New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-11
TIE KNOW-NOrHIaGs.


oIgsI iza'ien may be uncommoply doc'le, bu.
there is evidently stout mixture Of human
nature in their composition The spirit Of DEM
ocrati: turbulence is at work among them.
They are not all lambs to be led to the slaughter.
Those characteristics that distinguish all large
bodies of men asstmbliDg to act in concert we
imsgine, will be exhibited quite as prominently
among them as among any other class of our
fellow ctizens. They are by no means politi-
ca)y regenerattd and sanctiied. They are not
priests of political millennium. TAey are still
unhoy, ,nful, and as strongly tinctured with
depavisy as their neiehbors. We are thus filei
with the conviction that DO new experience is to
be afforded to the world By their collective action
ia its concerns.
Two Of the Fundamental doctrines Of tho sect,
indeed the two that mark the peculiar discipline
of the body, are secrecy of aston, and the sur
render of individual opinion to that of the ma
jority in Council. Thus far, with not numerous
exceptions, the members of the fraternity have
acted under these regulations in harmony. Blu.
as soon as the machinery of the org ,nizatiO is
we'll under way, tie uncomfortable spirit Of In.
,ubordiDstion and free inquiry asitates the coun-
cls on the fret of these points. Members
already suggest change and powerful leaders
we see advocate an open policy Already
scbism is widely visible on this point. 1t 10 not
difficult to foresee where 1t will lead. The Sc
crecy of Know Nothing meetings will be sradu-
ally abandoned, perhaps not formally, but yet in
effect and practically The objects of their
action are all public and political. Their acts
thus take the form Of publicity necessarily, aud
their preliminary proceedings, under such cir.
cumstances, can hardly have q motive for con-
cealmtpt.
The other point Of dsciE line lie the rock upon
which the order 10 ultimately to split aud 60 to
pieces This is the unconditional surrender by the
individual of al personal liberty Of action to the
majority of the council to which the member be-
lorgs Tois might have done before Luther, but
it won't work in these latter days. Most especial.
ly will il not work in this quarter of she world.
The right of private Judgment and freedom OF ac-
ton has sways been the corner stone of Protest
sntism and the attempt to overthrow it in an as
ISOLATION got up especially to damage and work
the overthrow of Popery, is an Inconsistency too
great rot TO break down under It's OWE weight.
The partial application of the dogma Of no per-
scna independence has been the great Incubus on
the caucus tystem. The odium Of that system
arises from very much modified application of
the idea, however compared with the stringent
tyranny enforced by the discipline OF the Know
Nothipgs. The old system, where the member
OF the caucus was considered only partially bound,
and this by considerations of personal henor or
party fealty has been falling into diirepute amid
the rebellion OF all Independent minds against
sucb comparatively mild sway Of the idea As
revived by the new party, it becomes an instru-
ment Of hateful tyranny, obnox ous to every man
posse ssipg fLe smallest INDEPENDENCE of n.ture.
Il is utterly impossible that .ueh rigid account
ability Of the individual to the Council, as we
have lately seen many instances of in the action
upcn contumaciOus ku0w.Nothipgs, can last. 1t
is tie worst sort of slavery for it is the slavery
Of the mind rather than the boiy. Though
slave in fact, Uncle Tom hmself scorned the idea
Of such mental submission % the Know Nothings
exact This great peculiarly CT the new party,
standing SIS Is does in open hostility to all Ame,i-
can notions OF liberty Of action opposDg itself ~
every just snd liberal idea of genuine manhood,
must then tumble, along with tue other now de-
fenses Of the party, and leave it standing, where
oil paIses in free country should stand, purely
on its own merits
Tie Koow-NothiDg party, or the American
party then is defined at no remote period, to
take the position in our politics that is held BY
all other parties, ard i: behooves the intelligent
members Of il 10 look this fact IN the f..e. TIE
mass Of i.s members cannot be blindly nosed by