Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-12
toR rliE AMERICAN organ.
The American Party.-Nos =.
rHr CHARGE on oRIMINAL sECREcY


THE CHARGE OF CRIMINAL SECRECY
The s,st count IN the indictment which hasbeen
brought against the American party Is !he secrecy
which has attended its operations nefe NC, -
o.,r enemies have asserted, band OF miuh'Bn'. 80
srirators seeking darkness TO STROUD our CRIMES
INA hound by solemn oaths to destroy the liberties
az our country, il would tax the learning OF 'ne
most erudite phiologist to furnish epitnets more
axnrasaiye of ini.my than those which have peeh
snpIed to us. That these charges have been pre-
ferred by ignorance and malice, and
aaI;herate. conscious, and industrious aisehoouS'
can easily be demonstrated. 800 ~.
Rnt lei US inquire, What Is this secrecy--tihs
!, vstarious spectre, which has been raised Dy the
incantations Of demagogues to fright our iehow-
ctzensY | shall show that, so far as any danger
~ our liberties Is TO be feared, 1t exists, IKE inc
@bost Of Banauo, only in the guilty inaginauons
Of those who fear il, and at whose bidding " WIN
not doisa. w,..u q. A.
First, then, this secrecy does not relate 70 sae
| n,,incipLes OF our party. They, as have aireauy
laid are published distinctly to the world. lou
nav read them in every number OF the journal IN
! which these papers are published 80 lar from
wishino 10 conceal them, all we ask is that every
! American will read and compare them with tue
teachings Of the fathers Of the Republic. as
shall hereafter take them up more IN detai, y =
not now necessary to state them separately. - =
| NAV however. be all condensed and complseu IN
4 few important words. First The total exclusion
| of foreign influence of whatever kind, or unuer
whatsoever name 1t may be known, from any inter-
ference with, or participation In the aifecuvh u
our ent--Aor more succncty still tns proau
principle that Americans shall RUE Alei va
Second, the restoration OF the government. anu
politics of our country to their original purify
You need not, fellow citizens, accept this decia-
ration of our objects, merely upon our own asser
, tion. Where an arraigned. prisoner is wiihng 70
rest hin defence solely upon the testimony o. n,S
accusers il is certainly evidence OF his own con.-
dence In the Justice OF his cause, and upon thelr
evidence his innocence is shown, he 10 nj least en-
T titled to an honorable acquttal. Hear, then' 'no
testimony of our most bitter deiamers.
auppose that there is not more violent oppo-
r nent of the American party than the leading anu
American journal printed in the capital OF the noole
state of Virginia The Richmond Enquirer mas
r recently published what it asserts that It knows
and is ready to prove to be, true expose o. 'hs
principles, obligations, signs, PASSWORDS, ao,' !, y
he Ameaican order. Whether this expose De
authentic or not it shows at least the worse tha
! our enemies have dared to affirm they can provt
against us and by their confession IL Is againS
: the princpes therein set forth that they, oesfep
n them 10 be ours, are vtoiensiy combating.
L What then are the objects o. the America
i order according TO the Richmond enquirer
Is True men have devised this ORDER as means
% disseminating patriotic principles Of keeping alsu
e re Of national virtue, of fostering the mdtiond
a. inteloe1ce and of adpancing America and Amer
lean i,itercsts on the side, and on the other
y checking tie strides Of The foreigner and affen
~ And again, what ia given In this expose as TN
charge those who initiated into the secoh'
degree reads as follows:
Brothers, You are now duly initiated into thu
K the second degree OF tho order. Renewing the
a. ratulatons which are extended to you upoI
il your admission to the first degree, we admonisi
n Won by every tie that may move patriots to aid N
+ in efforts TO restore the political institutions
a our country TO their original purity. Begin witt
the youth Of our land--refresh their minds witt
the history of our country the glorious battles ane
the brilliant acts of patriotism, which Is our com
mon inheritance I; point them 10 the wise sages anc
! profound statesmen who founded our government
:, instil into their bosoms an ardent love for the
. Union; above all else, keep alive in their heart:
, the memory, the maxms and the deathiess exam
!, ple Of our iIustrious Washington"
n Whether this be In truth disclosure OF the &c
! crets of the American order, or a sop TO the
credulity Of the Anti American press, which indeed
seem doubly endowed with the invention of q
Munchausen, and the gulibility necessary to be
lief in the most absurd fctons, in either 1t il
\ the evides ce OF our enemies to what they be-
+ lieve to be our principles and Objects aud The
Q groands of their opposition 10 rs. / ask Ameri.
cans whether il be those who profess or those who
: have declared against such political tenets
who should most desire the veil of secrecy to hide
1 them from the gaze of Their countrymen.
+ Again, II we are arraigned on this charge Of
criminal secrecy, because we do not publish TO the
world on every occasion the means by which we
{ endeavor TO secure success, answer that, II our
objects pure and patriotic such secrecy Is not
Z criminal but the part Of wisdom, and therefore
. duty; for il Is the duty OF all men 70 advance q
just cause by every means which true wisdom sug.
gests. Lord Bacon, In one of his essays observes,
that "a habit of secrecy Is both polite and moral,
for where mans intentions Published 1t Is an
alarm 10 call up all those who are against them
! Our intentions and proposed measures are only
| secret from our opponents, and who but madmsn
would advertise m enemy Of his desgnsf What
general sends the plan OF a campaign TO the com
mander Of the enemes' forces for his information
and spprovalf In fact, this secrecy is nothing more
than all other political parties attempt in their pri
vate csucuses, and which we, from the efficiency
of our organization have been enabled to carry out
with better success and in sober truth, we ask II
this clamor against secrecy docs not generally come
from such suspicious quarters that ii resembles
more the gumbling OF disappointed wire-pulers,
enraged at being beaten with one Of their favorite
weapons, than the voice Of elevated and candid pa
triotismi
The concealment Of our aims does not enable us
10 carry them out, unless we command n ma
jority Of legal voters and then the mighty secret
with all its treason and crminalty must have been
impaired 70 the larger portion of the community
and all 70 phom IL ia intrusted must Be Ameri-
ean-Jorn citizens.
Finally, fellow citizens, we have no secrets from
| true hearted Americans To them the doors Of
our councils are always open. But against aliens
TO our soil and constitution against the tools
Of foreign despots, and against demsgogues and
political gamesters they are, and God grant that
| they ever may be, closed PUBLIUs
THE ELECTION AT PRocToRviLLE. that
fraud was about to be perpetrated at Proctorvie,
in the parish OF St. Bernard, party Of gentlemen
from the city, TO the number OF thirteen repaired
thither determined at all hazards TO preserve the
purity Of the ballot box. There was the most per-
feet harmony during the day. until about halfpast
3 O'Clock In the afternoon, when an attack
made upon Mr. Richard Proctor and Major Beau
regard Of the United States Army, by large party
Of Spanish fishermen, who rushed upon them with
knives evidently with the intention Of killing them
The gentlemen from the city who were at this time
partaking of their dinner, at once repaired 10 the
spot and succeeded in getting the gentlemen
named into a buggy, when they rode off The