The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-03-30
Know EOlhlnSfanlA

But as long as this secret anu odIh'"oiN"S
order exists 10 our midst, seeking TO change me
Constitution and celebrating from its fair record
one of its most beautiful features, and that TOO,
solely for the promotion Of party the aVo"eo
principles Of which have repeatedly been repudI-
ated by the people, feel it our duty often to re-
cur to the subject, and warn our friends oil lis IN
sidious workings.
They hig party has undergone so many changes |
and, like drowning men, caugh. al SO MANY
straws, that this new ism would not give TO the
patriot any cause of Lneasiness, but for its dark,
mysterious, and secret meetings. II The PFincl'
pies Of this order be patriotic and for the good of
the country, where the necessity for midnight
meetings, and the horrd oaths by which its mem.
bers are bound to preserve the secrets.
In drsposm, such as Austria or Russia,
where the myrmidons of tyranny hunt with The
scent of the blood hound the friends OF liberty
and republicans, such things might be tolerated.
but in q country like ours, where every man can
advance his opinions and discuss freely the merit
Of any question or form of government, when we
come to the door Of one Of The secret political or
ders we. feel like writing hic niger est, this is
black.
10 order to substan,iate the charge we some
time since made, that Know Nothngism was only
Whiggery in disguise, shallow trap to catch
Democrats, beg leave TO call the attention OF
our readers TO the subjoined card Of recanng
Know Nothing Read, reflect and nwardly d.
gest its contents, and then say you prepared
to sacrifice the glorious principles of Republican
liberty and universal toleration in order to pro.
- l.. "a
the best and dearest interests of the country.
| Democrats, the country in danger! You
d.! alone can save it. The next Congress Of the U.
| States will present -r~os"cle mat Will make the
heart of the patriot bleed. View the actions OF
this recent organization and ask yourselves where
is the single. instance in which il has sustained
national manor more strongly, where is the
single instance it has failed, when it had the pow.
er, to strike down every friend Of the South and
| elected in his place the most rabid and fanatical
| Aboonisl Of the hellish crew.
Are you going 10 trust your interest to the ten
der mercies of an order that elected Seward and
| Wilson? We ask honest Southern men of all
parties to read the testimony. Here it is:
"ln the first place, deny that any influences
were used with view to procure my renurcia-
of the "Cilzen," whom did not consult and who
had no knowledge Of my intention until my Card
was handed 10 him for publication, had any con-
nection with my leaving a faction with whose
! principles bad become thoroughly disguised.
desire in this communication simply to state my
reasons for my act, which was entirely OF my own
will, as sought council from as to The
course ! should pursue, and am myself personally
and otherwise solely responsible for it, When |
mod 1ho I had Lnou ,Io6r,
OF their character, their objects, their aims had
no means Of ascertaining them; / attached myself
to them, firmly resolved ihct if the good Of my
country were the end TO which they looked
would adhere most faithfully 10 Them Iattended,
think, but four meetings, certainly not more than
six. which we're amply sufficient to CONVINCE me
that man Of true patriotism and liberal feelings
could remain among them without sacrificing bis
honor, and compromising his freedom of will and
opinion. Instead OF meeting with the patriotic, the
intelligent, aud the liberal, with few exceptions
met with the 5igot the intolerant, the proscrip-
tlonsts The superanualed, and broken down leaders
OF the old Wing party, and The disappointed Office
seeking Democrat. Its political complexion was
decidedly Wing, the main body being men of that
creed, the residue those who had once acted with
the Democratic party. | saw that its aim was to
break down the party Of which I had been
member from my youth, and under whose wise,
| republican, and generous policy my country had
grown rich, great, and powerful and determined
10 eschew it as thing OF evil-evil liz its origin
| and evil in its pursuits Under Democratic rule
had always been Tree TO act, think and speak
| for myself. ] had never been controlled by
caucuses clques. | voted as / pleased and
| no one ever dared 10 question the propriety Of
my conduct; but there | was bound in will and
purpose to do as those in authority might dictate,
under pain OF the dreadful dspleasure OF those who
seek power, place and profit by the organization,
and who give direction to it.
| regard it a foul egg, hatched after a pro-
tracted and elaborate incubation ip the old Wing
nest, and whose chick strongly resembles in form
| and feature the craven bird, ancient Federalism,
and advise all my Democratic feIow,citizens to
| sions oil "Americanism," for these are a farce
mockery and lie, and to avoid it as they would
the vipor whose presence is contsgion whose
sting is death, Having been brought up in the
faith OF Protestanism and still believing 10 its
doctrines, could not, without doing violence to
lis charitable teachings, assist in DISTINGUISHING my
Catholic friend and brother, whose right to his
religious belief is Divine as my own, and SANG.
toned by the highest human aulhory-the Federal
Constiution-the organic law of my county,
Nor could endorse the despoc dogma that would
ensave The fugitive from oppression, who sought
among us city of reluge-an asylum where the
tyrants power could not reach him. Nptwith.
ding the denial, that il has DO sympathy with
Whigery, il is a fixed and indispntable truth that
- H. Il