Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-26

kcow ne.hngs" must 1T least knew, TINS
VI Tie essenfial modification OF tbs natural !
zatiou laws The repeal by the legislatures Oh
zee several States, Of ell State Laws allowing
.gners not naturaiizsd to vote. The rePes', VIII
tut retroactive ooerston OF al acts OF Consies
nsk;no grants ~ land TO unnaiuralz I'd foreigners
nj plIow;ny them to vote in the Territories
The first line of the above is beautifully exphc-
J p,obahIv no two OF the know nothings would
agree about what would constitute Inc proper es-
,.n,isl modification. To extend the time to fifty
v..s,s xonJd be an essential modification, and SO
,pould decrease of the time to one year. The
second clause covers a point We have heretofore
discussed with the Gazette. That paper has con-
tended that the States had no right to pass the
laws referred to. The national council recognizes
the right, and thus endorses our position. II it is
TO change the policy referred to in the
the third clause OF the above section, there is GER
tainly no need of getting up know nothing party
to do it. A man need not take the know nothing
oath to enlighten his judgment on that matter.
s'VII. Hostility to the corrupt means by which
the leaders of party have hitherto forced upon us
cur rulers and our political creeds. Implacable
ermity against the present demora!zing system of
rewards for political subservieney, and of punish
ments for political independence. Disgust for the
wild hunt after Office which characterizes the pres
ent age. e-a
These on the one hand. On the other:
Imitation of the practice of the purer days of
the republic, and admiration of the maxim that
" Office should seek the man. snd'not the man the
Office and of the rule that, the Just mode of
ascertanng fitness for Office is the capability, the
faithfulncss, and the honesty of the incumbent or
candidate
That caps the climax of inpudence and hypoc-
risy! A set of fellows who are bound together by
an oath ON the "Bible and Cross to help each
other to oflce-whcse sole league is for office
gravely to resolve as abcvei Why look at the
principal oath they swear! Read the obligation of
the second degree. 1t is as follows:
Obligation-You and esch of you, of your
own free will and accord, in the presence of AL
mighty God and these witnesses, your left hand
resting on yeur right breast, and your right hand
extended towards the flag of your country, do SOL
emily and sincerely swear that you will not. under
any circumstances, disclose in any manner, nor
suffer il to be done by Others if in your power
to prevent it. the name, signs, pass words or other
secrets of this degree; that you will in oil things
conform to all the rules and regulations of this
Order, and to the Constitution and Bylaws Of
attached, go lopg as they do not conflict with the
Constitution of the United States nor that of the
State in which you reside; that you will under al
circumstances, if in your power so to do, attend
to all signs or summonses that may be thrown or
sent you by brother of this or any other degree
of this Order that You will SUPPORT in all PoLITI.
CAL matters, for all POLITICAL OFFICES members oil
this order provided it be necessary for the A
nercan interest," that If it may be done legally you
EGNERs, ATHENS, or ROMAN CATHOLICS from OFFICE
and that you will in no case appoint such to Office
All this you premise and declare on your honor
as Americans to sustain and abide by, without hes
itation or mental reservation whatever. So heiE
you God and keep you stesdtast. Each viii
answer, 81 do
Disguised with the wild scramble for Office /!
when the whole aim and being of the order" il
a reckless scramble for oflice-whle half of those
who ar in it were enticed there by the promise o
advsntages-by the hopes of Office, from consta
bic up Nine tenths of them are Office hunters
Even George Lar, since he became know moth
ing, has been offering, it is said, hundred Thousand
dollars for the nomination for the Presidency
"ImplacabIe hostility TO the system Of rewards
and punishments," when they are saccrn TO VOTE
for nc man VINO is not member OF the order, NJ
matter how competent he may bel We repea
that the sole end and being Of know nothingism il
q Wild scramble for Office. The men who got NJ
the Philadelphia convention are the men who, il
their wild hunt for Office deserted the Statesman
Clay for the soldier TAYLOR. Who again deserted
and broke the heart OF DANIEL WERsrER, that, Ike
camp followers, they might attend Gen. scoTT tc
place and plumber Mr.. Websters important SER
vices as statesman, and as the defender Of the
Constitution of the Union, were forgotten for the
sword and feather of the soldier. They ADMITTED
Mr. Webster's great political services, but they
thought only of Gen. SCOTS greater political sue.
cess. In lS4s, they made no platform and avowed
no principles, that they might be successful and gel
public places; and they succeeded. In 1852, they
made platform, and nominated a man only fol
bis availability. 1t was they who stumped the
Union, with appeals to the Catholics and the "rich
Irish brogue and sweet German accent, aud when
they were defeated, they spst upon The platform,
and sandered those classes of citizens because
they had spurned their appeals. And look at the
leaders in Tennessee. The few democrats among
them-are they not notorious office-seekers, who
are trying to stab their party because they failed to
get Officer And ofthe late whigs-were they not as
conspuous as Office holders and office hunters in the
late Wing party IS they are now in the know
nothing party? We should like to be pointed to
an exception as live curiosity Where are the
"new, pure men" who were to be brought for
ward And echo answers Where!
"VIIL-Resistance to the aggressive policy and
corrnpting tendencies Of the Roman Catholic church
in our country by the advancement to all political
administrative. legislative, judicial or diplo-
matic-of those only who do not hold civil alleg-
ance, directly or indirectly to any foreign power,
whe Their civil or ecclesiastical, and who are Ameri-
cans by birth, education, and traning-thus fulfill
ing the maxim Americans only shall govern Amer
ica; the protection Of ell citizens in the legal and
proper exercise of their civil and religious rights
and privileges the maintenance of the right of
ry man TO the full, unrestraned, and peaceful en-
joyment of his religious opinions and worship;
and jealous resistance of all attempts, by any sect
denomination, or church, to obtain an ascendency
over any other in the State, by means of any spe-
cal privileges or exemption, by any political com.
bination Of its members, or by division of their
civil allegiance with any foreign power, potentate
or eccesastic."
And, in the name of common sense! what IS
kno -nothingism but "a pol teal combinations" to
PIT men who profess one form of relgion-how-
oyer Observation-Disclosures office and to keen those