order are of too
grave character to allow of my acting in any way
with them; the greatest objection being the very
fact that know nothing at all about them. This
much do know, that there exists an order, or as
sociatiop, composed of members pledged to act
together in their designs, who repudate all party
obligations, and bind themselves to keep secret
their very CONNECTION with the order. That their
objects plausible and national may all be true.
They claim to be par excellence the American par
ty, and that may be true. l. myself, will yield to
no man in my Americanism in all proper and pa
triotic senses Of the word IF it means love of my
country, an ardent desire for her prosperity and
glory, and the happiness of all her sons and daugh-
tiers | am an American. If it means to have drawn
my first breath upon her SOIL and never for one
day to have been out of her boundaries am an
American. fit means to have line of ancestors
native-born running back into the times of our CO.
lonial history, I am American, for although an
obscure one, can trace that too If it means to
have wife and children who dwell in peace and
security under the shield Of our Constitution and
laws, TO be grateful therefor, and devoted to their
maintenance am an American. Within the soil
of Tennessee repose the remains of father, there
repose the remains of a child the reverence of the
past and the hope OF the future have mingled there
What need have for a secret association to make
me feel assured of my Americanism? can be moth
ing else.
If to be an American, means to pledge my sa-
cred honor to prescribe far lies in my power,
all honest citizens, from the enjoyment Of office,
who may be of foreign BIRTH am no American
If to be an American requires me to put ban
upon the citizen, native born or foreign, who may
entertain particular set of religious views, how
ever honest and capable he may be, am no Amer
lean. If to be an American requires me to submit
to the dictates of a secret order, unknown to the
public, and unrecognized by the laws to cast my
votes in accordance with its behest or falling in
that, at least to hold my peace, am no American.
If to be an American requires me to conceal from
my bosom friend the fact that am connected and
bound by secret obligations with an order hostile
perhaps to his interest, compelling me against my
moIe magnanminious nature, to en,rap him into an
open and friendly confidence, l am no American.
If all this constitutes Amercansm, and the time
has come when all this is necessary, to be recog-
nized as an American, must back to my prayers
again, for Rome needs it sadly.
The accomplishment Of even q worthy object by
means of secrect associations, deserves repreheu-
sion. All bad precedents originate in this way
The next will be less worthy, and once known as
an element OF STengtn anu means vi success, tneY
will be adopted for the transaction of all sorts of
vanies. The whole system of CONFIDENTIAL inter-
course between man and man will cease. Selfish
ness and mutual distrust and timid fear, will over
run the laud The more timid will either shrink
away from observation, or take refuge in some one
or other OF the secret orders. The more bold and
defiant will be overborne by trescheroUs combina-
tons, and destroyed by the evil passions which will
come at length to be INDUCED under the veil of Sc
crecy Confidence in the administration of Justice
will die out No prisoner arraigned for an imput-
ed crime could select jury of his peers He could
not avoid the risk of having the question of his
own life or liber decided by one in secret comb
nation with his most deadly enemy-a benefit in
the power Of challenge would be gone. These are
the results OF the tendencies of now-nothingsm-
Heaven forbid it should be true at present Fellow
citizens of this secret order, reflect Under the
most pure and patriotic motives, you may be rails
ing demo-: that cannot be controlled, establish
ing precedent terrible in its consequences-rais-
ing whirlwind which, in its progress beyond your
calculation, will devastate our beloved AmericaI
Think OF the lesson of the French revolution-that
most fearful lesson of them all 1t was the old IA