Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-15
THE "NATIONALITY OF KNOW-NolhiNH.
IsM"-A NEW DECLARATION OF PASSl'h

THE "NATIONALITY OF KNOW-NOlhlN"-
IsM"-A NEW DECLARATION OF PASSIVE
OBEDIENCE.
I.u,bl, to resist the overwhelming evidences Of the
.ubs.r, iency Of Northern Known nottingham, to tue
purposus of the Abolitiunists, the orators OF the party
in this State ure accustomed to take refuge oeh'nu
,ope secret provision i'll their Constitution. ahu ~ o.
firm that no Toe to slavery car belong to the o'u'
An assertion SO ~palpabiy aud VIGOROUSLY "h'""
not for q moment impos. upon tho ih'e''se ~,
people, und its effect is not at all ih'F'"''" .h,
mysterious allusion TO alt imaginary eiau'0 " -,
unpublished Constitution Vi q secret S''''''
teal dospcradoes. than
Tho ,rcbhur, Yirsiaou", moro adventurous 'han
=. ,.r., has At last promulgated the proViSlon' IN /"
80. So,b;ng Constitution, which excludes all ADO,
-, ,,,, membership with the Order. lNere II
is: u.,, On
.you do hereby solemnly declare your devo'lon u,
a.. iTn;cn of thcse States; that in tho d'sGharGe u y
vour duties W American citizens you WIZ upno om5
,naiutain, and defend il: that you will dlscouiaSe anu
circumference any and every attempt coming rom
.ny and every quarter, which you believe -,
signed or calculated to destroy, or suofol1 u -
weaken it's bonds; and that you Will use Wv" - nro.
ence, AZ far as in your power, IN enoeaVolIa5 NJ al NO.
cure Ar aMlcAOle hnu clNltoOIS -,
E,;cnl tisconten,s or differences, which may te'on.n
i'm injury or overthrow. You do fnr'not P'on,n ~
swear Tor affirm that you will not fo'e W - oI;,;cal
fill any office Of honor, or profit, or tfhstT fawnr
character, whom YOU know or believe u d :.
of a dissolution Of the union OF these ota'o'' y NV
endeavo1inS 10 produce that result .ho
These vords occur in the obligation "h'ch L
member assumes on initiation into the TARA H's'' " "
tho Order. The inquiry instantly arises why ID i
that tli. obligation is postponed to the fH"a aes.se'
and ia not imposed upon all members OF the ofuef'
A person may be in full fellowship with inc ofaei'
and unless he chooses to tike the third aesre' NC 10
bound by no such obligation. Inc oonsaoon upo"
which tho Tirginian relies to acqnit the orost "'
Abolitionisn, is not q condition OF membership ou'
only OF promotion to the THIRD degree.
Rut what is tho effect of this obligation Does II
exclude Abolltionists from the Order 7 Not unless
they chance to be disunionists, and it is notorious that
the most dangerous enemies Of tho South profess the
greatest devotion to the Union. 1t is the policy OF the
Abolition party, to compass the destruction OF slave
~ by the agency Of the Federal Government, and
they resist any threat of secession on tho part of the
South, as the attempt of their victim to escape from
their grasp. Seward, Wilson, Greeley, and oil inc
distinguished champions Of Abolitiouisn profess the
strongest attachment to the Union.
The etfeot of this obligation is to bind HIM VINO u.s.
sumes it, in no cvont and under compulsion OF no ne
oessity, TO assent to q dissolution of tho Union. The
Abolitionists may porvcrt the powerof the Federal 20
yernmopt to the ,nnst violent assaults upon the rights
Of the South-sveu to the overthrow Of its institutions
but Ibis obligation palsics the arm Of the Southern man
and ho cannot strike q blow in defence Of his interests
aud his liberties. Tho Union may become, instead OF
q voluntary association of sovereign States, an uns'
uusl alliance of antagonist interests, and may be en-
ployed US an instrument for the plumber and opprss
,ion Of tho South but the Southern man who rs
sumes this obligation is bound to u servile submission
to whatever outrage or wrong may be inflicted IN ths
name of the Union. He has taken upon hlmsel
a VOW of passive obsdtenes and mon-rcs'sst"o''-
Tho moment Known othingism gets the aseeh
dancy in tho South, that moment 10 tho son'f
proptrated aud at tho mercy OF its onemles'-
BY enticing southern men into the order, the ao"i-
tionists have committed them TO passive suomlsSioi
to wrong, and have fsttersd them with an obiiSst'o'
which prevents every resistance to Federal encrosh
ment. In proportion as the power OF tho party III
orUuses, the effective energy ofthe South IS diminish
cd. Northern ingenuity could not have devised
more cunning e~Ipedient of ~nrtare upon the South
than this very obligation of passive aud helpless oil
DURANGO Of Federal aggression.
While this oblig alton is not inconsistent with thu
objects of the ubolitionists, it is revolving to the feel
ings and the principles of every true southern mon
The Union is q blessing but it may DO a curse a'
then secession becomes the duty OF the SCUM
The South acknowledges no blind allegiance to The
Federal government, but claims aud will exercise TIT
right Of abandoning tho Union whom 1t is prostitute
to the vile purposes of abolitionitm. And no inte'''
gent and sincere friend Of tho South will sake upo'
himself An obligation which will smother the emotion
ing ! his Interests and defending his rights:
Thus we 500 that tho faireSt pretences OF Kno"
nottingham disguise the leadliest hostility t" ia
South; aud when it appears to be most NATIONAL
is then mos. subservient to schemes Of sectional aE
| ,a nd; 1an,pnt