The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-15

that recruiting service la which he said he had mss
the hngs press most dAmnahy Jack looked along those
ranks which filed by discarded unjust serving men
younger sons 70 younger brothers, resoed tapseTs aud
ostlers, uaiefaen, the oankers Of calm world aud
long peace where men Of the stamp OF Mouldy and Bull
calf aud FeebeForcble Feebleshone conspicuous and
be said 70 himself II be not ashamed Of my soldiers
with hem-dats Hat This may be 80 and Il may be
shat hndng the new recruits but slight Improvement
upon The earlier lesies they determined wait until Tho
pabie eye da11ed hy The imposing majesty OF numbers
would overlook individual mperccticns This is not an
accusation but conjecture and party which 20
i secrecy mast submit 70 conectures.
IL we could get at the origin OF this PARTY am In
ehne 70 believe that would be found that az the outset
hai put very limited aims il did contemplate
national organization, and perhaps political organ
1auon II s quite probable that opposition 10 Foreigners
was Loading feature Ia IL il was rather social than
po, ns.sa Opposition TO Roman Catholicism
was resorted u because large portion Of foreign pop
ulaton were Roman Catholics opposition 10 them was
calculated g enlist The religious prs,es soautry
"a hvor u Tue new party II is be denied thar for
egn labor and skill affect the price Of wages n ssne
parts oi The country Nor s il TO be denied that for
egners have, at times, acted in manner 10 provoke re-
sentiment IL is not TO be denied that certain tenets o tho
Roman Catholic Church repugnsnt Protestant ideas
OF the ght of private Judgment and free inquiry. Itrs
mains 10 pe shown, however whether these
ngs have the advantage of the Roman Catholic Church m
this respect The new party that il might
safely rely upon the sympahies of the Protesants aud
that il would attach to itself the fragments the old ma
uve-American party The placing OF the emblem of our
saviour above The stars and stripes, in procession
thought sufficient TO prove that the Pope of Rome had
design TO establish temporal supremacy in the United
States Of America An here and there Of uu
and violence, on the part of foreigners and foolish
declarations made by crazy German talsis aso-
eated with the idea OF rapid yncresing emigration
thought sufficient to justify the apprehension that foreign
ers wanted TO control the country and would be
able to do
Incidents like these incidents Of less Importance In their
bearing than those which instgaod the Gordon riots In
England, gave an impulse to know-nothngs-iu such
an impulse as gave temporary footing in every nook
ana corner me country where religious prcudiees
vailed or the foreign laborer toied The mechanic
told that his wages reduced by the competition of for
eigners The Protestant told that the Roman Church.
with all its Babyonish tendencies and corraptons
about to acquire supremacy and the
told that the auspicions moment to resusctae
party which had long been IN state OF suspended anma
bon The result OF this arul policy surpassed the most
sangune expectations Of the know -notngs They found
that where other parties nearly balanced they could
turn the scale, and successful of this kind in
of the principal cities, in local elections led them
hope that they might safely aspire to supremacy in the
ton i is now true that they have got glimpse Of
hca power and this has changed the whole face Of the
organization, and Is destined lead to its dissou-
ton and you win find that before very long its
bers will be divided amongst themselves and each sep
arate faction in desperate seldeence pandering to the
very influences which they at first sought destroy
Naturalization and Roman Catholicism will soon be-
objects of minor importance in the angrossng de-
sire for political elevation Up to this hme they have had
settled purpose no settled plans Of reform They camor
about foreigners and Roman Catholics, but suggest
practical remedy They call upon the people their
lodges but examine the any public grey
anss Or to devise any plan Y corsc abuses u The con
ply to make exhibition of strength which employed
IN the most cnprtsioas and, what IL singular they
attack native Americans and not Foreigners Proteants
not Catholics, and that too, without nqurng whether
the victim Is favorable unfavorabe to such reforms
they pretend to desire and without acquanng him what
those meditated reforms are.
1t does not require the gift of prophecy to forete the
fate Of such party Mere numbers said before with
out sound principles cannot sustain party In what they
have proclaimed up to this time they have committed two
gross blunders The first is attempt make religious
test in politics; the second is the PRONUNCIATION OF the doc
trne that the States have right to regulate the elective
franchise respects Foreigners Doctrines mis-
chevous could not be advanced. In speaking Of the
first desire to say that Ii Is In sorrow than in
anger that / perceive in il evidence of the decline Of
that liberal spirit which animated great ancestors
when they framed the constitution With our history
open before u.s. with every page adorned by turphs
in war; and what is far better runphs in peace and
every line teaching the incacuabe value of free
stftuon and the sncrednes Of the freedom of conscience
asked to turn aside from great mission to per-
secute few stray Roman Catholics who have sought the
protection OF that constitutions not by open Legislative
acment not BY amending the constitution but by con
trolling, through secret combination the suages OF the
people When religious bigotry and intolerance triumph,
they often do age and weakness deporabe as te
spectacle sand it is the most deporable that poor hu
nature offers to contempationour aversion
hgotry is sometimes soened by pity for the ntrn
ity which yields to its sway but make allow
for young America; have charity for the
young, the enlightened, and the vigorous who daringy
and presumpuousy thrust themselves between mans
conscience and his God.
Hthere is anything which digniHes and exalta human
nature it is liberal orbarancc towards those who differ
from in of religious faith Ii there 10 ea-
ture in constitution which than any other com
menda itself to the and yeneration OF mankind 10 ~
that which TO every the right TO worship
God according the dictates Of his conscience and
declares that religious test shall be applied n de-
terminng the qualifications for Office The members of this
party though they denounce the Jesu because II -
assumed that the Jesuit will take oath support the con-
stution, and then violate the spirit Of itand though
they declare that their leading object 10 purify the
baot-box yet with the admission their lips that the
constitution orbds the Acknowledgement Of any religious
denomination by open legislation they declare their pur-
pose to effect this Acknowledgement at the baotbox In
other words they propose employ that sacred nsru
placed ia the hands OF the freemen OF this country TO
enable them to fidelity in their rulers To correct
abuses la the administration Of their government and If
need be- 10 procure amendments 10 the constitution
evade nay, subvert the constitution itseto
employ IL Santa Anna and Louis Napoleon employed IT,
to overthrow the constitution This Is the know nothing
mode Of purifying the baotbox; and when Il shall b.
sanctioned by the American people when after
other the religious denominations which may chance 10
incur the dspleasure Of this order sha sharu tho
fate o. the Roman Catholics, may wcn exciam aGod
the republic
4 Men who prornugate such doctrines mistake the
spirit and temper Of the people OF this country They
backen the character OF the Roman Catholic
I'll he shall become the abhorred object Of universal
ecraon and yet the people, entirely lost 70 scu5e
Of the nestmable blessings which they enjoy, si rlse
the Of that onsttnon the of those
I blessings and under which The abhorred Roman
Catholic may find shelter and repose The attempt TO
Justify this discrimination the ground that II y uyer-
salty recognised political opinions exhibits profound
misconccpon of the OF the constitution and the
loy and benignan spirit which perysdcs t The oice
OF the constitution n TO great leading principles
which binding consciepees IN AL political
actions and 10 which bound