The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-12-27
THE oArHs AND OBLIGATIONS IN rue WAY on
THE UNION OF NATIUNAI. MEN
I" An oath. an oath, have an oath IN iieagon
Shall lay perjury upon soul

- nsiltuencies Each Of these gentlemen PROCESSES 10 h
devoted constitutional principles aud willing 10
give each the credit Of sincerity but singular hct
that ia their speeches respectively what they have said
wh The most bitterness and emphasis said against
the democratic party the only settled organization in a.
vur Of constitutional principles
Their complaint against the enemy Of the con-
siiulion geute in comparison With their ojurgaiion
Of Tie democracy. The immediate cause Of all this wrath
the following resolution adopted by The democratic
pry in the House of Representatives in their caucus ON
the evening OF the LIST OF December;
Rs,9leed That democratic members Of the House Of
Representatives, though in temporary minority 10 this body
deem this occasion tender their fellow citizens Of
the whole Union their heartfelt cong ituaton the tri-
H. ia the elections seyeta o the northern east,
and western, well southern stats, OF thc pno-
plies the Kansas Nebraska bill and the dnctrines civil
aud elgous liberty, which have been violently assaied
By political order known the know nothing party;
aud though minority, hold it to be highest duty
organization and continue eotts in the
and defence of those principles and the consit
tna rights of every section and every class Of cuzan
against their opponents OF every description wha ever either
the so-callcd republicans, know-nothings, iuson AID
this end look with confidence the support and appro-
all good ard menhends Of the constitution
and Union throughout the country"
This resoluton--ihe work of minority the declaration
of party upon the ruins of which the American order
has in superlave Qrandeurhas enraged the south
members of the American order beyond all bounds
They denounced it by every ephet which express
adherence and contempt They regard il mountain
in the path between themselves and Colonel Richardson,
e mocraic candidate for Speaker of the House aud
then is who when called what the OBJ
ctionable part of this declaration is, will say that it
is the reference the know-nohing order few days
ago. the question propounded BY Gov Cobb, Of Geor
GIN his colleague Mr. Foster whether he had taken the
oahs and obligations which Governor Cobb read TO the
,usc; aud when Mr. Foster substantially alm ted that
be had taken such oas AID obligations, and at fu
time he would proceed to discuss the proprie,y If
taking them quite panic manifested among the
called American members.
Now let us look at the character of these oahs:
"That YOU will MT give your Influence any man
for Office in the gift of the people unless he be Amer
born cizen of Americans railing America
he be Roman Catholic"
And again:
That you will, when elected appointed to an Official
station comforting you the power Of doing
Foreigners, aliens, Roman Catholics from office place.
and that you wl in appoint such to any office
place in your gilt"
Ia the presence of Almighty Godn this solemn oath is
taken by all the members Of the now-no,bng order;
| and it is taken, too in the face of the following
no religious test shall be required as a quaif-
cation 10 any Office public trust under the United
States and Congress shall make no laws respecting The
establishment Of religion or prohibiting free exercise
th Off Th Sc then, the oaihs which constitute the
barrie to the union between the southern representatives
American order aud the democratic party on the
floor of the House. II have oath in Heaven says
Shyloek SHALL lay perjury my soul 2? We do not ask
The southern know-nothngs TO repudiae obligations like
theirs, however at with all republican, principles;
but do say that TINS committed and Ioresworn
have right to make their complications bar to
the fuhlnent of their duty to themselves and their
sttuents We take it for granted that every repre-
sentei to be know-nohng is sworn know-uohing, al
though in Of those whoare regarded have
repealed interrogation to their obligations per-
sona wrong, and have refused to The fact that
they sworn, however, proves that higher than all the
duties they their constituents this obligation 10
secret party cherished 1t proves also that at the very
when opportunity is presented to them to serve
the people they represent their oahs step in and etter
their hands, AMI prevent them from that cooperation
which under other circumstances they would be free to
reader.
There is consideration however, connected with this
subject which haze escaped the southern know
n,thnss Northern representatives who fill the seats
heretofore occupied BY national used tie knownohng
order and subscribed oahs that they might obtain
power to wreak vengeance upon the southern Stteupon
thlse very men prevented by similar oaths from
taking up arms in defence of those States and in oppose
ton to abolitiouisml And it is going too far to say
hat many of the leaders of the fusion opposition in tue
free States when they took the oaths of the American
order did SO because they had ceased to be bound
nv the constitution of the United States Bat il is not
with the citizens OF the South. They are bound II bound
by any political ties the nuncions Of the constilu
ton OF the United States and can be possible that men
like these willing go back to their constituents with
the record before them showing that they were prevented
ON uniting upon constitutional doctrines with the DEM
ocrac party because of certain oa,hs taken in the midnight
order has been announced that the southern know
nothnps had given up their oaths and thrown the doors
lodges OPEN and that henceorh all 10 be pub
lie and atovcboard and yet the spectacle is presented AZ
this of the only part of the American order that
has m, thing like national existence making the very
oahs and obligations which thus lie discarded
barrier to union with the only existing organization
upon which the South rely
The ayorite dea Of the leading southern Americans so
called has been to ignore the slavery qnestop,hats
take action upon the Kansas Nebraska bill in order
hat they might hc free join their northern brelhrep who
arc Identified with abotousm But this ignoring Is