Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-03-31
The Native American Mavement

yoraby takes II up IN lts last issue ana examines
il impartially and philosphcally in the following
paragraph. and comes 10 the conclusion, that the
new party. like Aarons rod, is destined , swa-
low up all others:
Tho element of Secrecy has. no doubt. been n
main instrument in building up to it, present for.
midable proportions and strength. the new Amer
lean party, and it may well be doubted whether
il could ever have attained such height of pow
in any other way. Native American organiza-
tons are not new among rs but have maintained
precarious existence for years. So, also third
parties, based on the popular discomfort with the
old parties have vainly struggled for permanent
vitality In spite of good principles, and every
thing else, these efforts have proved unayailing,
the party drill and attachment to old organiza.
tons being proof against them. Suddenly. how
ever. the fortresses which could not be taken by
external assault have been captured by the spring
ing of mine.
1t is not likely that the new party will much
longer deem secrecy necessary to tho success of
its operations. The object of that secrecy which
presume was designed to overcome the repng-
nance of men 10 leave their old part associations,
has been accomplished. and the new challenges
opposition of the most formidable political
bodies the country has witnessed. We
speak of course, without reference to its principles
which may or may not be good, tho end shall
prove. For the last quarter of IA century there has
existed ia this country party which has general
BY been IL the ascendant, whose discipline was
90 effective and whose success uniform that
the whole of those opposed to it, embracing the
most gifted statesmen the nation has produced.
were virtually prescribed and excluded from ad-
ministratiye otiices,no because they were not
inently worthy of them, but simply and solely
because they did not belong to the dominant fac
ton. To break down such a combination as
this, fraught as il has been with malign influence
upon cur annals. is great achievement, aud that
machinery which successfully brings about such
result cannot fail to elicit the appreciation of
majority of the public. II would be difficult
for the new party to do any miscbiefs worse than
some of those perpetraed by the called Dem
ocrats. Our people are too emil htened, too tho.
roughly republican, too much accustomed TO
WELD the sceptre of sovereignty, to run into
tremes Of political phrenEy, and do misdeeds
likely to cause subsequent regret.
The Wing party, eminen,ly patriotic as it has
always been and boast,g for its leaders the great
est and best men of their day and generation. has
vainly struggled TO make Roadway against the
party which bore the name n Dcmocratic.-
Though occasionally successful Its victories have
never been permanent, and the desertcrs from tho
Democratic fold, who temporarily aided in secur-
ing them, have soon gone back. The new organ
zaton having taken for its name 1.-THE American
party" bears with ii the prestige of our national
lty and republican institutions. Ii has shown what
1t can do, and with proper guidance and good can
didates it will be difficult to overcome"
We need only look the columns of any
democratic press in the State, to perceive how
necessary it was that tho members of the
party should protect themselves behind the shield
of secrecy. Whenever adenocrat is discover
in connection with the movement, regardless of
his rights as citizen aud his feelings as a man.
he ia stio Oh u,,so and traitor md
held up to the scorn and contempt of the world.
The rigor of its party discipline is such that few
men are bold enough to incur the vindictiye and
relentless penalties of absoving their allegiance
to the democratic organization. The law of Rus
sian despotism which makes il n capital offence
for subject to quit the realm, without permits
sion of his imperial master, is not more stringent
or more vigorously enforced than the obligation
of democratic fealty, which demands perfect
and perpetual adhesion. The regulations of mil
itnry service have been adopted into their code
and deserters are either shot without mercy. or
drummed out of camp with tho ignomiuious notes
of the roguo's march. 1t would have been i'm
possible for the American organization to have
obtained recruits from that party, had they not
been protected by an obligation of secrecy, in
Withdrawing from the one body and uniting with
the other. And if tho objects and principles of
the party are in themselves patriotic and proper
this condition of membership will be excused
as q necessary and sole means of promoting
their strengthened the only proper subject of
inquiry and comment remaining is as TO the
purposes, not the character of the organization.
There is an additional consideration which i'm
presses this view still more forcibly. Under the
old division of parties, the foreign vote gem
orally regarded powerful enough to decide the re-
suits of elections-and, consequence. it be-
came the policy of politicians and aspirants for
office to make favor with it. Men were very of
ten put forward candidates because Of their
presumed acceptability with this class of voters
and between competitors for place the conten
ton has been who should go furthest in eyilenc
ing their love and admiration for our naturalizet
fellow citizens" Politicians who might hay,
failed to hatter them have taken open ground il
opposition to their prejudices or supersttions
would have been regarded by the old parties a
having committed political suicide, and thrust
aside as unavailable for all time to come
Men were not left free TO give utterance to opin
ions they really cherished. Policy, the main
spring of action with public men, forbade it, an
often drove them to the anaunciation of princi
ples and sentiments they never entertained.
would have been an impossible thing to have en-
listed the leaders of party and the aspirants to
public positions in such a movement, had no
their participation in it been concealed. The sig
nal failure of the Native American effort of 1874
may be ascribed to this cause. There is no doub
that effort enlisted large share of popular sym