Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-29

Every now and then some individual who hasn't
brains to gain celebrity by the honorable modes of
life, turns traitor, and gets notoriey by exposing
the secret workings and designs of the Know No
things. Some excuse ia always trumpet such as
"they were imposed on in the manner and mode
Of their Introduction into the order /" "they found
them corrupt and INSCRIPTIONS In their designs
upon the institutions Of the country or ''they
recognise no obligations to secrecy outside an IN
oorporated association" and other like pretexts-
To logically combat the fimsy grounds upon which
such apostates stand, would be giving dignity to
their treason which II does not deserve. The
principle Of obligation to secrecy In such insttu-
tions is too well settled TO allow Of any fears that
the public mind win excuse or even palste the
baseness Of such men.
Enemies to the American organization may, for
the sake Of defeating IL iove the freaso but must
despise the traitor !; and, although for time, he
may enjoy . sort OF heroic greatness at the last
he will be an object Of suspicion, II not contempt
with the very ones who made him the catspaw Of
doing that which they would not condescend TO
do. Treason among Know-Nothings may not be
attended with such consequences as deseriion of
country, but the principle involved IL 10 near akin
that the man who viii do the one Il capable Of
doing the other. II IL 20 in all secret societies,
founded upon private or public good. With the
American party, any man can withdraw, If he
pleasea. He Is not compelled, against bis win or
conscience, TO cooperate with them; and what
other than the most sordld feelings the most cor
rupt motives, and tho meanest spirit, can prompt
man TO withdraw, and then violate his most sol.
emn obligations, by exposing them, is something
beyond the reach OF our understanding. There is
mature elaboration In the act, that IL sure to
couple 1t with bribery, or some covert purpose or
sinister en- !; and despite the impotent reasoning,
the sophistical arguments and the hollow appeals
which they offer TO sustain themselves, the suspi-
cion Of just and generous men viii ever follow them.
Doubtless these Judas Iscariots think that their
cxpostions win recoil terribly upon the party, and
when they see them grsvely set forth by editors,
under the startling head Of "RKAD RsADir with
laughing n-thesieeve sort Of compliment to their
honesty and manlincss, they feel q momentary
swell ri Importance, which 10 only the prelude TO
that infamy and sense of shame, that IL Ger
tain 10 follow. Littlejohn, Of New York, viii be
little John long he lives and Lee win be lees,
and all who have followed in their wake will share
their unenviable fate. Al TO the effect upon the
American mind, which these reasonable revelators
make, they are a. harmless A the threat which
the old Italian dame made to one OF Napoleon's
foragers when he told her, he must have the eggs
for the Emperor, for money, II she would, without
IT, II she wouldn't. She declared she would erpose
the little rascal. So II is with those danes In
trousers, that expose the invincible and ubiquit-
Misassippi Advance