Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-03-09

IA here. a pcuurcr hud traitor 10 MS
country and to Godw There is no escape
for the victim who holds to the binding force
Of such wicked, illegal and infamous obli-
cations. And, sir, after what ! have read:
am not warranted 10 saying all | have said,
| would not. sir, dare to trust case 70
Jury in which was a party. without challeng
ing that Jury. But suppose do challenge
for connection with this order the challeng
ed party, if he is what challenge him for
I being. Is sworn not To tell the truth What,
/ in such a state Of facts, Is to be done Z
Now, sir, word or two about the binding /
obligation Of oaihs. Here is juror, sworn
on the one hand To do his duty faithfully aud /
honestly. On the other, be IS sworn not 10 /
divulge, before any legal tribunal, the Sc /
crets or any fact connected with the order |
My counsel inquiries " Are you member !
Of the Know Nothing orderY" What an
swer, f a member, can he give? If he re-
fuses to answer he violates his oath 1t he
does answer, ani answers faithfully, he vio-
lates his oath and If he answers falsely he
violates his oath also lie stands between
firo baths, one To his country and one to bus
I council. What would be his answer No,
! know noihingw
Now, sir, in view Of what have stated,
suppose man had taken the first, second
come convinced of lbs niquity and sup
pose he would come out openly, before the
world, and dissolve an connection with 1t, so
that he could no longer remain member OF
lit; ave, more, expose its iniquiiies. from his
porsunal knowledge. could he be called
periurer, charged with a dishonorable viola
: ton OF his oath take 1t, not, sir. No
man, who desires 10 live so rs to meet the
appreciation of his Creator, would feel that
, he had committed a SIN IN so doing. The
. breaking of such an oath would meet win
:, the appreciation Of good men aud OF the AL
mighty.
4 know, sir, there are gentlemen on this
floor who differ from me in opinion who be-
. eve that to break this Illegal and wicked
obligation is to violate an oath. II this be
V 50. then charge you. icach nni every one Of
, Won who have spoken N defence OF this mi
putty, with having violated your oaths. But
exculpate you from any CRIME IN this reve'-
alton. You intended no violation OF your
oa,hs. There is an oath administered to
- every member Of the order, which requires
y from him implicit secrecy. Yet one gentle
=, msn. whose high pretensions to stnctlty
y, rendered his denunciaiions peculiarly i'm
7 pressive, charged that certain members o
81 this House would violate their oalhs If they
~ dared 10 vote for WILLIAM II. SEWARD =
~, And what have members sworn to do VIII
= would violate their olths by voting for Mr.
i, SFwARD? ~ hat oaihs2 Olils to dis
T., regard the public scntimeut--to seek the dc
NJ feat of the Maine aw--tO prevent or TO do
:, no matter what ? Any oath, to support OF
+ oppose any measure whlh may possibly
come before this House, aud taken extra
iudicially, Is in derogation Of the oath which
i' every member of this House took when lee
IL entered upon his duties as legislator. The
,d intmaiion that such an OATH has been taken
a. is a violation of the oath itself, by the cx-
q. posure of its secrecy. VIII, what grace
81 therefore, can tho gentleman from Orange
4 Mr.. iIEApLEY,) who has himself violated
his oath by intmaing the eNistancc OF such
= an oath, claim purity for himself and charge
"a perjury upon others II he does not, the
Of people will discover the dilemma into which
Of he has plunged himself The gentleman
ID f;om New York Mr. Perry has also been
rs fppant IN his denuucatiuns OF "perlurers'
u and traitors . and yet he, too, has violated
an this oath Of secrecy by addressing his asso
Of cate members as Americans" 1t Is II
en- violation Of the oath Of secrecy the broth
i'd erhood even 10 nine who are menbei
me thereof
as Nir. PETTY: In regard to that charge sill
"a [ deny that have violated any oath by thu
III designating gentlemen. | here avow my
It self as a member of the American party.
ch am sorry the honorable Speaker is not.
e- The SPEAKER: am, sir, an American
is an American citizen. and an American IN
ret heart, soul and sympathy. But, sir, am no
H. such an " American" every man under
10. stood him to mean those we're whom he al.
ey dressed as Americans . oil knew what h'
do meant. not an American b. birth merely, no
nd vet an American in feeling merely, but
as member of the secret order, misnamed 4
TX merican, whose impurities am exposing an
n will continue to expose, regardless OF thl
De- frowns or threats OF the fraternity Th'
nio gentleman cannot escape from the charge O.
to violating his oath by any such petty equIyo
on. cation. Every man knows what nc mean
ore by 81 member of the American party
zen His meaning would have been no more un
ion oqnvocal II he had spoken of them n
ich "Knnow Nothings." AS he employed tn
elf. term " American"--a misnomer, | admit
- and as he and those who act with him not
tep apply that term it means simply this;
of man who belongs to the Know Nothing or
sa- der, and who acknowledges James w. Bar
md ker as his grand high priest and maslor.'-
nn- When the gentleman uttered the sentenc
OPP to which refer, every man who heard hi'
- knew that the genlleman he addressed wa
or member Of that order, Hence that gen
one ueman also as well as the gentleman troI
Orange, have both violated their oaihs b
-, revealing what those oaths bind them not
oa@G reveal! How, then, dare they to accus
nees others Of perjury | now Judge them b
~ ,na y, their own standard of morality.
good Mr.. Speaker have been informed sine
> or the House took its recess, that council l'
,,eS Gated on Staten Island No. 2i0,) dIsguste
with the base part winch they were require
aa,, to play, and acluated by a true Amerlc'
ud to spirit, not to be shackcd or trammeled IN III
-. EXERCISE of their constitutional rights, Ea'
vat. formally and unanimously dissolved all COT
srea necton with this Internal political macliln
w'll I'm doing this. they acted the part Of true
mericans. Il Is what viii be done by cou
fore c,l after council through the state has
and deem and abiding confidence IN the int!
nan rtv. intelligence and honesty Of purpose
ated the people. They early learn, in the coa
no. mon schools of the state, 10 love ifeedo
this and independence and when they beco"
This fully acquainted with the inlqultons chart
now ter and purposes Of this political inquisilio
work they will fearlessly throw of its trimmels
neil. Yes, sir, | have confidence m The lhlel
. re. gence and patriotism Of the people. 7
iry ? members of this Staten Island council, cor
, re- posed of honest, fearless and true men, hl'
mat done noolc ueeu "''"
the Americans. Their names shoun DC '"s'
ork, ven IN letters OF gold ana pla'eu on
peat walls OF this chamber as monument
ses their honor in all time to come, and as
am warning to their counirymon TO shun al
Ma spurn al association with such an lniamn
mon, inquisillon-an organization, most soleu
d by ly believe, rs now constituted, designed
) co. prostitute the spirit Of true Amencanls
and and to overthrow the freedom o; the COZ
ISL try. This is the object. not OF ITS mass
ltion bat Of the leaders of this order
or As an illustration Of the spirit OF the
plate der, the gentleman from Greene Mr.. R'