Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-06-13
MYSTERIES OF THE DARK LANTERN.
Questions and Answers about Know.Nothing.
lsm--its doctrines, objects and tendencies.


Aas0er-In the Northern States, and its object
then was to exclude from those States foreign me-
chanics. This it proposed to do by extending the
period of naturalization, to prevent these me-
chanics from voting and holding office; but the
scheme failed, for the reason that these mechanics
seek our shores mainly for employment that they
may earn their bread and the exclusion referred to
did not lessen their numbers.
Q-What then?
A-Why corrupt party leaders, mainly from the
ranks of the old Whig party, saw in the prejudice
against foreigners and Roman Catholics chance of
reinstatng themselves in popular favor and of gain
ing power and so they obtained possession of the
organization changed some of its features, added
others, and, by of paid agents, organized
lodges and rapidly spread the Order throughout the
free States
Q-How did the Order reach us of the South?
At was imported here for selfish and political
Objects just as aboltonism was imported some thir
ty years ago into Boston and New York from Exeter
Hall, Londn and it has been spread in this State
mainly by the same means employed North
Q-What has been its effect in the free States?
A-In conjunction with the abotionists, and with
freesoilers cast out of the Democratic party, and
with the remains Of the old Whig party, it has
ried every non-slaveholdng State in which elections
have nty taken place. Processing 10 be true to
the federal Constitution and friendly the rights of
the South it has, in every instance, elevated free
solers and abolitonists to Office. Processing to be
noparty organization, it has iercely assailed the
administration of President Pierce; and protesting
State rights and strict construction of the Const
tuition, it has uniformly opposed the Nebraska Kansas
k,%b ~, ,1o o6ollor
of the South and guarantees the right Of the people
there to have slavery or not as they may choose;
and in Massachusetts it has nulifed the fugitive
slave law upon the ground that it is unconstitutional
and that is the duty of that and other free States
as States, to deliver up the escaped slaves of the
South. 1t has sent the House of Representatives
some sixty or seventy abolitonists and to the Sem
ate some seven or eight of the same stamp. In no
case has it elected Democrat, recognized by his
party such to Office in case has it chosen to
Congress from the free States, to Office in those
States, any one sound upon the question of slavery
in favor of the fugitveslav law. 1t struck down
Shields, in Illinois, BECAUSE though he here in
infancy he happened to be born in Ireland and is
Democrat; and this, though he had long served his
State in the Senate of the Union and notwithsand-
ing in the with Mexico he distinguished himself
the bravest of the brave leading the regiment of
a slavehoding State in the forefront of the hottest
battle" and falling, shot through the lungs at Cerro
Gordo 1t defeated the Democrats of New Hamp-
shire and Connecticut and put in abolitionists in
their Places and it did this upon the strength of the
anti-savery feeling, the Democrats of those States
being then, as they are now in favor of the fugitive
slave law, and the admission of Kansas into the
Union without reference to the question of slavery
1t elected ninety hundreths of the late Legis
lature of Massachusetts,; and that body elected to
the Senate of the United States Henry Wilson,
vulgar, denomneeri lg and radical abolitonist who
proclams uncompromising hostility to the fugitive
slave law, to slavery in the District of Columbia and
in the territories and to the admission of any
slaveholdng States. 1t voted, by large majority,
to request the Governor to remove Judge Loring
! from his seat on the bench, because, as a Commits
| sioner of the United States he aoouM not perjurs
himself by refusing to deliver up Anthony Burns,
fugitive slave, to his master; it enacted what it call
ed personal liberty BILL" making the fugitive
| slave law, passed in pursuance of plain provision
of the Constitution null and void within the State
of Massachusetts,; it appointed committee to visit
the nunneries, and the committee, under Legislative
sanction, obruded themselves into private Catholic
school kept by females at Roxbury, nsulted the fe
males, smet about in the bed rooms and sinks fol
| Papal horrors-one of the committee having with
him lewd woman, who entertained at the
| Hotel at the States expense; and the members o
the committee generally, though when in their seats
in the Legislature pious to all appearances any
Praise -Barebones and jealous advocates of the
Maine law, enjoying themselves with the best liquors
and having a.. good time of it" in their work of in
tolerance and bgotry. They afterwards expelled
the member-one Hiss-who had the woman with
him at Roxbury, upon the principle that his sin
found out but not very deeply deprecated for ever
Hiss had threatened that he would expose his com
rades for that, in truth, the kettle black al
the pot. So they hustled him out. This Legisla
ture was led, in its assaults upon foreigners, upo1
Catholics and upon the constitution of the country
by sixty Protestant ministers of the Gospel who. il
their blind fanaticsm, have forgotten the mild pre-
cepts of the Son of God who died for their rcdemp
ton; and who, instead of teaching Catholics if they
in this country need such teaching, the virtues o
Christian forbearance and charity, are themselve
following the example set in Europe in the darl
ages of grinding down and torturing those who en-
deavor to worship God in their own way.
Q-Who the leaders in this Know Nothin,
movement in North Carolina?
A-This will be stated more fully hereafter; bu
one of these leaders is the Hon. Kenneth Rayner
who, twenty years ago, in the Convention to amen'
the Constitution of North Carolina, delivered
answerable argument against the position he nov
sp,;fh fo Catholics nd vvho vOfo