Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-09
TIRE WING PARTY.

TIRE WING PARTY
We are sometimes accused of inconsistency, be-
cause. while calling acknowledged "a wing
trick, we at the same time show that some wings
are opposed 10 it. There is no Inconsistency in
this-no more than there was at the time when,
Gen. ScoTT being the acknowledged whig csndi-
date, we showed that all the wings did not support
hin. We were not accused of inconsistency be-
cause we called Gen. SCoTT the wing candidate,
and yet showed that such wings as Col GENTRY
were opposed to him. Yet it seems that we can
not call know-nothngisIn whiggery, and yet show
that all the wings are not in it, without being
charged with contradictipg ourselves We show
that there no wing candidates for any offices in
the State, except a few who are opposed by their
old associates; that The whig party is not in the
field at ALL that the democratic party, exactly as it
has been organized for the last twenty years is in
The field, with regular candidates, and with its prn
ciples openly proclaimed There are men who
have beer democrats who support the know moth
ing candidates; there are men who are wings who
support the democratic candidates; bat the BODY of
the wing party is know nothing, and the body of
the democratic party Is anti know nothing
The democratic psrty has lost enough of its men,
bers on this question to insure its defeat were it
not for the aid it Is receiving from members of the
old wing party. There are, we are glad TO say,
thousands Of the most patriotic and able OF the MEM
hers Of that party, whom no consideration OF lem
porary party triumph can induce TO join in the eff
fort now making TO excite religious war in this
country They have been, and are yet, wings from
honest conviction. But their ~higgery never COM
pretended the nonsirous doctrines of know-noth
ingism, aud they viii vote with the democratic
party until know-nothingism having died out, they
can have hope of re-organzirg the wing party. 1t
affords US plea lure, from day to day. 10 lay before
our readers evidences of the rapid spread among
the wing party of disafection at the position in
which it is attempted to place them, of warning
upon the rights Of Conscience and the constitution
of the country. But we certainly DO not intend to
admit that the democratic party is no longer the
democratic party, because some of the best men of
the wing party choose to help it in its struggle to
preserve unimpaired the great Protestant principle
of religious freedom. What we say Is. that in Ten.
nessee, as in VIRGINIA and most of the other States
the know-nothing organization has taken the place
Tor the moment, of the wing organization, through
the treachery of the leaders, aud that those men who
still claim to be wings and Ioahe both the objects of
the know-nothing party and the secret, stealthv
and un-American manner in which it seeks to ac-
oompsh those objects may, with perfect consisten.
cy, aid the democratic party in crushing know
nothingism, and then, if they please, re-organize
their old party and oppose us as they used to OBJ.
pose US. in an open field aud by fair fighting
- We make these remarks, by way of preface
TO an extract we are about to make from an adj
dress recently published by the Wing General Com
mittee Of the city Of Philadelphia. These whigsre
view the frauds and disgaeetnl bargain and sale of
votes in the late know-nothng Legislature of
Pennsylvania, as well as the Infamous conduct of
the know-nothing city government of Philadelphia,
and conclude their address as follows:
To one of two courses we challenge the leaders
of this secret party: TO avOw their principles in
public, and invite TO them popular and fair scrut-
ny; or, If the machinery OF secrecy 1.-THE safeguard
Of empires everywhere) is too precious to them
if they must be oath bound-let them not be
ashamed OF their oaths-not compel their members
10 swear allegiance inside and disavow it outside;
let them organize distinctively, as know nothings
or secret Americans proscrptive Of foreigners and
intolersnt of creeds and we shall be prepared to
meet them without fear OF the result No sllch
banner will bear the sunlight or the open air We
have attributed 20 this organization nothing but
what it is proud to deserve. The failure OF the
first year Of consolidation, with local bankruptcy
and discomfort in its uaiu rests the party who,
IL 1854 carried the city by storm with majority
varying from seven to fifteen thousand. 1t may
be hard 10 distinguish between the howls of the
wolves nsi6esand ont; but il is conceded that ter
rihed by sounds from some quarter, many of them
who on the surge Of triumphant know nothing
ism, were lifted 10 high position year ago, have,
IN the language of one of the most eloquent exno-
nents Of the Order found it necessary "to seek the
refuge OF private lfe." One other lost his seat
10y fraud IN his election; others are in danger. |
ne conGnct OF the late Legislature in the parlicu
Ihis we nave felerreJ TO cannot be disavoWed by |
ttH' party VINO Claimed to count among their ad- |
herents 'hfee-ionrths q IFS memh RS. Had not |
'Ge OF the order, lis secrecy its want
oi canGor, It's eNaSions, its oatbs today and its
GeniSls Tomorrow, disqua6He5 !, g. "D -.
when intrigue and corruption ,f or Ia - -
other were found TO have taken rossossi,,, &c ;.
the American party would have cast ,I,a, VI II,
forever, with the scorn with which the A,a-; ~
heart, left TO lis own impulses, always feels Gov
sneakinp secret iufsmy. But shame and tbe ~,
cation of the oath prevented it. very few oTi,,
" ere found who had the manness 20 denounce i
To them be all honor. Ii was the first and We
are very sure it viii be the last, know-uothing i
legislature that ever met in Pennsylvania Ar |
other such "victory" as that Of this month will |
settle the question.
In conclusion, we call upon the wings, the indie |
pendent open wings, to be stesdfast, immovsble- |
not only to keep but to watch their organization,
and to make it available for good, separately or by
combination. The 900 men, wings and dem |
ocrats, who voted together recently cannot be |
easily disunited so long they concur in the prn
iples of local reform and opposition to all secret
political organizations; and, if united they must /