The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-03
The Know Nofhings In Massachusetts,.
OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENCE.

BosroS, Dec. 30, 1854.
Some account n the Origin and Progress Of the knoW
Nothing Parry in Massdehusetts-a Natrism' Anti.
Cotholism-Porish Interference in our EIect,ous-E-
feet hereQf-Interfercnee Of tie General Government
IarOyabls 10 me Hno.u Hsshs-gs--Ine Future dc. DC
The Legislature OF Massachusetts will assemble here
on Wednesday next, January ., 1855. 1t viii consist
politically, of members Of but party, with some
basdozen exceptions all Of which viii be Ia the House
Of Representatives MS the Senators elected all
bers OF tho victorious organization Not only Is th- 50
bat the party which has achieved signal unprece
dea,ed triumph is not yet year old and had ex.
istence until within the last few months. state o
affairs strange coupled with the disappearance from
the political arena of that party which had ruled t"
COMMONWEALTH ~ Mhrscu sts for nearly snsrty years
and which looked upon its ascendancy as established
beyond the reach of the fowns Of fate Is calculated to
excite feelings OF deeper character than ordinarily
stirred by political occurrences. As the new party
In and the old what was left Of rs
shadow, we may Improve the time 10 give ac
count-so far such thing Is possible of tho origin
Of the former and OF those things that have enabled II
to emerge from nothing to absolute dominion.
There has existed in this city for years past
strong native American feeling; but 1t has rarely
tended beyond Boston and It's vicinity, and II has been
rather Of social than political character In appeal
ing to foreigners for their votes all political parties
have been hostile to them but rarely power
full enough, untu recently, TO make their hostility felt
Occasionally they have been strong 10 affect mate
rally municipal elections Such was the case in
1s45, when, after long contest the native candidate
for Mayor OF Boston was chosen. This. however, was
but temporary affair, aud grew out Of the defeat Of
the wings In the nation in ls45 That defat sttri.
buted by the sufferers here the votes o. foreign born
citizens Of New York; and Mr. Webster AZ great whig
meeting held in FanenH Hall,Sn the Saturday evening
preceding our election and when II known tina.
New York had gone against Mr.. Clay, made a specch
such Il would gladden. the Know Nothings OF these
days to hear. n Of those great utterauces
o. which Mr.. Webster sometimes guilty, but which
seldom 10 nything The native party fell away
Boston resumed its allegiance TO whiggcry Very little
heard for years the subject The foreign population
OF the city rapidly increased and far men from
anticipating what has occurred that the opinion wss
commonly expressed that Boston would fall into
the hands of the Catholic Irish who composed about
two 6fs OF It's population in 1850 The decline Of the
nocrac party after 1874 by rendering contention With
the wbgs hopeless had unfavorabe effect the tina
lives" The rise Of the coalition, too, had the same
effect that party absorbed pretty much all the active
politicians OF the State who did belong the whig
organization. Besides, had not then become tho
roughly Disguised with the old parties. The native,
Of circumstances and the appearance Of the right
men TO become power In the State. The coalition and
the Wigs both made much Of the foreign voters aud II
those voters had only known when they were well OF
they would have been foolish 10 emerge from
the mass Of tho community and 70 Afford salient point
Of attack 10 their enemies.
Thus stood matters in the autumn OF 1885, when the
people about to vote upon the question Of adopting
the new State constitution which had been made In the
summer Of that year, and whom Il was the universal
opinion that the triumph Of the coalition through the
adoption Of the new constitution about be per-
fects and fths vhg party 10 receive s coup gyece
Two things however, occurred which not only overthrow
the coalition but which prepared the way for the rapid
creation and splendid triumph Of the American party
The nrst of these events was ths consolidation Of the
Catholic voters, ~ such, In opposition TO tho
stitution. That such eonssiidatloa effected and
that II caused that oonstafon's rejection srs fact,
well known TO AL men. This arrangement va. effected
under the led and snpervisos Of Of our principal
vhies who acted In concert with the higher Catholic
clergy and other Catholic notsbtes In this STATE n
Il made but has only 70 look At the returns
OF the votes from the different towns 10 become convin
20 sss s,s. ana s ss % ,s
election especially 10 thoss places where rsh Catholic
voters we're and are most nunsreus. but knows What
who had never bsfsrs acted With the whig party and
Who knew much Of the merits Of the question 81 Issue
. Kanaka Of The mmaeuats eesception voted against
the new constitution, ssd dd thsir part toward the sal
yaton o. the vhgs Forty egh. hours before the open
ing OF the pole there we're not ave hundred in Mssss
ehussts out Of the list Of the leading coaspstors who
believed that the wings couId b victorious and whsn
thai 81 the q the Unexpected result
vas the combinauoa OF foreign born Catholics pro.
duee itfor which al believed thsy had received
sidsrsiion, or we're shout 70 reesvs fsiins
roussd that II required great sASaelty 70 mnst
LEAD 70 grave results. Evea The Of tss shirs
sscose "a sot ony pstrste ssfssns bat ALEC srs
everyday psiiasaas Ter vss pIsla sasugA ,hsi me