The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-16
The Know Nothlngs or penn~syIvan,a.

High convictions of duty impel the undersigned to
submit to their fellow citizens the following state
ment:-
At the commencement mt of the present session Of the
Legislature the friends Of the American organization,
In the House Of Representatives, resolved TO act as an
independent party. As such they met in caucus, and
determined to ADMIT none to their deliberations but such
as were known to be true to the great principles Of that
organization In vindication Of those principles they
also determined to support no man for my Office ia
the gift Of the Legislature who was not equally known
to DO true to them, as well rs to the interests OF the
commonwealth. AZ the conventional caucus, held to
nominate q candidate for State Treasurer, members Of
the American organization were refused admittance,
simply because they had refused to CO operate with the
party from the beginning, land to vote for It's caucus
nominees. But ut the caucus held on the evening OF the
9th inst. those who had been refused admittance to the
previous caucus were found in attendance; and some
who we're only known as the bitter enemies Of the
American Organization, were with us, directing and COZ
trolling the nomination Of one OF the most intriguing, IL
not the most corrupt, politicians in the State. A resolution
was offered to exclude these Objectionable persons. AM
their own votes indefinitely postponed the consideration
Of me resolution. a motion was then made to proceed
a tfrd roce vote. An amendment was offered, substf.
tuting q vote by ballot. The amendment was adopted
and the resolution carried by q majority Of only three
thus showing that those who had no right to bs present
held q controlling influence, or the balance OF power.
Here let US reflect for . moment upon our own position;
the best men in Pennsylvania, whose friends were urging
them as proper can didates. There were In that caucus
less than twenty men who openly admitted they would
vote for Simon Cameron. Under those circumstance 1t
seemed scarcely possible that he could be nominated.
He was openly repuuiateu Dy three. IOurtnH OF tins mem
bers, and certainly We had no reason to fear, with this
open AVON al OF hostility, for almost any other OF the names
before us would have been acceptable It is true they had
masked themselves by the secret ballot; but to US this was
more an evidence Of owardice than OF per6dy. We could
not believe that all who had voted for the secret ballot
had done 80 to hide themselves from their Constituents.
or to betray as into the support of a man despised and
disowned by every political organization in Pennsylvania.
1t was not until We began to ballot that our betrayal be.
came manifest. II was then that we discovered the
tres cherry that was pretending to oppose Cameron, and
yet bypocritically and secretly voting for his nomination.
The power that controlled that caucus was too pal.
pable; corruption was behind the throne, and no wonder
that its victims skulkcd behind a secret vote, and
covered their eeeds from the eyes and knowledge of the
beholders.
Were we justified in leaving the caucus whom the evil
dence, to our minds, had become demonstrativcs Could
we, as the representatives of an honest constituency,
have served them with fidelity by remaining Could we
have exonerated ourselves from the odiurn Of such q
nomination II we had delayed our departure and aided 10
that causus, believing ourselves bound by its action, and
justified ourselves in voting for n man whoee whole his.
tory ID but the history OF intriguef-a man who has
ee.spifed all party Obligation, and treated all csucuses
The inquiry arises, who is Simon Cameron AZ a
s,atesmsn, fame has never associated his name with the
word. Asa politician, he has always proiessed to be a
eemocrat, and yet that party only remembers him be.
cause Of his t~reachery, and speaks OF hin as a traitor.
Asa wing. it is his boast that be never voted q wing
ticket in his life--tbat party being saved from such .
disgrace. As an American and an snti slavery man, let
held in the Court House 10 the borough q Harrisourg,,
on the second day Of last September, Simon Cameron
wasa delegate and an active number. The following
resolutions we're Offered in that cot vention, and are said
TO have been in his handwriting. Certainly, they met
with 70 opposition from him -
Resoived, That we have condolences ia the administra
ton OF Gen Pierce, because he has manfuliy battled for
those principles, and thrown Its influence in favor Of
sustaining the right OF man to sell. government.
Resolved, That the able, fearless and democratic ad.
ministration OF Governor Biglsr meets our hearty appro-
baton, and we copgratnlate the democracy Of the State
upon the certaiaty OF his election.
Resolved, That Judge Black, the able and intrepid
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, has 80 conducted
himself as to win the esteem aud confidence OF the PEG.
pie.
Resolved, That the manly reputation of Know No.
thiDgism by Henry s. Mott has won the respect Of even
bis enemies, and win add largely to his majority at the
Resolved, That we are in favor OF the Nebrasla Kan.
sas bill, because II embodies the vital principles OF self.
government, which never can conflict with the interests
OF freedom.
Resolved, That we are opposed to the procriptivs and
ard anti-republlcan order called Know Nothings, and
shall deem It our duty, rs democrats, to oppose for ONCE
all persons known to have any connection with it.
When has he changed his opinions upon these ques-
tionsf When, or where, has he disowned themf And
even II there be any recent recantation got up for the
present emergency, there is not character enough in the
man to impose upon ~credulity itself.
thing more Of the present legislature than the election Of
Eau old political hack" The great political revolution
hat, o re 9 ,sa Thea the American Ss ean, party into power 81 ha. no pa.
CARNATIONS were dissolved BY an ursesn power, and old
politicians, with all their schemes, left doundering or
wrecked with the elements that supported them, absorb
ed by the mysterious power Of an organization beyond
their control This crest revolution IL not without its
lesson. The old parties, with their leading politicians,
people sought when they put their power into the new
organization. They determined to rebuke corruption.
stands as y monument Of that rebuke.
Shall the American party then, In the face Of all its
strumsnt in e~lsvstins simon Cameron to the highest Of
fee in its ,gih, .nd thus hold him up to the
consider him q At representative Of nothing good,
and . at exponent OF no honorable principle. A Penn
sylysnians, ne remember that our State motto, ~ adopt
ed by our ancestors Of 70, q " Virtue, Liberty and Ia.
dependence We reverence this glorious old motto, and
bear In mind hat We but recently swore ., rsprssenta-
TO our constituents, fidelity 10 our native State, and fidelity
10 the e~nsobling principle engrsven on our state escut-
chem. shall wa, then, or can we consistently With the
oatbs we have taken, support a nomination so destitute
Of every element OF virtue, which would disgrace the
American organization and our native State, aud which
we feel well assured our constituents will ~repudiate with
seorn and righteous indignationf We recognize no
power In any caucus TO require us thus 20 sacrifice our
integrity, TO throw away our self.respect, or to violate
our oaths, and therefore II Ia that In the Independents
Of freemep, we strike down king caucus At the bidding Of
our country.
all the memories of the past, and our hopes Of the ia.
ture, IL the American e~sgie-our national emblem and
our countfy's pride. II ever adorns our starry Gag. and
angel. When we 20 into the han Of the House Of Rep
resentatves to execute the most important trust conhd.
snsesy or concordance wi,h ehe.e aIo rnsa reeonse, toms
and these sacred emblsms. Grant as this, or so nething
experimenting TO this, and all will be we'll; and our
hesrts and our hands viii be with you, both 10 do and
10 dare. But what we ray unto one we sag unto ALL
invite us rot IN there TO partake Of a buzxsrd's feast.
Ask US not 70 support . nomination brought about, ~
we believe, BY the Concentrated and scohesive power Of
public plumber, = and the supersddcd element OF shame.
less and wholesale private bribery. All countenance and
safnestly and poremptoriy decline, but have pledged
ourselves ~unitedly and deierminedly 70 oppose.
Such 10 brief ard hasty outline Of our rss, action and
our intended future. course. We submit "A 20 our con.
stituenis, confident Of a triumphant vindication, and We
cordially invite all our honest fellow repre- sentatives,
whstber In the late caucus or not, TO rally with us In this
contest, and TO make common cause with US for the no
nor and the glory Of our native State, assuring them
that though II may have passed into an sdage that aPs.
rs u France yet Harrisburg 10 not Pennsylvania.
Nicholas Thorn, Jno. Y. LhndermAn,
], l. Baldwin, saml. n. Page,
Y @ Harrison, r. b NConb,
a. -