Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-18
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

than Is to be drawn from comparing the "plat.
form" adopted by the late Know Nothing Con-
Ventisn in Philadelphia, with the practices of
that party, as all the world know Thorn to be.
We have no room in which to review that
paper at length and in detail at present, and
must, therefore, content ourself with seeing
how plank taken here and there from it,
squares with the acts Of the party as the world
know them to have been. Its first plank is as
follows:
l. The acknow' edgment of that Almighty
Being, who rules over the Universe-who pre-.
sides over the Councils Of Nations-wao con.
ducts the affairs of meA, and who, in every
step by which We have advanced to the char
acter of an independent nation, has distin-
guished Us by some token of Providential
agency"
Nov, our readers know that there is hardly
man within the range of their acquaintance,
notorious for living without fear of or rever-
encs for the Supreme Being, who is not an ac-
tive and notorious member of this political or
saniEation. They know that with a consider.
able class Of the most efficient Know Nothing
politicians, the "run of the cards" at faro, and
with another considerable GLASS Of similar
politicians the supply of bad liquor, at cheap
rates per glass, are matters which occupy far
more Of thSr thoughts, than the fact that there
IS Supreme Being who rules over the Uni
verse, and to whom they are accountable for
all they do.
"lV. Obedience to the Constitution of these
United States, as the sapreme law of the land,
sacredly obligatory upon all its parts and
members, and steadfast resistance to the spirit
OF innovation upon its principles, however
specious its pretexts Allowing that in all
doubted or disputed points it may only be
legally ascortained and expounded by the
judicial power of the United States
The Constitution of the United States guar,
antses religious equality under this Govern
neas. 1t is the very fundamental principle
on which the Constitution Of our country is
based, and the hollowness Of the pledge to re-
sist the spirit of innovation upon its principles
is fairly illustrated in the assault upon the
civil coequality of Catholics, which is, in turn,
tho groundwork of the Know Nothing political
organization.
"a habit of roverentiaI obedience to the
laws, whether National, State, OF Municipal,
until they are either repealed or declared un
constitutional by the proper authority
Our fellOw-oitizens of Washington know
well, that in their recent election, what the
Know Nothing commissioners knew to be the
law with reference to the right to vote in il
was deliberately disregardsd, by preconcert
in tho lodges. Those who had heretofore been
permitted to vote without question Of their
right 30 to do, were illegally denied their legal
rights, as the commissioners and thoie with
whom they advised knew that the Circuit
Court for the District of Columbia had decided
them to be.
"1mplacable enmity against the present
demofaliLing system of rewards for political
suoserv'ency, and Of punishments for political
The disingenousness of this plank in the
platform, is forcibly illustrated by the fact
that Know Nothingisn has not carried an cleo.
ton from Maine to California, without pro
scribiDg every man in ofioe, who was not of
Know Nothing prOclivities, regarding 10 one
not subservieRt to their party.
In this city they did not svon spare a single
Disgust for the wild hunt after office which
characteristics the age"
So far IS this plank of their platform is con.
cerned, we have to call the readers attention
to the fact that every nominal Democrat in
this city, who strives to be conspicuous in their
party, is disappointed cfice.sseker-eyery
one Of them. If this fact is denied, We stand
ready to point out the identical offise which
any one Of them applied for in vain, for him.
self or for some one connected with him, who
may be named to break the force of this de
claT alton Of ours
"The protection Of all citizens in the legal
and proper exercise of their civil and religi.
Gus rights and privileges; the maintena nce of
the right Of every man to the full, unrestra Cd
aud peaceful enjoyment Of his own religious
opinions and worship. and a jealous resistance
OF ali attempts, by any sect, denomination or
church, TO obtain an aseendancy over any
other in the State, by means of any special
privileges Or exemption, by any pt liticsl COM
tiustion of its members, or division Of their
civil allegiance 18th any foreign power, po-
tentiats or ecclesiastic.
This plank Of thor platform is compound
one-ono Of strips and patches OF it We
have to say, that Know Nothingism's p.otec-
ton Of the citizen in the legal exercise OF his
civil rights was beautifully illustrated By it's
Wholesale frauds in the municipal election in
Washington, the nominal result of that election
being brough. about by dspriving hundreds
of citizens Of their civil rights By caret ally
matured prs-arrangsment.
Its "jsalous resistance of all attempts, by
any scot, denomination or church to obtain an
sscendancy over any other in the State" DC
is amply and satisfactory illustrated in the
fact that it sent to the last legislature of HAS
sachusetts seventy clergymen, all furiourly
bent on bounding down their fellow citizens
who worship tie same God with themselves,
bat according to tho ritual of the Catholic
Church, because they do so worship the same
Ged.
"a IT III