Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-12

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her attention to d beautiful flower, at the same
time asking what is it caIedp She replied, it
is called the rebel flower And why said he
Because was the answer, the more II Is trodden
on, the more it fourishes.'"
| There may be moral in the above which these
big and little editors, aud also these big and little
speakers, may finally realize. SrEcrArsR.
From the Greenville Is. o. Mountaneer.
The Know-Nothings.
It is manifest that there is an efficacy and power
in the principles of this new party, which is des-
tined to exert prodigious influence in the coun-
| try. The very yiruence with which they are as
sailed by many politicians and PRESSES, show the
alarm which they have inspired. We are not among
1 those who believe that the Know-N othings, or
American party as it is called is fairly chargelble
with favoring abolition. We do not believe it, be-
cause it is denied by them and some facts corrob
/ crate their assertions. Senator Seward was re-
elected against the efforts Of the body of that party
In the North, many abolitionists have joined the
American party, but they are no more aboltionists
now than they were before Indeed, the princi-
Piles Of the party will If carried out operate neces-
sarily against the abolitonists. Its effect win be
to lessen the weight of the foreign population in
| the federal councils, which, with few honorable
exceptions is generally thrown into the scale of
! abolition tst4 @5H efH
! Iuo STedL DOuy rOl lUTCiBt culiSTutiUu Socn MI
nually to increase the population Of the North,
and non-slavehohing West, and therefore any
| which tends to exclude them from political influ-
ence, in the exact proportion that IL does so, re-
eves the institutions Of the South from that much
pressure. We are satisfied, however, that the abo-
| tonists who join the American party do not in
tend to relax their principles but If they will only
stick to the new organization, change in their
rancor against the South and fanatcal opinions Of
| negro slavery, win necessarily take place. And
this, on the principle that one master passion will
swallow up the rest, and that two acute disorders
can hardly exist in the system at the same time
| There is another reason. The Know-Nothing party
has gendered the discussion of first principles, the
basis of the argument on which it rests is that all
people and tribes and nations are not fitted TO sus
tain free institutions that the of foreigners,
Europeans, and white men are wanting in the train
| ing qualifications. They do not maintain the dem
| agogue maxim that all are equal in rights and
privileges and capacities, by divine title of birth
into the worlds
This, for the non-slaveholding States is a pro-
| dgious advance towards the TRUTH and furnishes
hope that they viii be able to perceive that there
is difference betceen white and black; and that
the African race is not particularly adapted to
tain the Constitution and Government Of the United
States and the principles Of civil and religious lib
erty, for which the American party contends, any
more than foreign-born paupers, and that the sub
ordinate condition they now occupy is best for all
| the country Besides, the Know Nothings are
strenuously hostile to Roman Catholic influence,
and they would reflect what field for that super
stition and its baneful workings among the igno-
| rant and unintellectual, the emancipated negro
population of the South would furnish. Instead Of
belonging to generally enlightened Protestant mas
tiers, and superintendent by Protestant pastors the
negro population would almost infallibly fall into
| the control of the priests Of the Pope. As it is
1 he IN the Gnufh ava rnor
light and liberty than the population of any Roman
Catholic country on EARTH This striking fact can
| not be gainsaid.
The Know othings are avowedly hostile to
| demagoguism. This is a most commendable vir-
tue IL carried out, and will likewise operate against
| abolition In the North and West for that has been
the theme of the demagogue and every popular
error or caprice will be abetted by them We see
nothing TO oppose in this feature of Know-Noth-
| ingism but every thing TO commend We only
| wish that every man would act on this principle
as well as the Know-Nothings.
! The opposition to Roman Catholics and the dis
| cussion of the principles Of church government,
which is embraced necessarily in the very opposi-
i ton ITSELF is the most remarkable and important
matter connected with the American party. We
are obliged to think that this win do much good,
| even TO Roman Catholics themselves. Not one
! Romanist in one hundred ever hears or sees any
discussion of his faith and that OF his church gov
ernment and its nature and tendencies, but the
public agitation Of those topics will force them on
/ his attention and must open his eyes 10 the light
| Of some truth which he never thought Of before.
Such discussions, too, win do great good in
turning the minds Of the people to examine the
i foundation on which rests all their rights and priv
1 ileges, and will make them prize religious liberty
| above all things else, and enable them 70 perceive
that without Il true civil and political liberty can
| not exist. There is something far more refining
L a. - II.
are involved in this feature OF the KnowN othings,
than in the ordinary topics which occupy the at
tcntion Of the politicians and press Of the country.
IL is the religious feeling involved that has given
| such vigor and efficacy 10 the Known lettings.
| The American party, without this feature, has
again and again shown its front In divers parts Of
| the United States but has always heretofore had
brief existence, and dwindled away without ac-
| complishing Its purposes In any State.
| If Know-Nothings are tabooed by the press of
| the South on account Of the abolition sentiments
adhering to members OF the order in the North, so
/ might be condemned on the same principle every
sect and party religious and political In the United
/ States. There could be, according to the same ar
gument no Baptists, Methodists, Prcsbyterans,
| Episcopaans tolerated by the southern press, for
abolitonism has poisoned more or less all denomi-
! nations In the North. There could be no tolera-
ton Of Democrats or Wings, for large portion Of
the former and all the latter party in the North
are freesoilers, The policy and aims Of the Wing
| party Of the North are all hostile avowedly TO
southern rights and extension. Not so with the
i Know-Nothings They disclaim all purposes Of
making the slavery question an issue. True, some.
Of them insist, that their principles are incompat
BILE with southern slave institutions, but we must
remark that this Is only by fragments Of the party,
and that even northern Christians and men of all
parties in and out Of the church, with a few en-
| lghtened exceptions, think that the same institu.
tions are inconsistent with the Christian and moral
principles and the spirit Of the constitution, and
all that Must we reject the Bible and the consti-
tuition, because northern men maintain that they
are against uss
| In penning the foregoing, we render, as we
| think simple justice TO the Known othngs--so
far as the charge Of Abolition is concerned. IL
would be folly TO expect from the American party,
the power TO suddenly convert Massachusetts, into
defender Of African slavery, but we are satisfied