Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-09-06

our power, as an Independent, movement,
would have been immensely augmented. In
stead Of a shattered organization, sinking
into a common grave with the Wing and
| Democratic parties, and dishonUred By the
meretricious embrace, Of Native American
ism, ne should now lave found it germinat-
! ing into new life upon their ruins, knit to-
getter as unit by the intensity of COM
mon zeal for Freedom, commanding its own
fortunes instead Of committing them to the
Keeping Of its foes, and thus holding ia It's
own hands the destiny OF our cause. at all
events. and more than all else, it would have
stood before the country in the uprigh,ness
OF genuine manhood, and with the rcsoly @
! OF martyr to be true. Here. sir. has been
our weakness, and herein is seen how poorly
we comprehend the dignity Of our cause, and
how feebIy we espouse it. We desire to
lean upon it, whilst pretending to give it our
support. We DO not ally ourselves to il with
a perfectly unseIfsh devotion, resolved 10
stand by it, cost what it may, but our aim too
otter is to make it accommodate some priv
ate end, or to advance it by methods that
shall not imperiously affect our worldly in.
terests. Think OF the early Confessor Of
Freedom, enduring every outrage that popular
evaporation could iEyent-moboed, pelted
hunted down as an outlaw or a wild beast.
and oi:en facing death Itself, and yet show
ing forth his faith in God and in The Truth
through these fiery trials, and thus sowing the
seeds Of Freedom in sufTerngs and sacrifices
that were absolutely necessary to its growth
think of such herosm as this, and contras,
it with the course of the modern Anti-Say-
cry politician, distrusting the power Of his
own principles, intent upon disarming them
Of their unpopuiarity, perpetually deferring
to the ruling influences OF society. instead of
brayely withstandng them, ard even biindy-
abjuring his cree, ard enlis'ing in the ranks
of Know Nothingism, in the hope of thereby
Fastening the millennium Of Freedom
But must leave these reflections for an
other topic. have alluded, incidentally, to
the new element in our politics popularity
styled Know Nothingism. | now propose to
speak of it in direct terms; and shall do so,
more especially, on account of the unfortu-
nate DETECTION of the An.i-Slavery sen,it ent
Of the country which it has occasioned, and
shall thus follow out the line Of di us,ion al
ready begun. by demonstrating more lly the
want of any just comprehsnsion Of onr move
ment, or any intense hatred ofthe institution
Of Slavery among the peoples Of the. ffees
States.
object to Know Nothingism, 10 genevsl
terms, because, Judged by the light 81 b7inci-
pie, it is utterly indefensble. It's x4aiealiy
vicious in spirit. 1t trampes down the doc
trine of human brotherhood. 1t judges men
by the accidents of their condition, instead OF
striving to find common lot for all, with
common access to the blessing OF life 1T
makes Its appeal, not to the reason, but to
tie unenlightened prejuliccs ard INSTRUCTED
passions OF the people. 1t excites our ab-
horrence by yelling itself in darkness. in a
land in which the people are their masters,
and discussion is free. II is not called for by
any real need Of the times. 1t is at war with
Justice; Humanity, Republcanism. and the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1t is, when dragged
to the light, bald and ghaslIy heresy,
wanting even the thin covering Of decen;
fallacy to hide its naked features.
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