The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-08-22
So PER ANNUM.
ADDRESS
OF Hon. P, 8. Brooks to the People of
the Fourth Congressional District.

OF having received number Of letters
from gentlemen in various parts Of nv
District, in which they say that e" many
a OF your (my) friends and supporters are
anxious to learn your (,uy,) views Of the
Know.Nothing Order" Other gentle
men have written that "if the party is
not shortly checked, il will cont,ol Lex.
ington District !" and that "many of
your (my,) best friends have joined the
Onier, and IRE doing all they can for its
promotions"
That a few impulsiye spirits should
have been led estrsy by the Native Ame-
rican feature OF the Order. was to have
been expected; but that they should he
80 Numerous Us to form Party, ard that
party so strong in ans part Of South
Carolins as to dream Of control" in
very truth amazes me.
| have upon this, as upon all political
questions ofstle day, decided opinions,
which are regulated by fx,-l principles.
NV correspondents have, as has the hum
blest voter in my District, the right to
know what those opinions are: aud
would I've unworthy Of my position rs
yonr Representative in Congress, did de-
sire to,,lissemble or suppress them.
Before j proceci to express my views,
which arc in opposition to the Order, can
dor constrains me 10 adult that " Ameri-
canisn is u natural sentiment with our
people. deprecate myself the appoint.
ment of men of foreign birth to rspre-
sent our country abroad, or To preside over
our Colleges; and IL all Of the States
would, by common consent, withhold the
elective franchise from immigrants for ten
years, the agreement would receive my
entire approval. But because approve,
in q degree, Of one tenet of party, il is
no more unreasonable to expect me to
adopt all Of its princi pies, than il would
be To require man 10 eat all Of every
dish upon bill OF fare, because he fanced
one. Yet this single feature has caused
thousands to attach themselves to the
Know-Notling Order without considering
its other features; aud thus. for one sweet
drop, they gu!p down whole gallon Of
bitter stuff. 49,,
According IN the Know v pthing doc
trines, the bir,h-place Of man is grave
political consideration. In INV judgment
the birth place Of political principle is
intipitely more important; = aud to the
Kpow-Notl,ing Order We will apply the
Know, Nothing test. Where was Il born
I'm. tile State OF New York. When I
Very shortly after tie passage OF the Ne
araska and Kansas hill, whicl, restored to
the States of the Snu,h their lost right of
equality ia the common territory. What
has been the effect at the Nnrlhl To
defeat every Democrat who voted for this
bin Of Justice to the Soatli. aud to put in
his place an Abolition Know Notliing.
who ;stanis pledged TO repeal the bill, and
TO give his vote and influence to the en-
ac;inent Of others Of greater injustice and
INJURY titan the Act known as the Mis-.
sonri C"mpromise.
l might here appropriately comment
upon the i,upoliey and iagratitude of
countenancing the enemies Of our friends,
but this is sufficiently obvious.
Permit me, however, TO direct your at
t"nticn for aninstant TO the tergivesations
Of the Know Nolhings, who. at the North,
are out-and-out Free. .Soilers, and every
where arc opposed TO the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise. as is shown 10y the
fact, among others, that every Southern
snan but one, (Mr. Milson. Of Virginia,
who vot d against tile bill for the oppo-
site reason tiiat Il WAS not strong enough
for the South who voted against the bill,
ispow . member Of the Know Nothing
Order. Al the National Fres-Soil Con.
veaiion held in Httsburg, in 1852, and
which nominated the Know Nothing Abo.
htionist, Jno. L. Hale, Cor the Presidency,
il wss
sRssolged, That the doctrine that ANY
HUMAN Law is . finality, and not subject
TO modification or repeal. ia not In accor-
dance with the creed Of the foundcp OF
our government, aud Is dangerous to the
Aibviies Of our people,
This resolution had reference to the
Compromise Measures Of 1851, which
tlse Fsec.Soilers desired to repeal. They
scented the idea that those measures sseFe
n z 6pality,e ana co1isBdsd that they
could and sJsouI.I be nodded ~ repealed.
like any other Law Of Congsess. The
Nissoui Cpmpsomise Was no more . a
nality," then The Chnpsomise of s6i.
Vet the Free Soil Know. othinea now re-
flse 70 stand 20 the position tax IN by the
Rittkbarg Consen,ipa, and sepadiaie their
own creed snd fels;fy their own declara-
sioss, BY sssestine that lhe Missouri Com
pFosnise was an isrepealable compact
- Again: BY the saas ccsvsn.ioa, Il
was
:. Rsesssa, That sxtopAsrs and 81.