Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-27

Roman priesthood and defeat the intrigues Of cor
rupt partisans. l accord fully, sir, with your
proud boast as to the sentiments, patriotism and
/ nationality which belong TO us as people and
which undoubtedly survive through long genera
| tions nor would have my countrynen selfish
or exclusive in their devotion to freedom. II Is
because desire that liberty in this country should
be perpetual, and that our light should be beacon
| to all mankind, that would guard well the aven-
4 ues OF her sacred temple. 1t Is not against the
foreigner by birth, or the Catholic in religion, that
secret political organization is leveled but when
men Of foreign birth, who have accepted the boon
of citizenship offered by our laws, who have found
an asylum under our institutions from tyranny and
oppression, pretend to maintain their national pre-
Judices to band themselves together Irish or
| German associations, to control American cleo
tions and this notwithstanding the oath they have
taken in becoming citizens to abjHre allegiance to
every other sovereignty, Is II not time for native
born citizens to act In concert and oppose conduct
so anti American and insulting to their national
pride? And when, moreover, the emissaries Of
religious hierarchy which has aimed and still
aims at universal supremacy, proclaim boldly de-
signs antagonstic to the genius Of our institutions
and dangerous to that principle of religious free
dom which gave the first impulses Of formation
4 to our government, does it not become the sons
OF sires, whether Puritan or Cavalier, who in re-
ssting unjust taxes tthes gave life and strength
to our Revolution, to oppose such dangerous and
tyrannical attempts at usurpaton?
i You seem to adopt the stale argument that be-
cause foreigners by birth aided us in securing our
Independence, we are bound ipso taeto to share
our birthnght with every foreigner who may de-
sire to enjoy the privileges thus secured us. This
reasoning Is as fllacious it is specous Foreign
ers, as between us and tho mother country, were
engaged on both sides in our revolutionary contest
would you say that, our liberties achieved we owe
the privileges to the descendants of the He's
sian, who endeayored to subject us to the British
yoke, as to those Of Lafayette or Kosciusco, who
battled for our freedom? Or to put more homely
question, because you require the services or ac-
cept the aid of half dozen Irish laborers to cni
vate your plantation, must you permit yourself to
be overrun by scores Of hungry applicants, who
devour your substance and jeOpardize your rights
Sir nations as well as individuals, have right to
be selfish for the preservation of their patrimony
and it Ia one thing to assert and maintain the prin
ciples Of human freedom in the abstract as it is to
| assert and maintain the rights of property, and
another to give it effect at the expense Of national
and individual sacrifices.
You next infer that the Know-N Nothing organiza-
tioris not only levelled against foreigners by BIRTH
but against the Pope Of Rome. / have already
declared how far it is opposed TO priestcraft; and
if the Pope of Rome pretends to any rights or pri-
vieges In this country, inconsistent with the en-
tire freedom of religious worship, or the spirit of
our republican institutions, both he and his minions
will undoubtedly find stubborn and successful
opposition in the American party. Nor can agree
with you that the idea Of the Popes influence this
day Is so preposterou5 you pretend to think ii.
| This, however, is q matter of judgment for the
| American people to decide, and they are--thank
! God-so enlightened and well advised, that they
may be fairly trusted with the issue.
| But you argue that there is not only no neces-
sty for this secret political organization, but il il
against the spirit Of our laws and the facts OF our
history" You have already admitted that the
general policy of great public party may justify
secret consultations and the issue Of this point Is
fairly made up How Ear II Is against the spirit of
our laws we shall briefly inquire. shall pay no
regard TO your illusions as to our national origin,
nor to the intmation that possession of this coun
try was taken, either directly or derivatively Of
the Papal power; for, however curious these may
be as historical facts II Is apparent to the most
ordinary understanding that they have no bearing
on the question at issue.
care not under what fiction Of universal papd
dominion the discoverers Of this western continent
may have pretended 10 claim II, nor of what diff
ferent nations the colonists may have been made
up, they became by conquest and by purchase the
masters Of the soil, and by successful revolution
an independent nation. All who partook in the
act became ipso Tacto American citizens, and II
they choose, at an early day. TO invite emigration
and confer citizenship IL in virtue Of their SOW
| ereign right TO be exercised not at their plea
sure and we, their descendants claim the same
right not only by inheritance but direct transmis
sion through the constitution. The law recognises
the acquisition Of nationality and domain, and t
does that of personal property, by certain fixed
rules; but il imposes no obligations Of an agrari-
an nature upon a nation more than upon indi-
| vidual Are you to be reproached az claiming cx
elusive privileges upon your plantation because
stranger, thriftess and improyident himself pleads
an equal title from the Creator Of the earth to the
good thereof when you choose to deny him that
which you have acquired by inheritance or pur.
chase Would you not rather feel indignant and
outraged if after having bestowed upon him that
charity which your hearts would doubtless prompt,
! he should assume airs of mastershp and controlY
Shall people, then, be blamed, who having In
herited and cultivated cherished institutions II
finding those whom they have adopted into their
family creating discord and dissension and at
tempting 70 destroy their dearest rights they de-
termine TO resist the aggresson2
| To maintain the assertion that the Know-Noth-
ing movement is against the spirit Of our laws and
the facts Of our history you quote largely from the
1 Virginia Declaration of Rights" Your lucnbra-
tions this snbject interesting as narrative
but extremely weak an argument Does any in
telligent man presume that when the Convention Of
| Virginia declared no man or set of men are ent
tied to exclusive emohiments or privilege from the
community but in consideration Of public services
which not being descendibc, neither ought the Of
fees Of magistrate, legislator Judge 70 be hered
ary," II was meant to prohibit the organization Of
political parties in the future Republics Now, ac-
cording 10 your own partial or might say, preju-
diced statement, this "Know-Nothing' organization
Is simply political party; and how, then, the
| long string Of objections which you raise apply
to il, differently from the Wing or Democratic par
| ty, am az loss TO conjecture. Do not Whies
when Ia Office claim exclusive privileges from the
commrnify, as against Democrats Is II not in the
nature OF political parties 10 prescribe those differ
| ing from them in sentiments and opinions? Is Il
not in the very nature Of political freedom that ma
jorities may select persons Of their own faith to f
the Offices Of the government when they are in
power2
Your political experience approves this fact, and
the welfare ofthe country is the argument wheth
cr sound or specious win not undertake TO argue,
which excuses this exclusiyeness. Then, sir your
arguments deduced from the "Virginia resou-
tons apply with equal force TO all other political