New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-26
RALAANI,S ASS.

Though no great admirers favOrers OF Know
NOTTINGHAM we have had more than one occasion
to admit that as Providence is accustomed to
bring good out of evil, so some good has come out of
that The most recent instance OF this provldentai
transmutation which we have noticed Is presented
in the case Of MI ex-senator Berrien of Georgia
whose lately published letter, giving his reasons
for Joining the Know Nothing party, forclbly calls
TO mind that miraculous interpOsiton by which
Baaams ass was made to speak. There is, how.
ever. this difference between the two cases: that
Balaam's ass spoke to rebuke his foolish master,
whereas ex. Senator Know Nothing Berrien speaks
to rebuke his foolish self.
Mr. Berren is in favor of a national party, hav-
ing for one of its leading objects change in the
naturalization laws and the reasons for establish
ing and joining such party he thus sets forth:
Consider also, that these emigrants stunning the
South from their unwilingness to compete with slave
sboTand fOcsing TO the North, from their abolition
tendencies in search of kindred spirits, thus rapid
" Increasing the majority against you in Congress at
every opportunity, and WILL unless checked in no very
great length of time, place the Constitution and the
Institutions of the South al the mercy of fanatcism.
And how these caamiies 10 be avered, If this
horde Of foreigners, rapidly increasing, is to be annu
ally added 10 your society The plaques OF Egypt
were mercies since they guided by Divine be-
nevoence and stayed by His omDipotence, when the
deliverance of His chosen people was effected. But
who shall stay hs moral pestience, if you are insen-
sible TO your danger Ii persevered in IN what
il eveLuate but in the ruin of the republic Can the
noble system of government, established BY our
fathers, be administered by men like these"
II 10 not our present purpose to consider how
far the apprehensions expressed by the ex-Sen-
stor are well. founded. We wish merely to
point out how in justiyipg the foundation Of a
new party on these grounds even with SO great
an object in view as "to prevent the ruin Of
"the Republic" Mr.. Berrien completely
abandons the political position occupied BY him
self for many previous year', and how loudly
and emphatically he rebukes his whole course
Of preaching and tesching-his Senatorial
speeches having generally contained mixture
| Of both-while he sat as q member Of the Fed.
| ersl Senate.
Complaints against the North for presuming
to intermeddle with the affairs of the South
formed leading and fatorite topic of Mr.. Der.
rien's solemn Senatorial discourses, com.
pounded as they were in about equal parts of
law and gospel, or of what he who delivered
them supposed TO be such. 1t was in vain that
Northern men urged in reply, in language which
Mr.. Berrien seems now to have borrowed, that
Slavery was question in which they too had an
interest. II was in vain that they asked, a. he
has now taken TO asking, "who shall stay this
"moral pestileDce, if we are insensbe to our
danger ;" Pointing to the increase Of Slavery
in the South, and its extension into new Terri
tories, as Mr.. Berrien now points to the influx
of free immigrants into the North, they asked,
as Mr.. Berrien now asks: "If persevered in,
L" in what can it eventuate but in the ruin Of
the Republic I" And, referring not merely
to the slaves but to the shareholders as they ex.
hbted themselves on many notable occasions,
it was asked in the very words which the
solemn ex-senator has now borrowed and turned
into an excuse for joining the Knew.Nothings
Can the noble system Of government estab-