The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-23
THE SPIRIT OF KNOW KorHrNe1sM.

Your course upon that dark spot of Ameri
can politics, "Know Nothingism," meets with
my hearty approval; not because happen to
be foreign-born, but because believe in the
universal brotherhood of men. Allow me to
address through your paper few words to my
friends, the Anti-Slavery Know Nothings and
in order to show them my claim to be heard by
them, lei me preface that | am one of the cold
guard" whose sympathies and rOtes were al
ways on the side of Freedom. 1t is now seven
teen years since / came to America, leaving
the land of my fathers to seek home in the
land Of the free and the home Of the brave"
need hardly say that my expectations of this
country were very much modified on finding,
On my arrival here that it was under the con-
troll Of the slave power. associated myself,
however, hopefully, with that small band Of
Liberty-loving men who formed the Liberty
party"
The prospects, as you know, at the time
when you edited the Cincinnati Herald, were
not very tiattering; but, trusting in the good
ness of our cause, / could always look with
hope into the future, that might live to see
this country delivered from the blighting curse
o. Slavery, and become, in fact, what, as yet,
she has been but in name, the land of the
Free" / became a citizen of these United States
as soon as the law would permit, and strove al
ways to be good citizen. 1t is true, did not
help to conquer Mexico nor would / to steal
Cuba, in order to extend the area of Freedom
nor would shoulder my musket to suppress
slave instruction" nor become bloodhound
in the track of the fugitive from oppression
but, nevertheless, consider myself as legal a
citizen, to the best interests Of my adopted coun-
try, as any native-born, and would, in Just
cause, cheerfully sacrifice my life for her. l
worked always faithfully, in my humble sphere,
for the cause of Freedom, inspired with the
hope of ultimate success, which even the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise could not shake
for expected it would rouse the Northern Poo
pie to true sense of their danger; but, TO my
utter dismay, j sec them take up new issue,
which, as it divides their strength, threatens TO
defeat this hope.
AT first looked upon it as the rallying point
of all the opposition forces, to overthrow their
common enemy, and even went 80 far. at one
election, as to cast my vote for Know Moth |
ing, in order TO PROSTATE the sham Democra |
cy, and through it the Slave Oligarchy. But |
late events have proved TO me that was mis- |
taken. j find in the breasts of majority of |
those Know Nothings there rankles hatred |
against the foreign population, which, think |
is unjustifable. Having had these adopted cit |
liens opposed to me, in politics, ever since | |
came to this country, can Judge of the bitter |
ness of feeling the Anti-Slavsry Know Moth |
ings entertain towards them. But thew are |
mistaken, when they think they are, as body, |
hostile to the party of Freedom. Quite the con
trary. II speak here of the Germans, and not |
the Irish the latter | don't know well enough |
They have been mised for long number OF
years by designing demsgogues. The Germans
are liberty-loying people, as much SO as the
Americans; and allow me add, with considera-
bic less prejudice against the colored race than
the latter. L am not surprised to find among
the ignorant class of the population of any
country that rancorous feeling of Nativism.
which sees IN foreigner not brother, but all
enemy. Such men have an instructive feeling
OF their own deficiency in all those noble quail
tiles which constitute a true man, and naturally
lay more stress upon things beyond their agen-
cy-birth and race.
Whenever i hear a man exclaim in that tone
which indicates a reproach of other natonal
ties, am proud of being an American" or
ian Englishman," " Irishman" or - German"
l always feel convinced that his native country
see my Anti-Slavery friends lend their names
and influence to such narrow minded and big
oted doctrines, despair of the future of this
country. The adopted citizens were formerly
the main support of the socalled Democratic
party; but they are not so any more-at least,
not the Germans-who have at last found out
the true character of that sham Democracy.
which has Liberty on It's lips. and chains and
the slave-drvers whip in its hands; they are,
as body, utterly Disguised with their former
associates, and would join the Republicans en-
nasse, were this party not impregnated with
Know Nothingism. | wish the Republican
party were strong enough to gain the ascend
ency, even without the votes of adopted citi
zens; but know this is not the case In view
oil this fact, ] ask every candid Anti Slavery
man, who has Joined the Know Nothing ranks
how he can reconcile it with his duty to force
those men, who love Liberty as much as he does
but do not wish to enslave themselves-why,
ask him, would you force those men back into
the ranks OF your enemy?
Independent of Its political bearings, are
are these philanthropists" aware what misery
they cause TO a large portion of their feow-be-
ings?
Let me Illustrate, by what passed under my
own observation. An acquaintance of mine, a
German, and a gentleman, who lived for a
American family, had to move, for the simple
reason that he was foreigner. 1t seems, the
lady, widow, who keeps the house, had no
complaint against him; he was polite to all
and paid punctually; but her children, "Young
America" would not tolerate a foreigner
who had lived already longer in this country
than they number years. One of them. a girl
of sixteen years, insisted upon his removal but.
says the mother, "Mr. B. conducted himself
always gentlemanly." yes, know he is very
clever" rejoined the daughter. 4" but he is a
foreigner, and you know, mother, / hate for
eigners."
Again: / noticed, few weeks back, few
men carrying litter, covered with q sheet,
from which the blood was oozing. Not know
ing what had happened, / asked one of the by
ISLANDERS what was the matter? and was told,
"Oh! it is only id Irishman. who fell
from a scaffolding." / looked around me, to
see if there was no one in the crowd who would
rebuke this brute but alas none. A few
boys even laughed at his brutal reply; and
one little urchin sang out " Hurrah for Sam ~
] walked on, my heart crying, in anguish,
"Good God is it possible that this being is
created in thy image?"
Let the young generation grow up in this
hatred of all who are not born here, and what
will be the consequences?
/ address myself especially to Won, Messrs
Wilson, Hale, and Ford. Have you ever cal
culated to what it must eventually lead, to call
into action the most ignoble and unchristian
passions of the human soul? Do you wish to
re-enact here the horrid scenes of st. Bar
tholomew's night?
If YOU cannot receive us foreigners" as
your brethren as your equals, better, far better,