The weekly Placer herald., 1855-06-30
Extracts from the Speech of Henry A.
Wise.

uuent orator:
"Al we ask is tolerance All we ask is
that if you hate the Catholics because they
have prescribed heretics, you won't out pro-
scribe prescription. If you hate the Catholics
because they have nunneries and monasteries
and Jesuitical secret orders, don't out-J esuit
the Jesuts by going into dark-lantern secret
chambers to apply test oaths If you hate the
Catholics because you say they encourage the
Machiavelan expediency of telling lies some
times don't swear yourselves not to tell the
truth. [Cheers.]
Here are the Oaths-tne OathS that bind YOU
under no circumstances, to disclose who you
are. what you are, and that bind you not only
to political, but social prescription. Here is
your Dook-yOur bible-which requires you
to stick up your notices between midnight and
naybreak. [Laughter.] | don't object to Sc
crecy, am member Of a secret order, and
am proud to be a brother Mason; [loud cheers;]
and am at liberty by my order to say. that as
to its ends. its purposes, its designs, Masonry
has no secrets. [Renewed cheering.] It's end,
its purposes, its aim is to make brotherhood
of charity among men. Its end is the end of
Christian law. of rel gion | know not how
any Mason can be KnowNothing Masonry
binds its members to respect and obey the laws
of the land in which we live; and when the
Constitution of the United States declares
that no religious test shall be made a qualif-
cation for office, Masonry dare not interpose
by cOnspiring, in secret association. to at
tempt to make religious testa qualification
for office. When Virginia has an act of re-
lgious freedOm-an act that is no longer a
mere statute law. but is now part of the or
ganc law, and which says that no man shall
be burdened for religious opinions sake-Ma-
sonry dare not cOnspire to burden any man for
,;nin nlyo hoe I,,<
the simplest tests by which it recognizes its
brotherhood. 1t is bound to respect the law
and to tolerate differences of opinion in relg-
ion and politics. | do not complain of secre-
cy, but complain of secrecy for political OBJ
.jects. What is your object? 1t is to assail the
Constitution of the United States, to conspire
to contradict the Constitution of the land; it
is to cOnspire against the Constitution and
laws; and swear men by test oaths--the most
odious instruments of tyranny that intolerance
and prescription have ever devised.
1t is not only to prescribe Catholics and for
eigners but it is to prescribe Protestants and
natives too, who will not unite with you in
prescribing Catholics and foreigners. 1t is
further than that. 1t destroys all individual
ity in the man. Yousbring in your novitate.
You swear him to do-what? To give up his
conscience. his Judgment, his will. to the judg
ment and the conscience and the will of an
association of men who are not willing that
others should ens1ave them, but who, by their
test oath, enslave themselves. And to what
are they sworn? They are sworn to passive
obedience. to nOn-resistence to take the sign
and grip. Here is your organization. Hold
ing up a document.1 | will not take time to
read it: but | will state the fact that your
grand Council of the United States is organ
lied by the appointment of thirteen men from
Stoto Vho 10 n,1tsi do Of tka fata
to form the Grand Council of the United
States, with Mr.. Barker, of Wall street. New
York, as President. Power over original
judgment, power over appeal, all power is
concentrated in that National Council. And
has it come to this?
All | have to say to the democracy is that
all you want is active, earnest organization.
[Cheers.] Remember that if these know
nothings hold together they are sworn, com
pact committees of vigilance. Go to work,
then. Organize actively everywhere Ap-
point your vigilance committees, but take es-
pecial care that no knownothings are, secretly
and unknown to you. upon them. Be pre-
pared. | have gone through most of Eastern
Virginia, and, in spite Of their Wanting,
defy them to defeat me. There are Indians in
the bush, but I'll whack on the bayonet and
lunge at every shrub in the State. till drive
them out. 1 tell them distinctly there shall
be no compromise-nO parley. | will come to
no terms. They shall either crush me or
will crush them in this State. [Great ap-
plause.]
CALIFORNIA. AND Know NorHINGTsM.-The
advent of know nothingism in California is
certainly most practical satire and shows to
what absurd extremites mistaken impulse
can be carried. A State which has fasiied
all the fears of the timd, and all the prophe
cies of the hostile by its rapid rise to cviliza-
ton-a State which advanced from anarchy
into order and constitutional government be-
fore Europe could realize the fact-a State
which is indebted to emigration for its mar
vellOus beginning and still more marvellous
imprOvement-such a State to be cursed with
know nothingism! Well is it that the order
in California should disavow and disown reli-
giOus intolerance; but will it disavOw OppOsi-
ton to emigration. too? Will it shut out the
commerce and the people of the world. upon
which and whom it depends for its daily
bread? 1t is idle to talk of free trade when
you act against emigration; and California
is the beautiful offspring of BOTH What other
bond is it that makes know nothing party
in California? Isit the watchwOrd that ''Ame
ricans should rule America And pray. do
they not rule California? Have they not in
ruling" California, furnished the world with
noble evidence Of the principle that man is
capable of self-government?" Why then
should there be know nothing party in Cali
fornia? 1t is almost as absurd as such party