Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-11
n,GUEKREoTYPE OF The ANTI-AIEE'
CAN PARlE.

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The principle which lics at the foundation oil our
constitutional edifco is that government must cma
nate from the will Of the people The people should
rule: every man is sovereign. This is the "uo
American doctrine, tho doctrine of tho De'hocra'''
party. The Know-Nothings, who have u'taeNou III
most every principle embodied in our hmot'o"" N''
stitution have not yot openly procee""' :" '1'
90 denv this one What do they fhen ino! -
uuire that a man shall abdcatO his sovereignty o."
bs ohJioa,;on confirm il with an OATH swear 10 "oo'
for tho destruction of tho Constitution. Ana mo!
,r,,srd than TINT he becomes truc American Inc
oh,urd;tv ,f this is gross that we are satlsfod
!, cannot proceed merely from erroneous views: II
ou. necessarily have its in pure, unmitigacd
malice against orr institutions. And this affords tho
first argument for our position, that tho know-No-
things should be characterized as tho Anll-Amcrlcah
party for their determined and deadly hostility 10
the very essentials of our government OF tue govern
ment of the people, can be expressed by no c'hor
words 30 well. To form an association for the over
throw of the principle of the sovereignty OF The peo
Pile, might seem downright folly if it wore not too
| evidently a sign of the most lamOntable moral de-
pravity. 1t is fault of the head, perhaps OUT much
| more of tho heart. Can mon think what solemn
| thing an oath is, and yet propose to American CHI
zens to reduce themselves to sorvitude 80 aeect us
to receive the dctation of another man as their abso
| lutte lawl When Americans submit to such lame
rioan dictation, we shall state of things worse
than it time had rolled back and brought us into the
camp of Mahomct
There is party, the great national party OF this
country which, n. it has always been assaulted by the
enemies Of our Union and our national prosperity,
justly be called the American party. 1t is tho Demo-
cratic party dating its origin far buck "a before tho
Revolution and drawing ths very breath of It's life
from those great principles and historical documents
which, taken together, form what may properly be
called our institutions. Why, then, have We never
taken that particular namei Two REASONS may be
| given: The first is that before the Know Nohngs
| arose, there anti-Amcrcan party and 10 need
for the Democratic party to assume the name OF the
American party, defending the American cause
from secret treason Tho other reason for not asst
ming tho name is, that to do would havo been an
admission (as it is with the Know-Nothngs) of a
consciousness Of not being truly American and be-
lief that, by flourish of tho name the want OF inc
| ualtv might mss unnoticed. SO long MS q man is
honest he makes little display of his sense OF being
So If he once lose his integrity, then lie commences
TO be continually dscoursing OF his strict sense OF
probity, and ID very apt to DO heard uttering the
worls-"Im au honest man."
The Democratic party is distinguished by this pc
culiar advantage, that tho name characterzes the
principles. For twenty-five centuries. History shows
u.s. by an almost uninterrupted serios of annals and
documents, tho experience of mankind in government
slowly ripenng to perfection. Experiment has shown
what is to be expected from every principle that hui
man ingenuity can invent tested under every variety
of circumstance and fortune. And tho fruit OF this
long period of more than two thousand years-the
wisdom Of these accumulated generations OF men
where is it and what is it' We Americans have re.
oelved il; it is in possession. 1t has been formed
by the fathers of our country into our Constitution
aud systom Of government Once established, ana
that generation gathered 10 their graves 1t has been
preserved for tho benefit Of ourselves and Of the
world; guarded from the assaults OF various transient
factions; upheld and continued in its excellence by
the tolls, vigilance and energy OF the good and true
and solid Democratic party of this country, which
has its toart and centre in Virginia ANY one even
a stranger attributes all this To the mere nnme-"De-
mocracy"-when he hears that name pronounced
aud from Wing to Know -NothnG, no other party or
faction has had, even in Il slight degree, this
quality.
Now, there is one most remarkable characteristic
of our party has just beOn described, to which
we desire to call attention: 1t ia the encouragement
given to men born foreign soil 10 como among
u.s. become naturazed and join us in all things be-
longing to the rights and duties, tho lubors and tolls
and the privileges we ourselves assume. The Know
Nothngs thu. cherished brood, those darling bant-
lings Of European despotism, repel exclude degrade
insult, excommunicate the stranger, who comes to
enrol himself under the banners OF this srea:republlc
A few very brief historical hints will show how the
experience of ages has operated to nix the princpe
so hated by Know-Nothing rancor, in the heart OF
the Democratic party. The policy OF the Grocian
republics reduced the foreigner almost to the cond-
ton of slave. Yet with all the superior qualities
of the nations that adopted this policy and their ar
DENT love of freedom, thoy were free from the
fear and the dominion either of one another or OF
their neighbours At Rome enlightened poll
CIV was adopted 1t was a received rule to make all
men Romans, and the consequence was, that in time
all the known world was Rome. Here are the lessons
of history before Us. These indications or outlines
mlBnt DC anu W coPiou7 iuo'"''o""'
were this the place for them The fatal error of OK
Guiding foreigners began to die out of the political
beliefs Of mon politics grow to be better under
stood, and the contrary principle began to arise
Shall ut time when, even in Japan the more en-
lighted part of the people would now, perhaps be
ashamed of their old preudces. we adopt these
cast off notions which even those people are begin
ming 10 repudiae We, too, who have just been so
Letting admission into that Empire Long ago, In
England, where the science of politics was most mo
roughly elaborated it was found such great evil to
receive not the holder of small Office, but the King
of the land from foreign country. Finally, the en-
lightcned minds, that heralded the advent OF our
young republic in tho great circle of nations opened
the doors of the temple of liberty, and the people OF
tho old world saw "hcrc the real Divnity-ilcr affairs
rising on every baud throughout those happy Statee
and they saw too, "this our celestial goddess, Lber-
tv stretch forth her fair hand toward the people Of
| the old world" These are well-known words, and,
| in Virginia, their author need not be named. Winnie
it is evident that the secret designs OF the know-No
things are of most henous and dangerous tondency
yet we have considered their published principles ms
true view of their design. This is mere courtesy
of arrumopt for az would be absurd TO receive the
testimony of man VIGOROUSLY perjured, so would 1t
be to believe those who, in moral view arc in that
predicament In the same way, let us examine the re-
lgious position they pretend t" have taken.
If we really were to represent to our Inauguration
the Pope, not quist, pieus old man, as he s, but
fcrucioue figure such may be seen in old copies OF
the Pru's Progress; il we were to suppose ihnt to
was plotting night aud day for the conquest of this
country; it, doubling his own capacity to form tho
PLAN ho had called in tho General Of tho Jesuits,
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