Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-03-23

D. i II Z NV"'' 49,
friendly to William II. Seward!
/. The ~prohable effect Of Acknowledgment o!
Southern interests; and
S. It's tendency and effect i'll a general "r rat!ona
point OF view!
There i. peculiar fitness in intcrTogatlrg You, an
peculiar reason WHY the people OF Virginia aud tht
South should rely, with abiding confidence upon tnt
truth OF any opinions you may advance. lou ou
recently emerged from the heat ana SMOKE Gt d "a
tie against this new eleme:!. Of danger to The peace
and dignity of the Republic, IT triumphant IN us ul
traisln. Besides, you stand at n gcographical Poh,
from which TO Judge of these things nccusa'ei!' nhu
trust YOU NAV find it convenient ana proper !" SPeHA
in the hour oil our common country's peril, anu De-
fore tho South participates il the inauguration oil or
ror and intolerance.
Your friend, sincerely,
HENRY F.. ORR.
Hon. JoHS CaDwALIAprR, Philadelphia, Pa.
PurLApELruI,, l2rH MARCH. 1855.
DEAR SIR :-Thei inquiries in your late letter may
be answered by @ summary investigation oi III"
causes aud modes of tho secret primary ORGANIZATION
mushroom growth, unstable present condition. ana
rupit irrespective dissolution ot The political ana rcli-
lions ihsc,iop, self nick named the kuow-Notiing Or
| der. The common object Of short-sishted deina-
.nrues, in thi, and former organizations OF the sanlc
| Kind, has uniformly been the fusion OF such political
clements Us can be combined i'll opposition 10 the De-
mocracy, for its temporary subversion. The proto-
type OF all such organizations YVES the Federalism OF
The alien and sedi,ion Laws, which, under ui its chang
ing denominations, the Democrats of Pennsylvania
anl Virginia, hand in hand. have coinbltsei for more
than half Il century. |, therefore, ms u Pennsylvania
rejoice in this opportunity 10 interchange opinions on
the subject with n brother Democrat ot the Ancient
Dolainion At n political crisi. ike the present,
The kuaw-Noihings originally assumed Their de-
| nomination as a disguise 10 conceal .le!r identity
with the former sclf-dcnominatcd Na;ive-A m"Eiran
party. This identity. which they were never able 10
| conceal under tlei! veil Of attempted secrecy, has
lately been acknowledged in their open organization
; uuder the name Of Americans. When INC N"''c-
| American party wns originally organized, every ON"
of is nrnbers, who Lad previously protested mem
herslip df he Democratic party, was !igor"iln!y cS-
| scinded fiom Tie Democratic organization. ne M
tire-hmeric1ns, sitter the late PRESIDENTIAL electioil'
were aware that the remembrance Of th!s would pre-
vent them from obtaining aa avoNed reinforcement
from protesting Democrats, w:o, though ready coy
nrtlv 10 desert then party organization. were not yer
ur-unrrd 10 rea0,iucc openly the pRr'ys na:"H, ami! at
once ebandon all hop: "i restoration 20 IL GahhS.-
Tie ;ame OF American was, moreover, od'oli-
from The recollection "i the srei: IS at l.Wics- outrage
by which it had been Liscraced when the Catholic
churches we're burned in ISL. They. ta"rrt"rc, de.
vi.cd the scheme oi q secret organization. :,
An incident OF the Presidential elrc!:o" u! ia'@, had
I operated to make hostility 10 foreigners the lTticHt
Tor subsequent anti Democratic ursanizntioll.. Inc
! Prcsidei,. was from . State whose constitution y M
fortunately ~disGraced by an int"isran; tirtranclisc-
| n1cut of those who profess the Catholic religion. The
orthodox democrats Of that S,tt". after Il struggle I"
| e1pnuce this illiberal clause rom her constitutions.
had found tho local prejudice on The subject too
.tcyp. IL b. overcome, aul la! rcllnquGsiIed TIE gu
deavor ia despair During the cleciioircri;Is can
yass. All artfuI Gndeavor wa made 10 excite against
him. on this account, the suspicion Of the Ch;houc
population Of the United States. Tins element nj IN"
Democratic combination We thus rendered c"nspicu-
ous. Tn. party's triumphant sucrcss III ihc frrsi.
Dental election was mainly due TO the conc"rrcnceoi
opinions in favor nf the Congrcssions: legislation .!
1850. by which ;he consti'ut. onal rl!'h's OF tt reor'c
oGthe -lave!o.ding Stat"s haa been maintained. l,ht
i ~ -. MI .,lCSt .Tlt which
had been combined IN :hia 'on'uniag AHpp"Ii, was,
on Democratic principles, under q n3c"'s!t: - d's'
,riha;c hs executive patronage N sacn II manner a.
10 sivr a just share 10 every "a"" q! me 'Gii"t' de'io'
cratic interpsts which had been united III Liza support.
Tic Catholics received. therefore, a .nars OF tho pat
rnnuye uudar circumstances which attracted psrticu'
lar attention. Disappointed cspec'ai.ta 81 ",hco were
consequently: III soiar cases, easily lntiaIned INTO re-
sentiment AZ iI"' part OF the Distribution Of pa'rnnagc
which had been beneficial 10 the Catholics. oi THIS
the former Eative-American pnrt" took immediate nd
vautage. The result waa the organization q: the
Know-Nothiny order.
This Know. Nothing agitation was a mere deTice
Of opporcats Of Democratic organization 10 carry
| tho next presidential election by a combination OF o1,'
pressors IF our :,nturaiized political brethren, WIN
abo,i,ioni.i. and i.eesUi!srs. \ pretext for the union
nf I'm. vote at the North With that OF
! tho abolition and free.soil factions, was, therefore, 70
be sought. IL was found in the Ne1!aska OIL. J" men
this bill was brought before The preseut Congress, Al
ia first .pssion, by Mt. Dnn.lasa. n Chairpen CT the
S6naIOTID: VI
Ncited and Gbteined his consent 10 n suspension. u
the debate, for & dcsicnnted period. His explanation
Of the views aud principles OH which the bill tai
been framed. was tiu". NJ their Request, postpoued.--
rh,,s.. vino .hus had ap!.c:ted the prs:ponement from
ia mover, i'll violation vi every principle 81 parma
mcntary propriety, took advantage nj tie intcrva!
| which he had, III q spiri: Of accommodation, without
| any Suspicion Of their motive. accorded tien; ana.
n,fore tn, day. which, at their own request, had
been fixed for the debate, inundated Tie !an"
! with u flood of priutet misrepresentation OF tho
character, CONTENTS, aud purposes OF the pro-
| posed bill, coptaiued in a mEliiesto intended To
arouse every illiberal prejudice ssGiGit the mea-
,,,re. The moyer utter tho delay thti4 ACCORDED, e1-
| pluiued Its principl,R to the entire sa'lsiatt'on Of eve
nv Democrat who has .cni the bill and TIC rniiEfrs.
.ionsl debates on the subject. But the minds q!
| MANY who did not read the bill or the debates, had
| been poisoned by the misrepresentation winch ma
been thus unfairly circulated for aud widc. before lhc
| commencement OF The discunsion. The merits OF tHc
question were 10 be tested, not by the bill itself or by
| me debates. but by the Misrepresentation which is
| orcousnts bud thus published IN thslr manifesto. IL
| am not mistaken in my recollection, It mas nceh
stated, without contradiction, that besides countess
newapaprr publications Of this iullacIous maniiesto,
more. than 50, C93 copics OF il had been circulated
in uaiupl!rt form. Vain were the efforts OF honest
Democrats, III many q: the places in which prejudice
Ind br-u thus excited, To eradicate the effect OF these
,nisrepIc spntntiOns. tnin were their explanations OF
The Necessity that Territorial! organ, alton should pre-
cede settlement, in order that the piOnGf:s might not
settle in the wilderness without Il government ol laws.
In vain did they show that the territorial 0rgtuiZa.
tion OF Kapzas ard Nebraska had been delayed GEtii
il had becoms u matter Of justice and indeed ui r.!d'
tive necessity. They slowed III vnin that thousands
ready TO become settlers, had lons been waiting 10
cross the line of these territories until their govern
mn,,s we're organized. Vain we've explanations tla'
rho uriuci,,le of the bill WAS neither lI0:3 nor less tilat
that Of the legislation OF 1851, on which the party plat
form had been founded n. the late Presidential! cicc,
lion. This platform, they showed. had been iaS't
mon the truly DrMocrutic principle. that the proiii'
az th. territories sl,ouid be y Gu tn regulate ulch
avn domestic institutions without congressional con
trol or interference. The soico OF reason was thu'
uttered in vain. Whether the Nebraska bill was II
itself right ar wroii-, arsIicd h"hn'g. IL was mao
the prctry: for II union "f Knew N"th:EGs anu !io'i'
rionisis IN Il crusade against al l!i"l was fonrst ai''
cousrvv ativc in the nation. inl5 combination u W.
i,ctious wns th be made 1T any hazard, though 'n'
ua,i,nal welfare -:a.uli be the sacrifice. Wlthou
nr.l Il combination, esther the know nthlnGs ~
Ah,nii:inn;s,s, acting aloIl", S"nld hive been al!oScih
er puwrrlcsS.
hicyrrv State, county. and other municipal elro;ioi
since SO. ~ which aicrlnrrlv established local Demo
cratic majority has been 0rcrcn;:ic"t be H"rJi't INC sue
cesslul VOC at our opponents has been the Yc"G.: 81
secret cumliuR;iuu "f Abclitioui>!s and Frce-sIiitr"
with Wliys, Native Americans. ami dIscontrttr'i nn'
Gusts Of the Democracy, united under the hr"w-N"
thug organization. ! have -aId TINT ili!' nrgaril]n
ton would have been cs"!. where III me Norm Il
powerlcs., without the all Of thc Abolition and Ere"
soil vote, as the Frce.an;l and Abolition vote w"ul'
have bren Insignificant without. co :,
operation. ii New York Il no, Included III s!e-c 80
..rvationa. il is bccaus. "" cannot regard Her Ni'i
I,,;nr Democratic vo;r n HAVING nf lato years bee
an established party n,njn-i'y. The sealed book Z
her politics has always h"cn :s great Il m.y-irrE a
know:Nothiugism 10 The uuiIit!a,ci.
A. ,I. South, there N"n Il stronger !SO,!fr ~ -
,-acv in The attempted Know Nothing organization
II ras necessary there TO conceal from nj Nlrllh",
of this Order the truth ii ''rGt alliance VIII At".
,;onisu and Frre.soilsm, which Was the lnca! drr"s
dencc ol its Northern :Ec'nH,g>. hno" EottIn-s 9
- ll.m. ,r,i.,II Z - flu. ,,pltI,N az IN
.is vn.bn,dinr States, crafty suggested that coinpi:d
Il, civ f..y uainra!izr!! ci;i. 'ue bad s.i'ied wit!!!ii The
E Limits. snd that Ihis class ii oar 7itit"'i'. Irr!"rrih
5 10 reside at the Motif, az Al. ii!' iH"id'" ",&'''' "'r