The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-12
d. c..
THURSDAY, JULY II, 1855.
PLAIN TALK FOR PLAIN MEN.

they please speculate, dream, expect, drift
cry "alPs WE'LL" call us, captious, suspicious
an intermeddler; plume themselves upon theil
mastery inactivity" and issue weekly bul
letins, announcing that the danger has passed
they always said so, things have turned out JUS
as they predicted: ,ce must Judge and act fol
ourselves.
The honest friends of Freedom must pu
down Know Nothingism, or Know Nothingisn
will put them down. The Free States mus
reject Know Nothingism, or Know Nothingisn
will irretrievably divide them, and place then
under the heel of the Slave Power. We ar
in earnest, and we intend to make our reader
feel in earnest, if we can. We have never ex
pected any good from the Secret Order. ant
are not at all surprised at what has lust hap
pened in Massachusetts, although many of GU
| friends are. General Wilson and his associate
They find, we learn, that the rancor agains
Foreigners and Catholics is more virulent thar
they had supposed; that the prejudice which
their efforts have contributed unwittingly to in
flame, ,ciH seek its qualification even at the ex-
pense of the Anti-Slavery Cause. All their
schemes for Fusion, for Union of the People
of Massachusetts on the Anti Nebraska or Anti
Slavery Question, were thwarted in the Council
of which they were members. They were out
voted and disappointed.
The following paragraph, added to the origi-
nal address, was rejected by the Council
"And we call upon our fellow-citzens of
Massachusetts, of every name and party who
agree with the sentiments of the platform sign
ed by our delegates to the said Convention, to
assemble in their several cities and towns, in
public meetings duly notified, and TO select
three delegates for each representative said
city or town is entitled to send to the General
Court on valuation years, to an american Re
publican State Contention, to be held at
Springfield, on Friday, July Is, at II o'clock,
noon, that day being the anniversary Of the
passage of the Ordinance of 1887, for the pur-
pose Of laying down platform of principles.
and transacting such other business as the said
Convention may deem expedient."
SO says the Springfield Mass Republican;
and it furnishes another item in regard to the
series of resolutions adopted:
"The resolutions were carried BY a strong
vote, but the friends of a popular Convention,
and of discarding the effete humbugs, did not
vote on them. In this number of silent pro-
testants were included such men as Gardner,
Wilson, Foster, Conkey, Burlington, and the best
men of the Order. These men boldly avow their
readiness to cooperate with men of all parties
in a general Fusion movement. But it is doubt
full whether their counsels will prevail"
AS their counsels have not prevailed, what
do they intend to do? Do they recollect how
their friends outside of the Order explained and
excused their action last year? The Wing
Party, with Pharisaical exclusiveness, repealed
all overtures for a union, on common ground,
of the friends of Liberty; met in Convention,
adopted Wing platform, harmless enough,
passed resolutions far more Anti-Slavery than
any resolve of the Know Nothing Order of
Massachusetts, and then invited the "union
and co operation of the People of the Com
mOnwealth ain support of these principles"
The response Of the People was--so we were
told" You have rejected our demand for an
honest, equal Fusion; you have shown deter.
mination to dragon us into the ranks of YOUR
organization not even the imperilled interests
OF Freedom can move you to join with us in
common effort to rescue them-now, take the
consequences"
Forthwith, they rushed into the Know Moth
ing party, and overwhelmed the old. stiff neck
ed organizations under an avalanche of popular
Indignation.
Your friends, we say, thus explained and ex-
cused your course, and you confirmed their
representation. What now do we see?
Nine months after that revolution, YOU with
your new party assemble in Convention. under
precisely similar circumstances Freedom is
in more danger than ever; the necessity of
union in its behalf more urgent than ever. Of
course, you will eschew the illberal policy
which provoked your wrath against the Wings.
and brought them to ruin. Your new party.
with no traditional associations and preiudices
to overcome, will gladly take the lead in a grand
union of the People of the State for Liberty
without distinction of party The People
expected it-your friends outside the Order
prophesied it-yOur apologists in other States
were so sure you would do it, that they began
to take us to task for our uncharitableness and
distrust. Well, your party has spoken, and
ucltdt IS its ultimdtum Union on our platform.
union ander oar flag, conformity to our ar
rangements, support Of our dogmas' Old
Wing exclusiveness, outdone rank political
bigotry
ReSotred, That the interests of the whole
country imperatively require the union and co.
operation of the People of Massachusetts and
| the free States; and we invite the cooperation
OF all parties in Massachusetts and the free
States to maintain and advance the principles
| we profess"
They profess in their resolves no principle
in regard to Slavery, but many absurd and
wrong principles of Native Americanism. and
coolly call upon all other parties to cooperate
with them IN maintaining and advancing them.
This is worse than the bigoted whigism the
People prescribed last fall for when that in.
| vited cooperation, it was a cooperation in
| support of Freedom, as a paramount issue.
But this Know Nothingism summons us to aid
it in advancing Native Americanism The
People have asked bread and it gives them a
stone.
Now, we appeal to our Anti-Slavery friends
who Joined the Order last fall, and those who
excused them-Can you tolerate this abomina
BILE policy? Can you parley and temporize
one moment longer, without betraying the
Cause you profess TO regard as paramount in
its claims? Can you continue to give counte
nance to an Order, divorced from Justice and
Humanity, welded to Prejudice, Prescription
and Bigotry?
We speak plainly, although we know we are