Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-12

! those only who reflect their views. AS before In
sisted, If the right of suffrage Is worth anything
its value consists In the unquestioned privilege Of
voting as every one wishes, without being amena
BILE 10 any earthly power. Does the vote by ballot,
which Is intended for the purpose OF secrecy,
contrayene any great principle Of free representa-
tive government? II Is the method Of voting pro-
yided by the constitutions of many of the States,
and tits the system long contended for by the lib
eral party in England. If has the right to cast
his vote In secret, has he not right TO confer In
private with b. that If they entertain sentiments in
common they way sustain and support each other
And If A and may do it, may not they take
and into their counsels, and all resolve to
stand by each other, in their common efforts, to
secure common objects The exercise of this
privilege is in virtue of "private and secret au.
tlority," Intended 10 be intangible aud irrespon.
sible;" how then can IL "supersede sthe rule Of
public political right" when II Is exercised in virtue
OF such ruley II combined purpose to vote
against certain men and to endeayor TO prevent
their elevation TO power is an attempt " to make
them unequal and to impose burden or restriction
on theirprivileges If this initiates strongly
again1t the rule of public political right" as Mr..
W, contends--how can he sleep soundly at night,
when he reflects that no Is the representative of
combination ON the part of the Democrats of Vir-
gina to make their Wing fellow citizens unequal,
and to impose burden or restriction on their
priviligessd
This says Mr. Wise, is the very essence Of
the "higher-law" doctrine. If Mr. w. considers
this the extent of the hgher-law' doctrine as
first openly promulgated by Seward--then he must
have more charity for it's author, than the Know
Nothngs have. had supposed, that the higher
law doctrine was in contrayention of the law OF the
land, and not in pursuance 6fa right secured by the
law. / had supposed that the higher-law, in
volyed mental reservation, at the time Of taking
an oath to support the constitution that the pro-
visions of that instrument were binding on the
conscience, only far they accorded with the Pc
culiar views Of abstract moral right, entertained by
the recipient. mol 1t is this very " higher-law'
doctrine, that the Know othings are combating
If understand them
If Mr. Wise will examine Brownson's Review,
he will find that the Romish hierarchy claims for
the Romish Church alone this higher law" obe-
dience. 1t is the political element in the Roman
Catholic faithin their claim, that an oath to sup
port the Constitution Of the United States does
not exempt the conscience from that higher
law" of obedience to the Church of Rome, and its
pretended universal bishop the Pope, In which
the Know-Nothings foresee impending danger to
civil liberties. II is the claim Of the Romish
Church that the terms of salvation laid down in
the Scriptures must be construed as subject to
that higher law" involved in their right to
change the phases offaith" by their dogmas and
traditions, and, In their doctrine that the liberty
Of conscience (Which Archbishop Hughes declares
to be nothing more thanth mere liberty to think
must be exercised, subject to that higher law,
that to prosecute hereticsn is the duty of every
true son Of the Church," that the Know-Noth-
ings "snuff the approach Of danger" to our rel-
gious liberties.
The Know-Nothings believe, and they intend to
maintain at the baotbox, and elsewhere, schen ne
cessary, that there is no power on earth superior
TO the Constitution Of the United States; that no
authority either civil ecclesiastical can absolve
from the obligation to support it; and that he who
swears to do 80, with any mental reservation of an
intention to disregard any one of its provisions, is
a perurer and traitor in his heart and that no
such man ought to , entrusted with any position
of honor, profit, or Il ast, under the government
know at least as much about Know Nottingham as
Mr.. Wise does, and ! tell him this is the ground.
work of its faith, the very basis of its organization,
Us understand it.
Mr.. Wise says: five let foreigners be natu-
rallied, and do, not extend to them equality Of
privileges, we set up classes and distinctions of
persons, wholly opposed to republicanism How
could Mr. w. have penned such a sentiment with
the knowledge that the Constitution Of the United
States prohibits foreigner from being elected
President or Vice President Of this country, and
that the constitution Of Virginia prohibits for
eigner from being elected Governor of that State
And where the principle is thus invaded are not
the details a mere question OF policys Are those
provisions in the constitutions of the United States
and Virginia opposed to republicanism Y" Shades
Of our fathersl preserve us from such logicl
No moro for the present. I win resume the
subject hereafter,
With much regard, yours sincerely,
n -ss...