Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-28
From the Western Democratic RegislO.
THE KNOW N0THINGS OF VARIOUS AGES.

CONTINUED.
Various accounts have reached US n regard TO
the mysteries which were unfolded to those who
entered the Eieusinan order, Arnobius and Lactan-
thus relate that one principal feature "was imi-
tstiop, or representation, of what my biologists
teach Of Ceres They lasted several days, during
which the people ran about with burning torches
III their hands, sacrificing abundance of victims,
not only to Ceres but also to Jupiter; made liba-
tons from two vessels, one of them to the east,
and the other to the west; marched in pomp to
Eleuss, making pauses from time TO time, wherein
they sung hymns and sacrificed victims and this
they performed not only in going to Eleusis, but in
returning back to Athens For the rest, they were
obliged to keep it an involabe secret and the law
condemned to death any one who should dare to
divulge any one of their mysteries" Some most
disgusting rites were celebrated particular accounts
of which can be found by any who will consult
Tertuian, in his book against the Vaientinans and
III sodoret, Arnobus ard Clemens Alexandrinus.
Such was Know o5hngism among the people
of Egypt, Greece and many other countries noted
in ancient history. They celebrated the rape Of
Proserpina the lamentations of Ceres, her wander
ings in quest of her daughter, her congress with
Jupiter aud many other particulars whose obscenity
renders their publication impracticable. Clemens
Alexandrinus, one of the best, as well as one OF
the most learned men Of the age, describes those
who brought the mysteries from Egypt to Greece
as 'the fathers OF an eXecrable superstition, who
sowed the seed of wickedness and corruption in
human lle.' The mysteries themselves he describes
as the property Of atheistic men. 81 may rightly
call those atheists who destitute Of the know
ledge of him, who is truly God, and most impu-
IDENTIFY worship boy discerped, or torn in pieces
by the Ttans, woman lamenting and the parts
which modesty forbids to name"
The Eleusinia under modified forms were trans
planted throughout many of the European coun-
tnes, and in the British Isles. The Druids had
their secrets their hatred of foreigners their bigo-
try in religion and like their predecessors sacrificed
great numbers OF human beings appease the wrath
OF the angry gods The parallel between these an
Gent worshlpers at the unholy shrine of murder
and midnight revelry and their lustrious posterty
in the United States Ct America is in many cases
perfect. Both classes loved darkness rather than
light and because their deeds were evil both were
hypocrlteS IN morals, enemies TO Christianity and
traitors TO democratic liberty; each of the systems
was founded by dishonest mer, and for the pur-
pose OF controlling the government and getting
corrupt and venal politicians into Office each re-
qures diabolicsl oath, never to reveal, on pain
of unmitigated and eternal infamy, any dstnning
act that may happen to disgrace the ceremonies
each erects altar to vice, and sacrifices to crime
each attempts by terrible paraphernaia, TO fighten
its idolatrous woTshlpers into lifetime acquiesc-
ence in everything that is worthy of execration;
each has its priests graduated in the academies OF
all earthly crimnality, with diplomas from the
thor of evil, and suphureous with the breath of
the lake that burnetb each calls upon the Almighty
to sanction niquity OF every grade each declares a
criminal if born upon foreign SOIL and perse-
Cutes all that dare to worship God according the
dictates Of their own conscences each contemplates
its hoTrid victims, suffering, bleeding, mangled,
bound to the rack, or writing in the flames; each
registers its list patriots whose love of country
and regard for humanity have qualified them to be-
come martyrs, and looks forward with demoniac
pleasure to the time when they shall be buried by
traitor hands lie in paupers graves; each is de-
neunced in its day by all good men and true who
love God better than the devil virtue better than
vice.
We sicken as we are reminded by the faithful
genius of history that are in too many respects
hardly in advance of the benighted audiences who |
stoned to death the sp stiles If the living God |
We seem in Il e high noon Of the nineteenth Gen.
fury about to re,.v teachings OF all the phloso-
ply OF modern times, auu aUUur TO revert to the /
darkness and gloom of many ages past 1t is a |
consolation, however, TO know that to our own |
proud era is not entirely TO be charged the enor-
nous crime OF the animation of the horrid ghost
of ancient superstition, bigory and wrong. We
derive a melancholy pleasure from the reflection |
that every century since Jerusalem surrendered t. !
the army of Titus, has been more or less degraded
by the moral pestilence which is wasting our own
loved land to-day. All along the dark river of the
medieval ages are frowning monuments of the
of rulers and the patient endurance of
the masses. Nothingism attained a lofty
height in the good old baronal times, when the
body of the people, known under the names of SerfS
and vileiRs took solemn oats to be faithful to the
ord Of the manor, and to prosecute to the bitter
End all who dared to enter, even for adrop Of wa
Ter or sheaf Of grain the boundaries of that portion
d the earth which, by conquest or prescription, he
claimed as his own. To be a stranger was to be
An enemy, foreigner criminal
but we pass rapidly over the vast space which
invites our consideration, to notice an organization
within the memory of living which bears such
N analogy TO KnowNothingism in the United
States that we are compelled to accord IL a rigid
glance We refer, of course to the, .Iacobinisyn az
be French Revolution. The Jscobins lilo tho
members OF the order of the 'Star SpsnpIed Ran-
ler lately organized in this country met in sacrat
oncave to devise ways to deprive the virtuous and
,eaceabe citizen of all the rights which be epioved
nder God and the laws of the nation Like the {
eaders of the secret society now sgitatng our poll
les they were blood-thirsty devils, who believed
he exercise of their rights to consist in the perpe
ration of any crime whatever in the name of that
luch abused phrase, republican liberty. They re-
arded the masses as born only to become the sport
their legislative freaks. Their great object was
get and keep possession of all the offices OF the
alton and they did not hesitate to resort TO the
lost abominabe means to accomplish their ends.
heir first move was to declare as qualifications Tor
flee the profession Of eternal enmity to the teach