Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-13
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Esq, late Commissioner of the General Land
otice, appeared yesterday afternoon in the
organ, with a quisicsl letter addressed to the
President, whom he treats kindly and respect
fully in all of it referring to that functionary
Its burden is to prove that there is Papal
plot to subvert religious liberty in our land
that the Know Nothings are eminently pat
riotic and unselfsh party, and that they are
not proscriptive; that all other American par
ties and nearly all other Americans are cor
rupt; and, finally, that about the only means
through which We can find salvation from i'm
pending national damnation, is to put the Gov
eminent with as little delay as possible into
the hands of the Know Nothings John says
nothing about the entire want of morality,
principle, integrity, and common honesty at
the bottom of all the secret obligations the
Know Nothings take upon them-not a word
As they are indefensible, he wisely declines
even attempting to apologize for them.
But the truth is, John has for full twenty
FIVE years past, To our knowledge, been af-
fcted with Guy Fawkism to such a degree, as
that in all that time it has been but necessary
to say Catholic > in his hearing, to throw his
mind, so clear on most other subjects, COM
pletely off its balance. His horror and dread
Of the Catholic church has always been SO
great as to make him confirmed monomaniac.
asitwere. on that subject He got it legitimate
ly, for he is descended from a north of Ireland
Cromwellite family, wherein Orangeism-ha-
tired Of Catholics and Catholicity-has been
regularly handed down from father to son.
from Cromwell's day to the present To this
hour, in most such families at home-in Ire
land-it is firmly believed that the Catholics
are at this time just such folks as they were
represented to be when it was the fashion to
hang, draw and quarter them, and to subject
them to the severest punishments for making
proselytes, &c. In his private opinions, our
friend John Is actually in favor of the enact.
ments OF penal statutes against CathOlicity in
thls country! 1t is this unfortunate monoma-
MIA alone which has brought him into the
bad political company he now keeps, and
blinds his perceptions to such degree as to
make him contend that Know Nothingism is
not proscrptive, with the fact before the
world, that the Know Nothings have nowhere
obtained power in the United States in the last
year or two. without prescribing everybody
within the reach of their axe, who differs from
them politically; from those holding the highest
places, down, even to the scavengers
1t Is this mOnOmania. too, and only that.
which leads him to fancy that all his fellow
citizens are not now aware that he and every
other Know Nothing in the land has taken an
oath never to vote for, or appoint to place, or
TO eountenance the appointment to place, or to
have any dealing whatever that can possibly
be avoided with any person, native or foreign
born, Protestant or Catholic, who may not be
a member, or at least an active sympathizer
with the ''Order.''
1t Is this mOnomania. and that only which
brings our unfortunate friend cheek by jowl O.
nights, plotting in darkness of the small hours
with men whom he knows to be acting with
him politically, only to get revenge ON the DEM
ocrats, because they have been refused place
with rum-sucking loafers, and professional
sportsmen, with infdels and notorious scoffers
at all things he regards as holy.
His letter to the public embraces a triunph
ant vindication Of the course which the Presi-
dent felt called upon to pursue in his case: in
somuch as it exhibits him to the world as one
who goes the whole Know Nothing figurc-as
one whose whole heart and soul is wrapped
up In the success of the plans of the Know
Nothings to hurl from office every man who
sympathizes with the President, politically.
As for his bill Of indictment against the Cath
Ole Church, VIC have to say that it is as terrible
as that which Mrs. Royal used to print against
the Presbyterian Church; and if we are not
mistaken, the frey old woman used to publish
Inn as being just about such raw head and
bloody bones, Us he represents Bishops Hughes
and Bedini to be. lie has raked and scroned
together any number of long exploded and
laughed-at Guy Fawkisms, to get rid of the
injurious influences of belief in which. the re-
llgious liberty and equality under this gov
eminent, to which he would put an end, were
duly provided for in the Constitution of the
United States The only effect that his epistle
can possibly have on sane minds, will be to
justify the manner in which the President felt
1T incumbent on him to dispose Of his case.
By-the-by, the concluding clause of the let
ter reminds US forcibly Of the fable Of the OK
and the fly :
Ii there is anything incorrect in this LET
Ter, or matter you think would do you Injustice
In going before the public and will so state il,
writing or by friend, will consider your OBJ
Jectlons, and delay the publication of il for
few days for that purpose"
The fly lit on the horn Of the OK, but being
quite considerable, told him that when he 1.-THE
OK got tired, if he would only let him know
the fact, it would promptly fly away.
Ihe Electric elegraph-coramands in this
country, little public confidence This is now
notorious fact influencing the minds of the
community invariably to mistrust the truth Of