The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-12
couNsELs FROM OUR FRIENDS.
A friendly and considerate correspondent

r16nuly anu cOnsiuerAte correspondent at
-, Illinois, writes to US that he has
found some things in the Era that he knows
"are not founded upon TRUTH" and says that
among the many is found this: "That the
Know Nothings are for Slavery" This, he
says, is a wrong accusation. And he proceeds I:
~ profess to know something about that
Order. l assure you they are, to a man, so far
as my knowledge runs, Anti-Slavery men. You
are going blindfolded; you know not what you
are talking about. l am sorry to see smart
men so dull to their own interest"
The writer concludes by saying az do not
intend this as correspondence-onlya as let
ter of friendship to you - kindness we fully
appreciate, and hereby acknowledge as coming
from this gentleman, as well as a thousand
others. But tohat hare the recently elected facts
shotcnS
-, ONO, June 10, 1856.
Enclosed is three dollars for two copies Of the
Era, and one dollar for Facts for the People, /
retain the commission, not for myself, but for
the subscribers, for, believe me, it is an uphill
business, since the Era has taken such decided
stand against Know Nothingism. We have re-
GREETED thousand times the violent opposition
from that quarter, thinking it much better and
safer to wait until the organization had fully
taken its stand, before shooting Unfortunately
into their ranks, killing friends well as foes.
For true it is, that there are numbers of firm,
reliable, Anti-Slavery men, who are engaged in
| the Know Nothing cause, that would drop it,
or any other ism, before giving up the Anti
Slavery cause-yet are disposed to not encour-
age longer those papers, that they have encour
apad ia lupao 10
to obtain subscribers, and therefore the inau.
ence of the AntiSlavery press is to a great de-
gree lost-at least this is the case in this COM
| munity.
And now, at the close of this communication,
allow us to say, that we think it would be well
for the Era land some other papers) to hold
and reflect, until the enemy fairly comes out
and shows himself, if there be one, and not
shoot in advance at an alarm, and by so doing
hit friends.
We need only say to this friend, that we are
incapable of acting in such bad faith as we
would conceive it to be to conceal our views
from our friends upon any public measure OF
course of policy, and especially in such wise as
to permit any of them to enter upon a career
which we regard as leading to evil, and from
which our counsels might tend to divert them.
In the following there is the ring of the true
metal:
TERRYTowE, Pa, June 9, 1855.
DR.. BAILEY: I think you are right on the
question of independent political organization
against Slavery. Let every tub stand on its
own bottom. If the great question of the day
in our country be the Pope and Foreigners, let
it be fairly, earnestly, and openly met. If it be
the shams ofthe obsolete Wings and Democrats,
let it be known. But, on the other hand, if the
great question is Slavery, land every intelligent
man in Chrstendom knows that it isl then lei
us rally-let us organize-let us look the enemy
in the face-and socially, morally, religiously,
and politically, thrust our energies against him
This can only be done by independent action.
Unless truly Anti-Slavery, or rather Abolition
political party can be called into action, we
may about as well hang our harps upon the
willows-Ephraim is written upon our country.
and Lho6od is close at hand, and nothing but
the energies of men who will do or die for the
country can save us from the doom that awaits
hollow-hearted and vainglorious nations.