Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-16
Letter from the Hon. Daniel >. Dickinson
an Kuov-uat him uIam

Know hin Ism.
The following letter, first Published in the
Tallahassee Floridian and Journal Of August 4,
was written in June, l655-Ed. NJ " Daily .Nsrs
My DEAR Sin: On my return To my residence
few days since, from professional engagement
abroad, found your favor of hate date inquir-
ing tor my views touching the principles of the
'sAmerican" or "Know- nothing" organization.
Before found time to answer was hurried to this
place TO attend the court Of appeals now in ses-
sion, where the business in which am engaged
affords little time or opportunity for correspond
ence. will, however, as have concea lments
upon public questions, borrow a moment from my
pressing duties, To say quite hastily, that have
7 no knowledge concerning the Order to which you
ailude, except such as is acquired from publica-
i stions. purporting to give information upon the
subject, and must therefore confine myself TO such
points embraced within this range. II is
generally understood and conceded TO be secret
society or organization, designed to act politically
in the contests of the day. Of this secret feature
entirely dsapprove, and am unable to under
stand by what necessity, real or supposed, it was
dictated, or upon what principle II can be justi-
fed Free public discussion and open action on
all public affairs, are essential to the health-nay,
to the very existence-of popular liberty; and the
day which finds the public mind reconcled to the
secret movements Of political parties, will find us
far on our way to the slavery Of despotism. II
good men may meet in secret for good purposes,
we can have assurance that bad men, under
the plausible exterior. will not secretly sap
the foundations of public virtue.
Whether am in favor of their platform upon
the question OF domestic slavery, must depend
upon what it is; or rather, whether they are in
favor of mine. If their platform is to be regard
ed as including, uPholding, or justifying such
political monstrosities as the personal liberty
bill" recently passedinto law by the Massa-
chusetts Legislature over the veto Of Governor
, Gardner, then pronounce it treason of the
deepest dye--treason, rank, unblushing and
/ misunderstanding of public apprehension and
condign punishment II upon this subject their
platform conforms to resolutions recently pub
lished, purporting to be the voice Of a majority
OF the convention assembled at Philadelphia, it
is in substance the same upon which have stood
+ for years-upon which did not enter without
] counting the consequences, and which intend
to relinquish only with life I have not now
these resolutions before me, but as recollect
them, approve them in substance sound ma
tional doctrine. ignore no part Of the Federal
I Constitution, either in theory or in practice to
court the popular caprices of the moment, to gain
public station, to minister to the necessities or
I infrmities of those in power. Nor can distrust
4 the soundness Of principles approved upon full
consideration under a high sense of duty, be-
cause others may choose to adopt and embrace
them. EFT ,tu
/ cannot believe that any good can be accom-
plished by making the hirthplacea test Of fidelity
/ or merit. II does not accord with, but is at war
with the genius of our institutions. That abuses
have been practced by the appointment of for
egners to places of trust, before sufficiently ia
miliar with our Constitution, laws, and social
! system, or to which, from circumstances, they
were unsuited, is probabl This, however, is in
some respects common to native as we'll as natu-
rallied citizens, and arises not from defective
system, but from its erroneous administration.
IFVt LcAl al. IA
in the hands Of the incompetent the distribution
| of public patronage.
/ Upon the subject of naturalized citizens have
been governed by considerations of Justice and
duty, and have designed to observe the spirit of
| my country's Constitution. When members of
Congress engaged in steeple chase, to see who
should propose earliest, give most, and vote
loudest, to feed suffering Ireland from the federal
treasury a few years since, not finding any war
rant for such proceedings voted against it, and
! let public clamor exhaust itself upon my head in
| denunciations. When | learned that the for.
eigner who had in good faith declared his inten-
tions of citizenship, by setting his foot upon a
foreign shore in case of shpwreck, without any
intention of remaining abroad, lost the benefit of
his proceedings, introduced and procured the
passage of a bill to redress the grievance. These
principles have governed my public conduct and
now guide my opinions The Constitution, adj
ministered in its true spirit, is, in my Judgment,
or naturalized, and for the redress Of all political
evils which can be reached by human govern
| ment .A 1T
| have the honor to be, your friend and servant,
!. ID. s. DICKINSON.
| G. f. DYKE, esq, Ed. Flordian & Journal.
| Editorial Correspondence of the N. o. Pcayune
An AFFAIR OF the Heart. a#
PARIS, Thursday, July ia case of most ro-
mantle interest has lately been pending before
one of the French civil tribunals case which
will be read with avidity by those who believe in
the endurance of deep-seated, sure enough love-
think that the facts Of the present case will well
repay n perusal, and therefore give condensa-
ton.
J Sixty-fve years ago, or in 1890, young Eng
lshman, named William Anderson, who was
possessed of considerable fortune, made what was
rare In those days--a continental tour--and in
the course of his wandering, visited the old city
of Nancy There he became acquainted with a
young IRISH woman, blooming and beautiful as
matter OF course, whose name was Catharne
Burthe; she was the daughter of a game keeper
of the Prince de Condo, and the ardent young
Anderson conceived such violent passion for her
that he vowed that he would never think of mar
rying any one else. These facts, il should be
understood, have been brought out in a cold court
of justice, and have never been recorded on the
warm pages of a novel. heaIfl4a4 v.t E..s.
The political disturbances which broke ont
about this period drove young Anderson home TO
England, but did not drive his love for Catharine
Burthe from his head-far from It. He wrote
numerous letters to the game-keepers daughter,
all breathing the depth of his attachment; he did
Eore-he sent her remttances Of money; but war
soon breaking out, all his epistes and drafts were
intercepted, nor could he ever receive any tidngs
of his loved one. itE'fI
On the establishment Of peace in 1885, or
twenty-five years afterwards, the more than mid
dle-aged William Anderson, with the flame Of
OF love burning as fercely as ever, hurried over
to France, and proceeded post.haste TO Nancy;
but there he could learn no tidings of Catharine
Burthe; she had departed, but no one could tell
when or where. For twenty years, or until
1925, he continued TO seek her--he stuck 10 il
with pcrtnacity that would have tired out
Japhet in search Of father--but without sue
cess. lie employed the police, he set secret
agents to work, he hunted up and down himself,
but the track Of the lady no one could discover.
AT length Mr.. Anderson tried the benefit of ad-
vertsing, and this time he got on the right trail
notice was inserted in the Journal de Ia Meurfhe
and to his inexpressible delight it was answered
by Catharine herself. He hurried off to see her
was burning 10 embrace his long lost Catharine;