Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-11

"
.nnrl I'd us',inst. The iund which constitutes th, "b-
.ct of pluIdcr IL already great and daily growing to
bn cnorillous. Forty or fifty millions OF annual
pcndurc, f"nn tnhe Increased, prubnbly, as
Try grows aud Cnlargcs, To sixty or seventy millions.
constitutes II fund which holds "ui great temptation
Ia those who may he disposed to struggle inr il prlH"
money. The facilities, too fur forming such lary
are by small. ltmay ba combination Of tw"
particular INTERESTS, 10 live upon eXhcuns from third
Such was believed, by sonr to be the effect ui The
old American system, which united the manufacturer"
and Internal In Interests against tn" f "Er iwc
sections against = third. If the tnxcs raised ana
expended unequiGy, the MINORITY, who control u"
government, may be Interested III swelling fh' pup'
resources. who.H burden falls on II part and whose
Dement'S are mainly appropriated to themselves ihs
and wnrst. tho u"y arrive when II mere coio'''"
tion Oi nDce-lI"'trs, ny means "f Ilcf huincls UNI
superior organization, may be strong enough u" ~"
minister the government for their own particular n'h
eft Any, Or al Gt these events, winch are l"''S','''
would dcarnv "ur popular Institutions. h"t "1
been our protection against tins 'iahSrr hrr'"'"i'
IL has consisted Inthe rubncity ot P"litic" P"'c"
ings. rnItirs w"rn forced Ia divide upon piclPch-
principles which lpokod, proirssrd I" !"ok !" ''lE
good of tho whole, and not ot the part i"~n'", ~
ISSUES w"rn this ;urc-d (" ,o broadly taken anu
upon general nnd generous views. he ono L ',au
party was wrong, Of course; but, still Ill" c"u's
could not he much injured by either; because IA.
good of the whole wns really the object "l ph'S"'.'
their measures whcn adopted by the srver''rTn', r'
would be abandoned, ifrovrdto 10 be nlnrl"n7: "' W
people too are thu, saved fur aS II Is p!'S'' !"
sny,. them. from the selfish combinations nj when
have been spcakn:. so long Ms political action Is pun
lic they observe ne tnct if men "l opposite p""n"
opinion are suar t!y tonnd voting t'sricr "'i s"s
puctn, selfish vlsHs by sort OF lnsinct W fG'
scryuiinn they re sure to strike II the combinations
Bat, destrn, all ~ convert the public me"'l',& in,
the secret nssoci on ior political PURPOSES ''h "h"'
!. to .nvn us fro the domination OF such parF a7
that which | ha 20 been describing lh''fc ~ 'n'
q Al
the most cKcicnl restraint. Tho icar o He'll s"I
| the poet,
'Is III hancinnIls whip
To LJl. the wretch III order. :,
The same conservative nt!ucnc" - 'Ac!''S"o -
the oar rrhc retrihuivc Justice adnln'strrtH"! Pon'
opjnion Within tr secret coirIavc oi tis hSS',!
there can be- 10 such fear 10 RESTRAIN. ihc "r'" "
an ndiy iiua and the very tact :" HIS ''Ie'"'''mI
ar. concealed. Individually, hc Is rcsp"ls"c i" ''e
| vii far r,tLur. Before tho public there Is II"
such thing rs Individual rcsi"nSihiliiy, or "pa""'
within the whole h ats o.! the DrGer. AL mluSi ODE!
th, rdict all must vindcntc the opinion, when once
seeker NAV hide his b-le- under tlc Shades "i Sc
cr.cv and ni ngh;, rs Eo drives the perfect DarS"i
Ly which his princpics I" DO bariurrd away Tor
removed hopes u the prize" which he tailed I" HriZ"
bctre Here, too, combinations for tiie mot -ciir
anl dangerous purpnocs may bc formed without the
fser of puuishmCt detection. IL they do H't OK
ist now will any innn say that thuy muy not bo s'"
expected, with sucl temptations nndiac'l''rs Tor ihyil
fnrnaiiuu Perrin u.r, ciiOw riIlLvns, l" tAuse ih'
dauv.rs al such Gn assuCniIuu. by al lilunirhil'In
which think uus lat ~ sirln every ono W" haE'
son that the action ot the last Congress ui" tlic Ne
bra-ku bill, severed tho Wing party North "m South
For the repeal ri III" Missouri restriction, not one
| vote was given by Northern Wing. The Southern
Whirs very properly. rcili-ud o H.: party with
such confederate. II there are ncn amongst thcln
or elsewhere in lie South. who prefer office 10 th'
peace and safety q" "ir States, nni who, feeling thai
tr uIi slavery aciititnt predominant IL He Tree
Suites, which c',n,t hc tie nrj"rity in the g"v"ra
ncu:. would Lc will 10 unite with hcn III order
10 secure their own lSsunai trrcs:s, still, they would
not dare seek auch;su ninlcr, whilst vJ!IIca! ne
| ton is open and public.
Such man would &c afirld 20 10 sni he w"udi"ar
,hc public opinion "f :hc South the cc.urcs oi near
Is all, Wh- and DIn'ocra und the oi his r!-
low -citizens whokvond regard lin ny II renegade
ana traitor, Bat Ndopt tiil c""rrivnn"e Of secret
persons to effect their pur Suscs. The union mas be
formed, and Vt know il. except th"s" who
b"und I" vindgntc it, II t!=rs,ciacn fails In -
objects, tho world none The wurs- tor It II II sue
crGds, they win The golden prizes Of office and
power, for which ;hry willing TO risk much more
perhaps nn they hav" put III peril. Them upon thIs
dangerous question: "t slavery, The South would lose
al its g:cn a";nc'S ard i"-s the power I" -mi"rc"
tho united action ii her sous. What. after ul, has
been che! security in the fierce agitation &" tins
quc-t,"ui LA, il not been i'll the timely warning
which was c,"n ~ by the publicity Of "iiiiral pro-
cccGinss Ii n 'iau;rrru. Hn;islavery agitation,
sprung up az the Mouth, it was open aud public
lbc conservative lrcs- of the country took the mat
ter in hand, anl IN opportunity was given tor cN
chanGiGg sentiment between the different sections
tho cuIIreq nf sS could bc pointod
ont, and thus, eva. in the most excited states ot thr
public mind 0rpor unity nrc afforded for the sober
second though. of tho people 10 cne 10 the rGscnc-
But now, large ma-ses 'nny bU secretly committed :"
the most dang.rnus Opinions. and the may be Sc
lccud 10 carry them nut, without time for previous
warning, or cxpo.tulati" that opposing sections
may bu suddenly brought into the presence "t each
other, and prccipitatcI upon III. most dangerous
issucs when retreat is difficult, and compromise be
comes iinpossIhIc
But, fciow-ctztus. thedapgers Of ihcsc secret
cintuns do not end here. Ii Tho one succeeds, others
must follow. In s@li-dci-nce those who do not be-
long to this order, will tl.: same by which
it hus acquired power and the open political action
! for which this country has bc'n distinguished will be
converted in warfare of secret asruciaiions. nstcad
Of the open, man!y, stand-up mode I'll fighting. ~
cla aactcriric of the AuslnSHxon and Angn.A Amrri-
race we slIul substitute tho dark intrigue Gnd
s,icltu warfare III the I'aan. That slc. change in
our political habits wuu,l have tho effect Of trans
forming the moral character OF "ur people, il not To be
doubted. Is there ,nnn present, who would desire
to see such transformation w.ritizcns, lei me
beg YOU bewau "G ,hrsc secret political assncia
tiOus. Bcwarc oi the mysterious Establishments oi
this rev scdur"r. IL is said Ia be but the first
step that costs. i"n mny hc tunpmiug with danger
OF whose Who'll character you are little
Far up on tht Missouri, near To Fort Ben
view of the surrounding country, it is sad, that
Backiuot lndnn th!c directed himself iu be lti!lcd
OF horsebacS wIib hs face turned down the stream,
TO look out as i" said for the white man, the destroy
ur OF his race, when b. .hruld up the river. IL
YOU would look cut tu. The! DESTROYER of vuur free ILL.,
stutous, and p"pulrr form Of gvvrrnmcnt your eye
upon the door ni the secret political ass0ciann;-
from that door, the worst enemy of all, will COME
But have not toi! the hole story against tins new
Order As sa! before, they have avowcd Opinions
highly dangerous aud InischiryOis They propose t"
destroy the liberty of conscience itself by prescribing
the members of In" Roman Catholic religion from all
Offices whether high or low. Thus not only pers"cu
ting these men for opinion sake, but introducing re-
gous test, rs qualification for office. know it il
said, that ths prescription from office il pcTsecn-
ton, because ii Is hot accompanied by corpora! sui-
erancc; but is there not moral degradation, and docs
not that often curry with il far ketncr pan. 10 the
sensitive spirit than III. most severe physical punish
mentI You sa; that the Roman Catholic il ,uw"r-
thy to cujoy the full privileges Of citizen, Ia fill
the meanest Office that men 81 nj other religions aud
sects, Mahomcd"ns, Budihists even inidrls and
Atheists. may be capable of holding office, but hc IL
incapable, because he rum" be trusted being 10y
al and patriotic: you fix upon his brow the brand Of
political inferory AMI ni:cr wounding him thus IN
the poiG. of honor v"u he has suffered no PUNISH
men Is not such moral isolation to noble aud SEN
svo vomind, more than bodily incarceration sometimes
gone wall, do prison make,
Nor iron bars a Gaze
You may conhnc mans body, and If lie enjoys
the respect and kindly feelings Of his race, who look
TO him as n martyr in noble cause, he bears up
cheerfully under II all; Gu' so if exclude him
from the pale Of humnn sympathy, and expose him TO
public insult and moral isolation, in the midst of his
kind 1t is vain To- say that this is punishment for
opinion sake. In country like this where Office has
heretofore been open 10 all, the exclusion would be
more kecnly felt, than i'll others where the privilege
was not extensive. But our glorious old Bill "t
Rights provided "that religion the duty we owe to
our Creator, and the OF dsrharging it, eau bc
directed only by and conscience not by force
or volcnce ana therefore uil men are entitled ~ free
exercise Of religion according to the dictate. of
soenre and that It is tho mutual duty Of all I" prac
se Christian forbearanCc, love- and charity, towards
nn,h nihnrn The act for the establishment of II.