Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-16
The Know-Nothings and slavery.

Whilst the administration presses and advo-
Gates here, and at the South, are making des-
peratc efforts to excite the South against our
ORDER on the groundless charge that we are
allied to disuniOnism at the North, in a cru
SADIE against slavery, the Seward "higher-lap
presses at the North are proclaiming that our
party is the "ally Of slavery" we copy the
following from the New York Tribune, to wit:
"We ask all earnest opponents of the slave
power to watch closely the progress Of the Know
Nothing movement, and see If II does not justify
our denuncation Of it as a necessary ally Of sla-
very striking down this opponent in one State,
and keeping down that one in another no matter
though he belong to the order, simply because the
interest, growth, and ascendency Of Nativeism are
held to require the suppression Of all agitation
respecting slavery in other words unbounded sub
mission TO the exactions and bchests OF the slave
power Wilfuuy blind must he be who does not
perceive this"
We have heretofore exhibited to our readers,
the utter Inconsistency manifested by the enc
mics Of our order, at the North and South, In
making these contradictory statements. 1t
must be obvious to every Sane man, that 1t Is
not and cannot be true, that the American
party" are, at the same time, the enemies"
and the "allies" Of the South If the Wash
ington Union and Sentinel, the Richmond En-
quircr and Examiner, and other presses which
sustain the administration, speak the truth, our
party are in coalition with Seward and Greeley,
and seek to destroy the rights and interests of
the South, whereas on the other hand, If the
National Era, New York Tribune, and their
kindred prints, tell the truth, we are the al
lies Of slavery" and devoted to southern in
terests.
We have heretofore stated, and now repeat,
that both these representations are utterly
untrue 1t is false that our party has entered
into any alliance TO oppose slavery, or to s,s-
tain it II is false that our party are either
the enemies Of the South, or the allies Of tho
South. Tho question Of slavery is distinctly
eschewed and avoided as topic Of discussion
in our councils. Why, the New York Tribune
ITSELF not long since, distinctly proclaimed,
through its columns, what has not been denied,
that the Grand Council Of the United States at
Cincinnati, adopted resolution, that the qucs-
ton Of slavery should not be discussed in our
councils, but should be sunk .toreteri
Yet, says the Tribune, in the extract above
copied, the Know-Nothing party is the "ally
Of slaroryl" Northern disunionists alias
"higher-lap" advocates, have combined with
the administration party Of the South, to de-
nounce our organization, but they seem only to
have agreed upon the mere question Of waging
an unrelenting war against US, without harmo-
nizing as to the grounds on which they should
asssil us. Tho northern wing Of this coalition
fight us because, they say, we are pro-slavery,
and the southern wing fight US because, they
say, we are anti-slaveryl Both fight us on
false premises, for we are neither pro-slavery,
nor anti-slavery. Other questions OF national
importance lie at tho foundation Of our organi-
zation
This fact is equally wcll-known to both wings
Of this unhallowed coalition against Ameri-
canism," and hence neither faction has any ex-
cuse, for its Jesuitical denunciations. The
"higher lao" advocates Of the North kao,o,
that our party stands upon the platform Of the
Constitution, and that the conservative portion
of tho North win sustain our principles, and
thwart the aims Of all reckless dsunionists I;
and they are prompted solely by the spirit Of
rereage in uttering their calumnics The adj
ministrstion party at the South, equally well
kaop, that there is no antagonism in our order,
to the constitutional rights Of the South, but
they are not yet sdted with "spoils " and plum
der, and have determined on desperate resist
ance to the American Reformation
Both factions arc grievously offended at the
appearance Of Sam so suddenly, and to mem
so disastously. The "higher lao advocates
fancied that they hsdpower, place and patronage,
within their grasp, when the spirit Of American
ism interviewed between them and the fruition Of
their schemes! The administration party, in
toxicated with the full realization Of their max.