Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-08
. tie Editors Of The Enq"irer:
TIE EEnW Nothing. pr ATEtbkSl.

in the first place, the lat or ljtl arlIc'e !" ''
.Th,, th. interest, and welfare of this country me
honor of this uatou the individual AMI private riS'''
of its citizens couspirc to demand thht III
arising from purity organizations nr n"i' on,;.a
source, shall be held subordinate 10 nnu :" pm.
made 10 yield To the greHt pr'h''p''' ''''''"
gucd." r. ,,,, ,Lo suunor,
Every thing pertaining t" Ga" 'rnmchl, tne s"rr",,
NJ Renublican institutions, tile wtllaie uiu I'"'
orr nation and its citizes becomes OF se'"i'i! ~
port when compared 10 The principles co''"'"'' ~
this platform. nj, .:.,
..That the sovereignty Of the States should or SUI
pr.m. in the exercise ri all powers NJ" expressly uo'
yntcd Ia the Fed raj Government ana wh''i ma! NV
be necessary and proper 10 carry out ,n'
delegated; and that this principle should be opsr
and held sacred III all organizations oil 'he |te'
party. -, .. mall .
In this article X. No;hinSs, no doubt, wish 10 mas
the people believe that they are strict c"istr'"hS'S
Unfortunately for them, no party ever !eL eAs,e"
since the adoption OF the Constitution at the l. Shtr~
who did moi trotcss 10 net this .incle: anu va"
will observe, they do not say the American parry
| shall act on this principle, but they uso 'le "''"
shOud from which il is fair to Infer that they ih" VI
pay not act i'm accordance with this principle bhi'
for The present We will give them credit for rnhd"i
and sincerity, and examine the remaining arl'tiS VI
the platform, applying the test OF this yin a'''c'c u
| the others as we proceed 49,,
Tho Ist article is, THAT the sufrngcs Of the Anne
to any Others than those born on our SOIL and reared
and nurtured under the influence OF our Ihsl'tu'
! TONS ,;I
does not delegate To Congress any power I" rcstrc'
the right of suffrage and, surely, the Nnow- Nothing
Marty do moi wish liz to believe that they are III IN
yo III Congress cmacting any law prescribing T." Anne
rican citizens who they may or may not vote ior'-
Such q law would be both unconstitutional ana deS'
por. Therefore, according to the 9th article no Ia"
| IN
| pie
The ID article H. 'srha no foreigner ought to be ai,
lowed to exercise the eoc". franchise I'll ne aNaIl
have resided within the tuitcd Stntes sufficient
length Of time TO enable INN 10 become hc'lu"ih'c,I
with tho principles and mhucd with the spirit ot "llr
institutions aud until he shnli hive become Thoroughly
identified with the grca! interests OF our country.
No fine is here specified when, III their opinion
foreigner may exercise Tins right consequently i
perfectly unncaning; and, what is worse the Co!sti
| iuliun of tho United States delegates no power to
Congress to grant tho rficr trdnchs 10 any human
being unless it be To- the citizens Of the District OF
Columbia ur the United States Territories therefore,
no legislation can be hnd on this principle by Con-
cress. MARK you, this is q national platiurm.l
81 article: THAT whilst no obstacle should he IN
terpuscd the Immigration Of all foreigners of honest
und industrious habits and all privileges and mnu
mites enjoyed by any natvc-born citizen ol our
country should DO extended to all such Immigrants,
except that OF participating i'll any of our political nd-
illustrations, yet all legal monns should he adopted
to obslrct and prevent tho immigration Of the Vi
cous aud worthless, the criminal and paupcr.
! We here find one subject upon which Know Mo-
thing Congress may leGSIuc; but they .nay lrgsntc
until the crack of doon AMI they will fail 10 carry il
Quit il perfectly impracticAble.
18th article: THAT the American doctrine of rcli-
gious liberation. aud entire ab>eucG of oil pr"scrp-
| ton for opinions sukc, should he cherished as
ny the very fundamental principles q" our civil
freedom, aud that any sect or phrty Which believes
and maintains that any foreign power relginus or
political, has the right Ia control tho conscience ar
direct the conduct of frccinan occupies portou
which is totally at with tho principle Of freedom
4. opinion and which il nochiev0us in lis tendency,
and which principle if carried into practice would
prove wholly destructive Of our religious and civil
| liberty"
If this article means anything, il is that all religious
sects should DO toicra except one. lthe Roman Ca
tholics) which should be prescribed or account OF
the principles al their Church The Constitution d''
Icgaics no power to Congress to prescribe any sect
but guarantees tho civil and religious rights OF an our
| citizens. IoiPrGt0h is not the American doctrine
FTrcdom of belongs to every citizen oil me
United States and - protected by the Constitution
A Know Nothing Congress, according to article y
! cannot lcglsate on this subject. =.
18th. Tint the Bible, in The hands oleScTy iree
zen the only permanent basis OF all true hGcEly
genuine equality"
This is truism denied nor cainsnid By no one
| But surely they would not have ~ bri!e'c 'has "
Know Nothing Congress would enact laws aPPlop =
penalties upon such might be- 50 unfortunate rs nor
to have u bible in his hands. Where Is the co7'i'
tutiOTa warrant
18th. IhGt the intelligence of the people !, htccs
qary 10 the right uac continuance OF our iDc'e-'
civil and religious; hence The proprcty ana l!l'p'rIr
lance OF the promotion and fostering % all hie1hs %
moral md intellectual culture by solHe "ic""' anu
| permanent provision fuT general cdW'atlon. .
We ask again for thc Institutional provision ace
eating Ia Congress the pnwcr To build schnohUliscs;
employ teachors, to EgG colleges and universities,
to erect theological institutions pay Professors nri
support ministers OF the gospel 10 gi"c T" lhc people
""rth" That the doctrine of availability now =. Pc.
TALENT md controlling, in the nomination of candi-
dates for Office in total disregard OF all principles OF
right, of truth, ard of justice, Ia essentially wrong,
aud should be by oil good men coi'dGmnc''.'
| The Know Nothing pnrty cannot expect 10 carry
! out The principle by lcgnl enactment. They must
expect Sam to do j: Cor them. Let liza see II A' has
done so in nominating State candidates tor Virginia
One Of them has been Wing, the second was Del
cral, and the third both Wing and Democrat lever
set nj candidates were nOminnted Orcallsr thtE were
| believed to be lFGRabip, hrsc were. IT Is "t-li''
roding lIerod. Sam cannot DO depended upon.
18th. That as general rlc, the sane restrictions
should be pr scrbrd to the exercise nl The power OF
removal from office, az are made necessary 10 De on
served in the power cf appointment thereto; andt"'
executive influence anl patronage should be scrnpu
| lousy conferred aud icalnusly gum ed: .
Here VIC have article i'll this glorious, mash,ii'
| cent and all important platform, III can be Ieg'Sa-
ted in prac ,cally and, doubtless more important III
the rstiiut:Cn Of some 81 our Know No.h c'lLrHs
| than all other GGc-t.Qn. combined Cnn anything;
preacnt glorious ana Important subject III c-
gisaton the American Congress ar 40" ~ c2uii,
| tcraciing the will nl tie Prc.dcn. al TIE hniitd
States, and compelling him 10 reta!" men III o''c
| against Ing Will! $40 =,
| "I0h That NIL sccrarian intcrmeddlinr with poll
tic. CT political Institutions, coming from Whatever
source il may, sLcui lie promptly resisted ny all su'
menu- II. seem 10 lie necessufy spd proper l"r 'h''
| end"
Another principle of Til. great platform that cHnn"'
be ,yisatr On by Congress- according 10 article "
rOnscul,rnv must be carried out by sam, ana Va
havs seer how he rcdceu,s his Pledges by DOING en-
| nctlv contrary Ia -.Iat lac promises IN ii'.
"lth That whiist iiIr rrrpruy ntthc present i"rn
Of tbc Federal Government ui tie United Stact j.
actually necessary for the proper deveiophs o. NJ
tho resources Of this country yet the princplc "i non
Intervention. both on the rsrt ut the Frderni "o!
crpment auI of tie several States oi fs thloh' ~
tho municipal affairs Of each other, If essential |" INC
peace and prosperity ri or country, ana l" me wei
being aud prInMrnrc Of OIr institutions, dhl ~ III,
same time, the only reliable bond Ut brotherhood e"'
union ~
If there be any meaning in THU article u j. 10 r.
| rran from lcu rutOn. The Bank mhh ana NE anu
| Bank nun Tho Tnrs and the anti Iarlfnte, III,
| nbotoni5t of the North md the Flr,-eatcf "i III,
South, may all stand together Oh ihs article IL
therefore, means nothing.
| 10Th. That Red Rcpublicanism nrd lccnIGua abdul
enru in thu enjoyment Of civil privileges arc as lrl
| TO be feared and deprecated by all friends OF re
gula.ei governments and true liberty, Us any "i Tie
| oruis of lnonarch: and dcspotisn:
| We hqvo here rTnclEl" seemingly 'htlrcS nss''
| tutc of meguing. The Constitution c":tGhly DELI
yu,cs no power TO Congress 10 crcuIqscr!e tile en-
| ownenl OF civil privileges or 10 dcIin" how much
" wha, sort of II republican citizen shall be- c"lIso
uuenlly it cannot "gislatc on the doctrine contan''
! in this article.
We have now travelled through the Know .Nothin:
PLATFORM and what do we find So important that al
questions from whatever source arising must Gye "al
ol As we before stated, Nv" questions "r principles
that Know Nothing Congress may runst!tuii'nhlIl
l,ri.latc o. one of which il Is impossible To carr!
oni; for il foreigners bo admitted into our country I"
all il will be impossible 10 keep out the ylr"uf MA
worthles, Attempt it, and the vicious aud w"riil!e.
/ ,l, nm a