The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-07-21
From the Corning Journal tWhig)
The American Party.

Such is the name under which the secret
organization known as Know Nothings, has
announced itself and its platform Of princi-
pies. to the world. Why it should be call
ed the American party we are at loss to
know. The Principles Of Party, not the
men Of which it ID composed, usually give
to It its designation. Judging by this rule
the Know Nothing Party is anything but
American. Though admitting to its secret
councils none but those who are fortunate
enough to have been born within the bor-
ders Of this peculiarly free and enlightened
nation, its creed is in direct opposition to
those fundamental principles OF government
distinctively known as "American."
Is prescription for birth or religion an
American prnciple' Then we're Washing
ton, Jefferson, and oil the glorious host
whose names blaze upon the pages of our
country's history, not Americans. Their
platform, extends equal privileges to GALL
MEN, The platform of the Know Moth
ings is equal Rights for ull-except, For
EIGNERs, CATHOLICS and NIGGERs!
The whole thing is the result of ON igno-
rant prejudice which puts to shame our
boasted intelligence, and which has been
played upon by political tricksters to further
their private designs. The history Of the
nation gives the lie to the whole movement
All the religious intolerance and persecu-
ton in this country (of which the Know.
Nothings are in such mortal fear) has pro.
ceeded from Protestants, not from Catholics
When Lord Calvert and his companions
(Romon Catholics) founded the Colony ol
Maryland, they grated on its Constitution
the largest liberty Of Conscience. On the
other hand the Puritan Pilgrim Fathers
whom we Prote stants hold in reverence ant
admiration, subjected to imprisonment, tor
ture and sometimes death, oil whose creed
differed from their own. That Catholic
Colony OF Maryland was for a long time al
assylu for those who fled from Protestan
persecution. ..... ,....
American principles never sanctioned hu
man bondage. Washington, Jefferson
,, Patrick Henry, and many other Southern
patriots spoke of it as an evil which with tn
lapse of years must be done away with an
was to be tolerated for time, only fror
the impossibility of its immediate extinction
1t is entirely in conflict with the spirit q
we'll as with the words of the Declaratio
i. of Independence, and at war with the yer
principles upon which free institutions res
Yet the platform Of the Know Nothing pal
), !, ty, as given to the world and as supporte
by it's acknowledged National and State ol
: gans explicitly sustains and endorses it,
After oil, this is the natural fruit of tn
movement and precisely what was to be e,
pected. The great idea which lies at tn
: root of the Anti-Slavery reform is the Un
: : versal Brotherhood of man; and to thi
. Know Nothingsm is fundamentally opPo
'. ed. We cannot consistently claim equalil
). y for black Americans and deny it to whit
: foreigners. No man can therefore be
u sincere Know Nothing and at the same tim
y a sincere Anti.Slavery man. it is moral
: impossible, as much SO as to serve God an
Mammon. We may remark here that I
= u far as our personal acquaintance extend
= = those who have been most noted for the
. attempts in this last line, have been mo
, successful in the other. The Anti-Slavel
. men, who have been beguiled into the ord
= ere beginning TO acknowledge this, hem
= = the stampede in the ranks which has take
y y place throughout the Northern States. II
= = sober second thought of the people will ne
" er sustain sentiments so utterly at varian
with every principle of Freedom. So q
!. result Of the fall elections will show.