The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-10
The Know Nothings Mt Philadelphia.

The Know Nothings ut Philadelphia.
A large portion OF our space yesterday was
devoted, we regret to say, to the Grand Ameri-
can Banquet given at Philadelphia on Thursday
last. We say we regret it, for really, consider
ing the pressure OF news and advertisements,
ten columns are rather large allowance for a
banquet of which it may safely be said that it
did not add one idea to our former stock, or
throw the faintest ray Of light on any received
| political principal or theory. Though there
appear to have been over thirsty speakers pre-
sent, each of whom obtained the floor in his
turn and spoke as long as his wits or his legs
permitted, i. would be wholly futile to seek in
the report of the speeches for single sentence
| worth preserving. A more melancholy and
monotonous assemblage of common places has
We think never before occupied one third of the
available space of a leading daily journal.
Some of the speakers were eloquent" and
twaddled about Bunker's Hill; others were
persuasive" and set common sense and logic
at defiance to prove that every oficeholder
should be a native of the SOIL born of sound
parents, and ushered into this troubled sphere
by the hands Of q midwife Of undeniable Anne
rican blood. But, of the grave and real ques-
tons now before the country of the mementous
problems which the American party was
created to solve, you will not find one sensible,
practical, or new word, from the egg to the
apple of the entertainment.
The fact is, it is becoming clearer day by day
that, unlike all former political movements,
Know Nothingism presents the phenomenon of
powerful party without leaders, splendid
army without SO much as = single field officer.
The rule is otherwise. 1t usually happens that
| the general is senior to the army. The politi-
cal leader comes first, plants his flag, and builds
up his party round it by degrees, according as
the masses are prepared to receive his theories
and follow his bidding. This is the natural
course of proceeding, for the few, not the many,
are commonly the first to discern political
truths. But Know Nothingism seems to have
sprung upon totally different plan. 1t is the
masses who have started it of their own &C
cord. Men have become Know Nothings with
out being drummed or talked into it. Until
quite recently there was no speaking on the
| subject at all if men voted the native ticket,
it was purely and wholly from the spontaneous
desire of their heart, unaided by example or
| precept from others Hence it happens now,
| that there exist in this country vast number
| of independent unconnected clubs of indivi-
duals protesting like principles, and aiming
at generally similar ends, but pursuing these
aims of theirs without concentration either of
orce or purpose, and wholly without general
ship. Whether the secret organization was un-
| favorable to the Development of talent in the
leaders, or some singular accident threw the
leading power among the Know Nothings into
the hands of inferior men, certain it seems that
in none of the thirty-one States in which
the organization exists, have any remarkable
minds been found in connection with it. On
every occasion on which the Know Nothings
have appeared in public in every part Of the
country, the language and actions of their
chiefs have been marked, If such an expression
may be used, by striking mediocrity.
1t does not follow of course that, for the pre-
sent, the Order is likely to suffer on that &C.
count. Ultimately, craftsmanship will be
essential to its success; but for the present,
honesty among the nominal managers is of far
more consequence, and, sad as the reflection is,
II is Hnquestionable that political ability is
more rarely found in conjunction with integri-
ty than the humber qualities which have been
displayed by the members Of the Order. If
the men who represent the Know Nothings at
Philadelphia are honest, they will serve their
constituents better than they might have done
had their speeches on Thursday oyerfowed
with heart. stirring eloquence.
Honesty, too, is the thing needful to arrange
some such settlement of the slavery question
as will enable the party to take the field with
an undivided front. 1t is the part of treacher-
Gus guile to impede any such arrangement.
Knaves from both sections af the country will
oppose it; bastard sort of eloquence may be
enlisted to prevent it; but the honest men Of
the Order, meeting at Philadelphia to discuss,
not what is the best system of labor for the
valley of the Mississippi, but which is
the best plan for uniting the countless sepa-
rate Know Nothing organizations througho ut
the country, will see, we convince our
selves, that union can only be effected on the
basis proposed by our correspondent from
Philadelphia, namely: to leave slavery an open
question till after the election; and that, if it
is worth trying at all, this is the way to try it.
Even the sensible men among the sntislavery
agitators of New England must see that if they
are right, this plan is the plainest and the best
to prove the fact to the world, and to Justify
themselves in the eyes Of foreign nations and
posterity for impeding the government of the
country Otherwise, the Order falls to the
ground. In the corrupting prospect of the
spoils, the old leaders viii meet together, and
contrive some new lying platform which as
The pdshingtoa Union said as soon as PIERCE
was elected, not one of its adherents could ho-
nestly subscribe, but which will serve well
enough to delude the country, and throw the