Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-03
THE AMERICAN ORGAN-CONFEssION
AND AVOIDANCE.


AND AVOIDANCE.
The american Organ, Of tbs city, takes US
to task for an article we wrote, in which we
propounded the question: Where are the lost
tribes Of Abolitionism.v 1t undertook to an
swer that article, and to refute the positions we
assumed. But itsSnswer is in fact no answer.
Its pretended refatations amount to nothing.
We said that the Abolitionists Of the North,
who but ? few months since disturbed earth
and outraged heaven with their blasphemous
clapors, are now as calm as an infant and as
silent as the grave. We said that they had
disappeared, and asked "where have they
gone.", This question we undertook to an
swer. We took Massachusetts,, the most tho
roughly Abolitionized State in the Union. We
said that at the late election in that State scarce
~ any but known Abolitionists were elected
to Office, and that they were elected by the
Klow-nothing organization. We inferred from
this fred established, ontsssed fact, that there
was some sympathy in Massachusetts and at
the North, between Abolitionism and Know
notbingism. But, unwilling to trust to an ar
gumentative inference, we asked-Can the Alb.
olitionists have died out? No. That was i'm
possible in so short time. We then asked
Can those men who were Abolitionists have
changed their sentiments in so short tinle2
That too, was impossible. Then We enquired,
Where are the Aboitionists Of Massachusetts,
it they have not Joined and do not compose
the Know nothings7 To this question we de-
sired an answer full, candid, explicit an
swer The american Oygaa undertook to an
swer But what did it say 1t did not deny
our premises. 1t did not deny our facts. 1t
did not even say one word about Massachusetts,
which was our Illustration. The course of
argument it pursued was that Of confession and
avoidance. 1t says: rs 49,.
1T is undeniably trne, that there are hun
dreds and thousands of men at the North and
Northwest whose feelings are anti-slavery, and
who honestly consider the institution of slavery
an evil, and who are members Of the 'Ameri-
can party but such men are not political Abb
olitionists, alias disuaionists, and higher laso
advocates, who would scatter the Union into
fragments sooner than fail to extirpate slavery"
So much for the confession. Now for the
avoidance. Says the Organ:
Far from it. Such men, foreseeing that
the further agitation Of slavery would probably
result in a separation Of these States, and that
such agitation cannot by any possibility result
in benefit to either the North, the West, or the
South, and that it cannot fail to SOW discord
among brethren, and ALLEVIATE the several por
tons of the country from each other, and fore.
seeing, too, that the evils of foreignsm and
Romanism are yearly and hourly increasing
and must be met and overcome, (such men we
say) are ready and willing to unite with the
South, to sink the question Of siaUeTy .foreper,
and harmonic in one great national effort to
ward off impending ruin"
Again, says the Organ:
"The American party resolves to sink
the question of slavery 1t brings within its
folds the men of the North, West, and South,
on this basis. The purposes of the party are
unconnected with the slavery question"
The confession that there are Hundreds
and thousands Of men at the North and North
west whose feelings are anti-slavery," and who
belong to the Know-nothings, is full, but the
avoidance is bymo means satisfactory. When
did the Knop-nothings Of Massachusetts, and
"of the North and northeast" declare that
they desired to sink The slapexy question :
Where did they make the declaration. Give
the authority for it. Let us have the words
and the form Of the declaration as we'll as the
time and the place of making it.
We believe that the american Organ is the
organ of Southern Know-nothings. We be-
lieve from what it says and from what we know
of its conductors, that it favors the doctrine Of
non.intervention, but we do not believe that a
Massachusetts, Know.nothing who has been a
Massachusetts, Aboltionists does favor that
doctrine. If peradventure they have agreed to
drop the question, il is only that by means Of
silence, secrecy, and suspension they may gain
breath and strength. 1t is only that they may
be enabled to disarm the South Of suspicion
and then stab her in the most vital part.
We have sought no controversy with the
american Organ. We only; in the discharge
Of our duty as Democratic journal, called
attention to an organization that has ambi.
tiously arrayed itself against the Democracy.
But, when the Organ tells us that incendiary,
fanatical, and unconstitutional Abolitionists,
such as those Of Massachusetts, have suddenly
become constitutional conservatives and honest
noninterventionists, we ask for the proofs of it.
When the same journal tells us that the proofs
consist in their being Know-nothings, then we
ask for the solemn covenant and the binding
pact by which they engaged aforecer 10 sink
the question Of slavery"
The Organ makes merry over the idea that
honest but unwary Southern men may be Sc.
duced by the Abolitionists, and says that we
pay poor compliment to our Southern breth-
rem in suggesting such thing. To tell the
plain truth we have but poor opinion Of that
Southern mans circumspection who will suffer
himselfto be deluded by secret society in an
open and free country, particularly in these
perious times when Abolitionists have vowed
to get the ascepdency either by foul or fair