Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-11-02
NUMBER 800.
Letter from Colonel Clemens to General
Cass.--No. 2.

DEAR Sra: Other engagements have prevented
me from continuing, at earlier day, my reply To
your anti-Amercan letter. II fin that reply shoulI
at any time use plain language, beg you to be.
lieve that it results from no diminution Of my re
gard for you as man, or the high estimate have
always placed upon your abilities as a Statesman
IL would be very difficult for ME to address you IN
amy but kindly spirit These are not times how
ever, nor is this subject upon which to suppresa
the uttcrance OF honest sentiments. You, cir
moro than any other man In this republic, are az
countable for whatever fate awaits us; because
your influence Is wider, your capacity less quef-
TONED, and your character less accessible to re-
proach. TO your country you occupy the posi-
tion OF the watchman mentioned In Ezekiel and
according to the manner in which the duty of a
watchnan is discharged will be your reward or
your responsibility
If, when he seeth the sword come upon the
land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people,
then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet,
and taketh not warning, IL the sword come and
take him away, his blood shall be upon his own
head. M '
But II the watchman see the sword come, and
blow not the trumpet, and the people be not
warned, II the sword come and take any person
from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity,
but his blood will require at the watchlnaii's
hands,"
II, In what have written, or may write I sue.
coed in impressng upon you tho great Importance
OF giving the American movement an honest and
careful examination, shall not have labored in
vain. have, indeed, other objects, and chief
among these is that of refuting uniounded charges
and repelling u just assament.
In the list Of your charges against the Amer-
can party Is that Of prescription The word
was no doubt used without reflection, forge could
not have intended to make the vile accusation
its literal meaning covers. To proscri5e means
" to censure capitally-to doom to destruction" 1t
is something worse than to persecute, and It would
pain me to believe that you could SO far forget
what Is due to truth and common sense as to make
such an allegation against so considerable number
of your countrymen. 1t is false even In the sense
in which you intend to employ it. You have been
practising all your life that very Same oscrpnor
For fifty years you have called it patriotism, and
must protest against any change Of name at
the present day. doubt If you ever voted for
Whg in your life. am very sure that you have
often voted for Democrat when you knew his
Wing competitor was, in all respects, his superior
as man. Unless you have been more fortunate
than have been, you have sometimes voted for a
Democratic nominee against an independent Demo.
crate candidate, wkom you knew to be his SUI
perior. In the exercise Of your rights as a citizen,
you prescribed pardon the use OF your own word
the whole Wing party, you proscribedthat portion Of
your own party who would not submit to caucus
assisted in excluding Abolition members Of the
same body from place ON any Of lis committees
and now, sir, will you tell me In what respect you
are less liable to the charge Of prescription than
am / say that will not vote for O foreigner or
Catholic. You say that you will not vote for
Wing, or Democrat who runs against the party
nominee; aud that you will not even let an Abo-
litionist serve on committee. / have heard ii
said "oh yes, YOU can note as you please, you may
vote against foreigner just as well as against an
Abolitionist, but 1t is very improper 10 form COM
binations TO exclude foreigners ON ofice.n
have no particular objection to such reasoning
when 1t comes from some hafhedged lawyer who
knowsno more Of his profession as science, than
he does OF volcanoes in the moon, and who has
only vague idea that somewhere in the law com.
binations are declared Illegal but when man of
fair ability utters such things the conclusion is IN.
evitable that he has very little respect for the in
teigence Of his hearers. II Ia impossible for
political party to exist without combination All
the objects OF party are effected through combi-
nations. You combired with Madison, Monroe,
jackson, Van Buren,, Polk and Pierce--excuse me
for mentioning the last--as did the same thing
hope you will acquit me OF malice in the allusion
That man will confer favor shall not soon for
get who convnces that 1t Ia not Just as fair 10
combine for the purpose of excluding foreigners
from Office, a. IL is for the purpose OF excluding
Wings rebellious Democrats. You contented
yourself WIN dfsertlOn ana nade no attempt al
proof. 1t Is well for your reputation that you did
so. Many persons viii believe whatyou say with
out putting themselves to the trouble Of examina-
tioni whereas, IL you had attempted an argument
you would certainly have exposed to the most indif
ferent inquirer the weakness Of your position. No
learning, and no ingenuity could have saved You
from mortifying failure.
Youacknowledge and act upon the principle
that IL Is right to exclude Mr.. Garrison and hi,
disciples from every Office under the government
down TO the fourth corporal 10 the militia because
they subscribe to the atrocious sentiment that
" the Constitution OF the United States is q COW
enant with death, and an agreement with He'll"
claim that II IL right to exclude from Office
those members OF the Catholic church who deny
the supremacy Of the constitution, and ackuow-
edge the power OF the Popo 70 release them from
all obligation TO support IT,
You refuse to support Whig because you be-
leve his construction Of the powers of Congress
under the constitution erroneous.
] refuse 10 support foreigner because (among
other things) not one in five thousand has ever
read the constitution, and not one IN fifty thou
sand understands ts provisions.
Now, sir, this Is an exact statement OF your po
sition and of mine. Both Of us, doubtless, can
give many other reasons for the faith that Il IN u.s.
but this II the groundwork upon which the whole
superstucture Is reared. II yours Is the offspring
OF patriotic devotion 10 liberty and the consitu-
ton, by what magic does mine become "intole-
rance" "proscripdon," and reckless disregard of
constitutional dutyY Il Is true you do not assert
that there is anything unconstitutional in the
American platform Your position Ia TOO high,
and you could not afford 80 to trife with your le-
putalicn; but you give to others with fewer scfu
pies, and less to lose, the sanction Of your ST.
lence. As long as your opponents confined them.
selves to general denunciatons Of the American
Order as unconstitutional, they got along smoothly
- III. C.. l.l.
knew what they were saying, and believed them.
But specifications dangerous things when error
II TO be sustained. Two clauses are relied upon;
the first H. ar
!" But no religious test shall ever be required
as qualification for any Office or public trust