Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-05-02
TAe xasw E,.hia@- in Al English Poias
or View.
IFrom the LondOa Times, .Apru g.

annals vi Tree SldlSS. w no snail say W VIVA
gauss we are To attribute that wave OF public o
plnlua wlich, like the tides circUng around the
globe, rises, sweIs, AID at last breaks upon the
shore Sometimes for an idea, sometimes Tor
loader, often by accident, more rarely by lnten-
li1n-aefe, under the influence o reI!g~us en-
thuslasm, there for The cause OF political lndepen-
seace-at one line Tor the overthrow, at another
f,r the maintainauce of existing Institutions
parties are inseparable troa the conditions ut po-
ineal lie hey are perpetuated by tradition, they
are guarded by honor, aud they are rooted IN hu-
man nature itself. Yet ii is hard 10 say where
that power originates which exercises 50 constant
. control over The opinions aud actions of large
masses of mankind. Parties are themselves. Tor
the mast part, unconscious OF the source OF the
impulse they obey, aud they are more habuually
occupied by the excitement Of the contest than BY
The Importance of lis result.
Ii these remarks apply to the parties ofonr own
country, where all such distinctions are of slow
grostn and retain traditional character, they
are much more applicable To the political condi-
tivn uf the United States, where the growth and
fuciuaton OF parties are more sudden, spOntane
Gus and uncontrolled. The institutions OF that
country put up to election every iourh year not
only the Presidency Of the United States, but the
wn.le patronage vi the commonwealth. The or
patton OF the American citizen, because he knows
that success in party management places at his
sontrOl the desuDie5 OF one ut the FIST nations in
the world. Hence the rapid succession Of parties
yich nave presented themselves. under various
unc1uth names as candidates for the favor ut the
psuple of The United StateS-lJcofOcos, barnburn-
srs and. ut the present moment, Know Nuthlngs.
We confess our inability to trace these deSgna-
tiols to their origin, but even the derivation OF
,hs Immortal names of whg and tory is fancltul
aud obscure and we are content to know some
,hinr of lhs principles they are intended to repre-
sslt.
We have read with great interest State pa
per, which appears 10 us to be drawn up wllh a
bhty and moderation, on behalf OF the Know
Nlthn q, rs they profess to call themselves,
the American party. in the nited States. This
party has already obtained decisive ascendrncy
in the y irthern States of the Union, aud 1t is
extremely probable that it will name the success
sor of President Pierce at the next Presidential
slsction. But the principle on which the party is
formed is Of tar greater Importance than any per
sonal consequences it may produce, for this prin-
siple m ~ lead to permaue, results IN the policy
Of the Union. The American party, indeed ,pIa
ses itself in opposition 10 the rival claims OF the
old political leaders, and il b0ass that It's organ-
aa,In has been completed entirely without their
assistance The object Of lis founders has been
70 preserve their design from the assaults at other
parties until they could rely on their own strength.
and for this purpose they state; eurlousiy enough,
shat '.their organization is mere OF less secret IN
action, and almost altogether secret IN the source
from which 1t derives its counsel and design. -
Yet in spite Of this mystery. which would seem
90 little adapted to the political habits OF the u
ritel States, the party has unquesllonably gained
ground with singular rapdty. 1t must therefore
represent an opinion shared by large masses ofthe
American people. Its main object is declared to
be to re-assert the original purpose Of the Union,
10 rsvive the national spirit OF the country, to
srush th,se factions which have converted party
warfare into 4 mere struggle for the power OF dis
pensing patronage, and ab0ve all, to resist the IN
crease of foreign influences IN the United States
rns last motive is more especially the peculi-
or and immediate object Of the Know Nothing
party. They state that not much less than halt
q million strangers are driven annually by power
" or nsrule to swell the population Of the United
States; aud that although this acquisition OF Ia
bor is in some respects useful to the community,
vet that these immigrants are ignorant OF the IN
sgiuti1ns, the laws, and even the language OF the
country, and animated by spirit very different
from that Of American citizens. THESE persons
are. however, very speedily invested win the
fraQenlSG aNQ Tue eAelCioC Vi POAAsfN@A k""NA.
This Immigration
FURNISHES what may without much exaggera-
zion of phrase be called the distinct estate in our
republic Its ever swelling tide Is visible IN every
community IL is banded into combinations more
or less apart from our long known and familiar
masses of native citizens by ties ut foreign KIN
ared. by unfIrvolten and ever cherished national
tiles, aud by synpathies alien to the spirit which
alone sussaius our peculiar, temperate and com
pllcated system of freedom. Worse than this, 1t
has cauGht the notice aud stimulated the craft OF
selish political aspirants and demagogues, who
have too easily fund ii plant resource Tor par
~ use. and have cajoled, fAttered and seduced 1t
into the ranks Of partlaan stlte, and thus lmPSrt
ed t1it consequence and an Influence most po"
srtnl To aid perverSe ambition, out utterly pow
.rls.s to accomplish any honest eud for which the
highest prerogatives Ut ctlzenship were original
ly designed"
To This we may add that it exercises an undue
and almost exclusive influence over the American
press that it IS always eudeayorng To embroll the
tInjlsl States. iOr its own sinister purposes with
the Eurupean Powers and that 1t Is led by the
renenades. the sympathizers and the annexation
lists OF every cline, who have sought refuge bs-
You'd the Atlantic.
But the views Of the American party do not
stop here. .rhey observe that very large por-
ZION OF this annual immigration belongs TO the
Church of Rlne-a body regarded with dIsrust
by the greater number vi The American people,
prufe ssing at least moral allegiance To foreign
and absolute Power, aud organized In peculiar
manner for tue pc1nutlOn O Roman catholic OBJ
jects. at the expsase oi those very liberties which
these persons exercise aud enjoy. The American
plrly therefore pfoclalins that 1t takes lis stand
against the priiIlcal action oi the Roman Catho-
L. i,hureh IN thp 4 Tnilad Stalps not from intpl-
erance OF the doctrines uf that faith, but from
eonycton that the tendency OF that church is TO
s,nbJdy its adherenls in party, the objects Of
which are at variance with the institutions and
national spirit OF the Americas people.
These declarations are to a great extent new
In the history of the United States. Hithe TO I'M
limited facilities and encouragement have been
held uut 10 immigration, and the political partle,
in the community have protested absolute indIf-
ference to the religious alt1 vi their nelabers.-
Experence seems 10 have convinced at least one
considerable section of the American community
shat1hese privileges cannot always be as literally
conceded as they have hitherto been; and 1t is
obvious that the principles OF this new party are
mainly directed against lhe extraordinary Increase
of the Irish element among the American pOpu-
la,ion, both as aliens aud as Pap;sts. On many
other topics the manifesto preserves a discreet
and significant silence, probably because, al
although the Know Nothings are cordially united
on sone prints that union does not extend to all.
Thus the vital question Of slavery Is lett unno-
ticed because Ia Massachusetts Tor instance, the
Know NOthlngs have declared ter emancipation,
while in other States they support the fug'uye
Slave law. Again. the annexation OF Cub2 aud
other territories is not alluded probably because
every extension OF territory inhabited by men OF
~ Nj h,,lfc foitb