Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-22
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.

| IEoI VI a.
On the eve of political struggle of unu
sual acrimony, menaclng your character ant
perhaps your future destiny, one Of your
selves, unconnected with party and wthou
the prestige of official or personal distinction
hut identified with you by birth and by in
tcrest. and bound 10 You by gratitude an,
observation-disclosures to address you. Re
heated invitations have been given me bc.t
formal and informal to discuss in public the
absorbing question of the day-the great
movement of the new party or order as it j:
termed of the Know Nothing or American
Party. These invitations | have declined
partly from reluctance TO engage actively il
political agtations-partly, hope may say
il without offence--becauSe the invitation:
themselves were seemingly of party char
acter--chely for reasons of domestic ma
ture. But on reflection, called upon as
have been for my opinions, am not satisfied
TO suppress them The deep debt which
owe to this city, to the district, and my native
State, for many proofs of favorable estlma
,, tion ever to be gratefully remembered, how
ever inadequately repaid, if 1t does not forbid
silence will acquit me, trust, OF vanity ol
selhshness in now contributing my humble
aid in crisis of unwouted difficulty and
danger; and if otherwise, | would rather, on
such occasions, incur invldlous mlsconstruc.
ton than be suspected of an indifference
can never feel. Late as 1t Is, therefore
unimportant as | well know my sentiments
mus, he; disqualified as | am in great
measure by domestic affections OF no ordI-
nary severity, | shall! endeavor, however
crudelv, to perform the task have under
taken.
A word in advance: Ny purpose is not to
mpute to the new order motives peculiarly vi
cious. Like most other parties or sects, led
on perhaps and urged TO extremes by The de-
signing, the selfish, and the reckless, the mass
we may nope, though labornG apparently
under cricvous decisions, are i'll the main
neither worse nor better than those they pro-
scribe, or those who prescribe them. Dis
carding then, all wanton abuse aud denupcI-
atiun-wlich seldom convince men OF 1hclr
error, and more rarely induce them to rcirac'
or abandon it--et US bring their acts and thrl'
Objects, so far us we know them, 10 the TEST
of reason and principle.
And first let us refer to their own authentic
EXPOSE: and so far as we can ascertain IL
meet them on their own ground.
I'm the mute below ! suhloii. " the baS'
principles of the American party OF Irsma'
as announced hy the Winchester convention
A.! Proposing 10 CONSIDER only the characteristic
| features which distinguish this party from al
others, il would hr useless to comment III de
tail on the IL articles Of their creed. EXccp
the frsl-and rhird-aud a very slight ohjec
ton to the fourth--there seems Indeed httit
or nothing, from the preamble TO the conclu
sion. that may not be approved hy men o
all partic. and sects: foreigners as well AZ
natives, Catholics as well us Know Nothings
The only objection to the 4lh Is that II Il
somewhat DcIphic; presenting like Janus o
old, peace with one face, AMI thrcatcnln.
war with the other. Aud this objection arises
not from their having gone too Tar, hut no
quite far enough in the assertion OF suun'
principles Of liberation. They ccnsurc We
ry Justly all WIN believe that any loreIg'
power has right to control the couscIence'
of free,ncn: but have confined their cen
sure II those only who may believe INA
ann foreign power may exercise such control
Are not those equally ccnsurahlc who believe
tina, any earthly power Whatever i"rcI5n Oh
DOMESTIC, Papi.t or Know Nothing may
thus control the consciences Of treemcn! Na'
il the consciousness that the ccnsure, II mus
extended, might embrace the choice spirits o
of all order which subjects the corscience'
of its members To the control OF It's supreme
and subordinate councils that caused ihi'
discrimination or the difficulty OF shown.
thar restraints upOu conscience arc less cen