Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-07-06
TERMS OF ADVERTISING.


er large masses of such persons, Pagans and Poly.
gamists to be admitted at all to the permanent
and general participation in the rights of citizenship
in Christian country.
1t is on this question, the great Mormon ISSUE now
rpenng for trial. will be determined in few years
Conceding this issue determined in the affirmative,
all MINOR questions, such eligibility to Office, and
proprlety OF voting such persSus into office are set
tied; it is absurd to question the ordinary propriey
of allowing by vote what is allowable by law. The
whole question, as general proposition, is deter
mined by the permanent admission of large masses
OF persons in view to the rights of citizen
ship. 1t is one thing 10 allow specific privileges to
lnvVldual foreigners residing on our so for specific
purposes but it is altogether another 10 disfranchise
in part and by principle designed TO be permanent,
immense masses OF men already permanently part
OF the population. and so recognized We insist
therefore, that the whole movement must retrace it's
progress or go forward it is unwise in the extreme
to leave all their power for mischief in their hanls,
resulting in part from their simple existence in the
country as part Of its population, and in part from
The privileges which still 10 be left hem--and
then exasperae them TO it, by attempting to re-
duce their full political equality with citizens of other
birth and religious opinions
We object, in the last place. and with deep severity
OF conviction to the principles of organization adopt
ed by the American or Know-Nothing party, and to
some of the particular features which they have en-
bodied in their order. If ever any principle was at
war with the very foundation of The American Re-
public, 1t is the principle of secret, oath-bound
organization Of political parties. Tt is unnecessary,
dangerous, hostile to the fundamental maxims of re-
publican liberty, and in its existing aspect, demoral-
lzng in high degree. 1t strikes blow at that
great fundamental maxim of the government-the
intelligence of the people-an essential element of
republican liberty. What matters it, how much in
telgence the people may have if political men will
conceal from them the elements upon which TO en-
ploy that intelligence in the foundation of an opin-
ION and the adoption of policy. The duties of
man are correatlye; If it is the duty of the people
to require knowledge of any party claiming their
sutfrages, before they endorse them it the duty of
that party to give it. No party has the right to re.
tire into the dark, bind itself to secrecy under OATH
unfold what they please and conceal what they please
from the people, nor have the people the shadow of
moral right to give their sanction to that of the
proprlety of which they are not informed.
Moreover, this principle of organization will prove
utterly subversive of the Constitution of the United
States, by placing the legislation of Congress in the
IN body totally unknown 10 the Constitution, dis
tlnc from Congress itself, existing within but inde-
pendent Of and independent of all responsibility to-
any public or recognized law. The Congressional
Council itself at war with the Constitution will be
under the control of the National Council and the
result will be, that the Congress of the United States
Will become, under the full success of Know Nothing
principles, mere registry of DEGREES to body in the
heart OF the country, unknown to the Constitution
existing, no one can tell where-aiming at, no one
by demanding the unlimited submission of the minor
ty TO the majority, annhilates the balance of
farlamentary opposition, and all the advantages
lAa oeIong TO It. 1t extnguishes the personal inde-
pehuence OF the voter destroys tbe Jurisdiction o. con-
scence over the political conduct and makes it con-
unon TO the preservation of his integrity if voter
shouid happen to scruple measure or man proposed
oy the Order, that he absolutely abandon the party
altogether f'
Lastly: If this principle of secrecy and OBLIGATION
legitimate SC
male Tor all; every party may adopt it; the "Sag
NIGHTS clubs of the foreigners Of the West are
wholly justified; and the whole political destines of
the country may be controlled by secret Inbound
organlzations-a hybrid mixture of Masonry and a
political caucus, with all good in either spoiled by
lhe conjunction. Can any man in this nation con
template such prospect-the legitimate result of the
principle OF organization adopted by the Know-Noth-
ing parey7-wl'hout emotions OF alarm amounting to
terror! 1t is principle, legitimate in condition of
society where the lives of men are dependent upon
the tdellty OF their political associates il is utterly
abomlnable in anv other Yet the accomplished wri-
Ter IN the Critic for May, would place such princi-
Ple in point of political morality. on the same foot
ing with The vote by ballot
we nave only to add. that if the Nationality the
Federal Union and the Protestant Civilization Of this
country are dependent upon the conservatism of his
new political combination, its past acts indicate most
teartnlly that gloomy lines are ahead
FROM AUsTRAL1A.-A letter from Melbourne of
h0"' - says 'udC udue is improving, and that fail
ures are few, compared with what thew had been
some time previously. The shipments of gold from
the hrst or January to the 9th of February had
been t924620, at the rate of .g8 600, 600 DER an
mum First quality -four sold at S42 TO S44 per ton.
The letter says
The diggers turning their attention 10 the
use OF machinery. Hand quarts crushing machines
are being made by the engineers of Melbourne, and
they have as much " ork as they can do Machines
are also being tried, worked by oxen l am sorry
10 say, however, that the quartz crushing machine
worked by steam, which was purchased of the Onarz
crushing Company, and was being worked bv nTivate
enterprise has just bnrst its boiler Enough has been
oone' however, TO show that quartz crushing may be
conducted with proft-not perhaps, by London mi
ming companies, but by local associations where the
partners themselves superintend. The diggers, too
oegn to perceive the advantage of working for steady
wages instead of embarkng in lottery. which of
late has fortunately, think) offered no enormous
przes no "monster nuggets" and no Jewellers
shops" Altogether, gold digging is assuming the
character OF regular and steady branch of indus.
try and the dggings' that of permanent settlement
and organized communities The general opinion
seems 10 be that the production of gold will continue
steady at the rate of about 92,O00 600 per quarter
with tendency 10 increase rather than 10 decline.
SPECULATIoNs IN KANSAS TERRIroRY.-Governor
Reeder, Judges Johnson and Emore, of the supreme
court and Mr.. lsaacs the u S. District Attorney
OF Kansas, having been charged with speculatinS IN
lands IN that territory in violation of the act of Con-
gress have been officially informed that the Presi
Dent 1ees embarrassed 10 see how, consistently with
MS convictions of duty, be can allow their present
oncai relation 10 the Territory to continue unless
,he impressions which now rest upon his mind shall
De removed by satisfactory explanations Governor
Reeder, who was officially informed of the charge
against him few hours previous to setting out on
MS return, promises to reply imme lately after reach
ing the territory.
DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH AND SLAvERY-The