Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-24
HISTORY.


The intolerant spirit which characteristics the
kpow-nothing movement has parallels in every
period of the history of the world. 1t is exactly
the spirit which crucifed Christ and beheaded the
Apostles II is the spirit which established the In
QUESTION, and the institution is an exact copy Of
the iesuitism which is odious in all enlightened
countries. True the spirit Of the age has banished
the rack and the faggot, as instruments Of tor
ture and persecution but any person who would
join secret society and bind himself by an oath
to prescribe man for his religious opinions or for
the place of his birth, is either hypocrite, who
wishes to re-establsh political party by false pre-
fences of a zeal for religion, a crazy bigot, who
only regrets hat he cannot at this day the
extremes of persecution which were employed by
the Spanish Inqusition. The know-nothing copies
the very worst errors of the Roman Catholic church
Of the dark ages He talks of the horrors of the
inquisition and of the danger of the order Of the
Jesuits, while he himself is the member of an order
the exact counterpart, in principle, of the Spanish
Inqusition and has taken an oath as impious to
God and as dangerous to the rights of man as any
every administered by the Jesuits.
The question of the truth of the Catholic re-
lgion or of the suflciency of our present natura-
lization laws has nothing to do with the question
of the propriety of secret and oath-bound polit-
cal organization in this country The errors of the
Catholic church and of any other church are legit-
mate subjects of public discussion. And those
who believe our naturalization laws defective have
right to advocate their amendment But all er-
ror and all evil, in enlightened and republican
government, may be safely left TO the correction
Of manly argument and open discussion. Know
nothingsm itself is thousand times greater evil
and danger than any thing it proposes to correct.
We have written as though we thought it posi-
bic that the men who are engaged as leaders in
this know-nothing movement were sincerely en-
gagged in an effort to suppress the spread of the
Catholic religion, and were only mistaken in the
rnpans employed But we do not believe there is
a spark of honesty in the movement. We believe
that the design is to attempt to rebuild the fortunes
of the wing party by appeals to the basest OF all
passions We believe that the leaders and mana
gers of the order are notony traitors to the best
interests of their country at midnight
and in darkness against her honor, her interests,
and the rights Of her ctizens-but hypocrites ard
blasphemers before God in this that, neither fear
ing God nor regarding man they yet corrupty and
impIously use the name of God and his religion as
trick and fraud by which to restore disgraced
and degraded political party to power and 'plun-
der"
Weask every "know nothing" who reads this
article and became a member Of the "order" in
GOOD faith and honesty, with the single idea
a., -, tiDr tbp Of
the Catholic religion to look candidly round among
his associates and examine the lives OF the leaders
and managers Who are the leadersF-w ask
honest know-nothiug5! Are they men who have
been distinguished in their past lives by zeal for
religion ? Are they the most moral and Piou8 mem
hers OF the community Are they, think you,
men who would be willing to suffer martyrdom
for the Protestant faith Are they not rather
nolitical triclsters and office-seekers who would
as soon kiss the Popes toe and praise the Irish
brogue as to pursue their present course, if one
opera,ion would "pay" wellas the other? An
swer these questions to yourselves and the an
swers will appal you.
We referred in the opening of this article, to
the lessons Of history. We have now an iaustra-
ton to draw from history, as curious as it must
proye valuable 1t is from chapter in "Botta'S
Ifsfo,g ofMe WGr Of tie Independence Of the Uni
ted States and was pointed out to US by an old
school Baptist preacher, with a request that we
would copy it. The author is relating the story of
Major ANpRl and his execution as a spy, and the
subsequent conduct OF the traitor Arnold. He
SAYS, (voL ., p 3O5, SOC, and 1919
.tSuch was the Just but melancholy end of
Young mau deserving in so many respects Of a bet
Ter destiny 1t cast damp OF sadness over enc
mics as well as friends Arnold CRASHED with rage,
if however that polluted soul was still capable OF
reuorse The English themselves eyed hun with
sbborrence both as traitor and original cause OF
the death of the hapless Andre In policy, never
tbeless any instrument being thought good, pTov-
deI il serves the end proposed Arnold was created
bripadier-general in the British armies. Clinton
boned that the name and uiuer &c OF this renegade
,dI,,Id induce a great number of the Americans to
ioin the royal standard. Arnold at least was well
aware that since he had abandoned them, he could
mot show too much fervOr for the cause OF England.
And sueh being the irresistible ascendant OF virtue
that even the most deprayed are forced to assume
its semblauce he thought fit to publish memorial,
bv which lie hoped to mask his lnamy. lie OIL
lodged that in the commencement OF the troubles
he had taken arms because he believed the rights
ofhs country were infringed that he had given III
10 the declaration of independence although he had
thought it i'll timed; but that when Great Britain,
like a relenting and tender mother had extended
her arms to embrace them, Offering them the most
inst and the most honorable conditions, the refusal
of the insurgents and especially their alliance with
France had entirely changed the nature of the
ouarrel and transformed glorious cause into a
criminal revolt; that since that epoch he had
been desirous TO the relations of ancient al
Iegiance towards England. He acclaimed with
violence against the congress; he painted in the
most odous coors its tyranny and avarce; he rallied
ooainst the union with France affecting profound
T;eF tbs; the dearest interests of the country had
inns been sacrificed TO an arrogant, inveterate and
perfdious enemy. He represented France as too
iaeble TO establish independence, AS THE BIT
TFREST FOE OF THE PROTESTANT FAITH,
as deceitfuly pretending zeal for the liberty o.
the human race, while she held her own children IN
vassalase and seryitude. Arnold finished with de-
cIsriDg that he had so long delayed the disclosure
of his sentiments, from wish, by some Important
service 10 effect the delverance of his country and
At the same time to avoid much as possible the
effnsion of blood. He addressed this memorial to
his countrymen in general few days after, be
published another, directed to the officers and SOL