The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-07-06


brief outline CT this ghly-mporant intelligence will
be found under the Geographic head.
THE DUTY OF DEMOCRATS AGAINST KNOw-NoTH-
INGISM.
The introduction into politics of many of the worst pas
sions and prejudces of human nature is phase in
the history of parties and calls for the most stringent
measures prevention Heretofore party no or
ganizaton aspiring to the SURFACES of the people, has at
tempted ignore those high qualities Of peeona charac-
ter SO essential the citizen in his social relations The
fact that many men have heretofore differed upon poll
tics and have yet preserved the warmest friendship for
each other has served conne political struggles within
the limits of dccorum and fair dealing. This state Of
things had become of law between the two
great parties of the country which rescued all their
icts those of the most violent character from the
demorazng and revolutionary attempts of reckless lead
e 1t would have been enough to consign politician
to gnominous retirement and to isolate him from the
ompanionshp Of all honorable men, had no been detected
in of secretly binding himself deceive and TO be-
tray his feow-czen. The moral wrong would have been
the same in the apprehension of the public had he
,ntted himself by oath fire to his neighbours house
indeed the act Of obtaining confidence for the purpose Of
Jetrainq H. and for The purpose Of selling 10 tho highest
bidder would have been regarded in the days when the
wing party existed in its full strength just it regarded
now by the democracyas of per6dy and of false
hood an achievement that ought be punishable by our
laws as an against the wellbeing and the safety Of
society Hence it that although parties have often
been violent and unjust each other and to themselves
there never has been any recognition of organized
scheme of deceit and of wrong and never any such
party as the present know-nohng party encouraged
by the most ambitious and desperate managers.
But all this has been changed. The idea of opposing
the democratic party has become paramount emo
ton among certain classes of politicians To crafty this
feeling they seem have agreed to part with all those
qualities which have been supposed to dignity manhood,
to strengthen society," and inspire the ambition Of the
rising generation Would Henry Clay have ever believed
that Charles S. Morehead would be willing to bow the
knee to party which riots in the most corrupting oaths,
exuts the relentless prescriptions and boldly de-
tends the glazing receptions Or that Humphrey
Marshall the gallant sodier-whg of other days, would
cater to crowd that plots in secret sence9 Or that in
his own district the Clay banner should be traed in the
dust thrown aside for the signs and mummeries Of
conspiracy which hides and haunts the cellars and the
alleys Of our cities and our towns2
What would Daniel Webster think of Massachusetts,
tied like captive at the charot-whees OF victorious
party whose war-cry hostility religious federation
whose victories have been achieved by Of the
basest coalitions with the enemies of that Union which he
so eloquenty efended What would he say the silence
of Choae and Of Everett in this the hour Of the degrade
ton of party which he so CALAMITY attempted to
from abolition absorption by bis bold and manly patriot
ism? The present sense the humiliation which
whems the whig party keeny it is felt by many of the
former friends of Clay Webster by those who still fol-
and or in
eby illustrate the ineabe and indignation that
would be certain to overwhelm the know-nothng plot Il
Clay and Webster alive to give uerance to their
own sensations.
What Is the duty of the administration of the democratic
party under such circumstances 1t has not honor
able adversary to deal with yet foe hostile to itself
alone nor one that Acknowledges the binding efficacy Of
the law The know-nothing order is that strikes not
only at the administration but at the federal constitution
at the of Congress- the rights of the States and
the citizen and dares to lay its rrevcrent hands
upon the religious sentiments of large proportion of the
American people This organization, too, repudates the
obligations personal friendship, because it could either
discard them for purpose else use them as cloak to
shame Ii invokes support only that it may deceive all il
ensnares 1t binds the weak with hideous oaths, and
offers premium for falsehood and for teachcry even to
the invasion of the sacred bounds of Preside and home
and the sunderng of the most sacred relations What in
such of things should democratic administration
dot II Ia the only security left protect the nation from
heiuroads Of devastating crusade Its duty is clear and
plain There should be hesitation reservation about
IL The and proscrphve enemy should be attacked
without moments delay and corrupt reckless
enough to assist the enemy in his incendary designs
should be allowed to draw encouragement for his treason
from democratic administration And in this senti-
ment millions Of countrymen win enthusiastically con-
cur