The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-12
THE OLD LEAVEN.

We hope.
THE OLD LEAvEN.
The american Pdrty.-Just at this time
there appears to be combined effort on the
part of the Democratic and bitter Abolition
papers and speakers to cry down the American
| party. The extemes unite in this one thing
| Mr. Wise and the Richmond Enquirer are
not more determined in their opposition to
the American party than are the New York
| Tribune and the National Era. They oppose
| it from causes which are the very antipodes to
| one another--the former, because it is, as they
say Anti-Slavery and the latter, because it is,
as they say, Pro-Slavery. There is awful
gulf between them. One or the other is wrong,
| and we do not place so poor an estimate on
their intelligence as to believe that they are
ignorant of the facts of the case."-C Cincinnati
Gazette.
This is copied into the Portage County (O.)
Democrat, paper of like faith. The editors
of both were formerly Whigs-now they are
Know Nothings. 1t is hard to work the
"old leaven" out of man. This argument
was always deemed smart one, when the
Wing party was alive. That same Gazette
used to put it to our Herald in Cincinnati, in
the same way:
"The Richmond (Va.) Enquirer is not more
determined in its opposition to the Wing Party
than the Cincinnati Morning Herald. They
oppose it from causes which are the very anti
podes to one another-the former, because it
is, as it says, Anti-Slavery the latter, because
it is, as it says, ProSlavery. There is an
awful gulf between them. One or the other is
wrong" &c.
Has the Gazette yet to learn, that there is
such thing, as "playing fast and loose" Scar
rying water on both shoulders" wearing two
faces?" Has the Gazette ever read of the
Church that was neither hot nor cold, which
the Holy One spewed out of his mouth? Old
proverbs and Holy Writ will furnish the expla-
nation of the phenomenon which seems to puz-
zle the Gazette.
The game of the Wing and Democratic Par
ties, from the appearance of the Anti-Slavery
movement, as an influential element in politics.
was, to wear Pro-Slavery face in the South, and
an Anti Slavery face in the North, and then,
for each to charge upon the other, Anti-Slave-
ryism in the South, Pro-Slaveryism in the
North. The Know Nothings, taking the place
of the Wing Party, pursue its tactics, and the
same old game is to be played by the new Or
der and the Sham Democracy.
But, when did anybody ever charge the Anti.
Slavery Party, or, call it what you will, Adolf
tionists, Free-Soiers, Liberty Men, Free Demo
crats-when did anybody ever call it two.faced?
When was it ever mistaken for a Pro-Slavery
party? Let Political Organization be hon.
est, thorough, and open in its opposition to
Slavery, scorning the trick of ignoring it, dis
daining to play into its hands under cover of
an affected devotion to the Union, or the Com
promises of the Constitution, and announcing
boldly its purpose to obtain the control of the
Federal Government, and WELD it in obedience
to the Principle of Liberty-and nobody will
ever charge it with being Pro-Slavery. Its
true character will be known and read of all
men.
BY No MEANs.-A ProSlavery editor in the
South, writing to us on business, remarks: 81
do not think you act exactly fair and square
about the Know Nothings in most of the Free
States. They certainly agree in the main with
you, although not ready at present to push
Anti-Slavery measures to an extreme" By no
means. They do not agree with us, nor do we
agree with them, in the MAN, Their whole
policy of prescription we condemn, for the
same reason that we condemn Pro-Slaverv mol.
icy-its violation of Democracy, and of that
which hes at the root of all true Democracy
the sentiment of Human Brotherhood Pro
Siaveryism proscribes black men, and labcrs
to keep them distinct, degraded caste. Know
Nothingism proscribes white men, if born in a
foreign land, or members of a particular church.
and seeks to keep them distinct, degraded
caste. Pro-Slaveryism differs in different indi.
vlduals, like Know Nothingism, in the degree
OF Its prejudice and injustice, but the essential
criminality of both is, denial of the equality
OF men In rights, and the exaltation of one
class at the expense of another. Now, as no
pretence of devotion to the rights of white men
can entice us to act with Party that aids or
abets the prescription of black men, so no pre-
tence OF devotion to the rights of black men.
can seduce us to act with Party that aids or
abets the degradation of white men. DENoc.
RAcY, WITHOUT PARTIALITY, WITHOUT HYPoc.
RIsY-that is our Principle, by which we have
always sought to regulate and determine our
political acts and associations.
FACTS FOR THE People IN GERMAN.-A sub.
scriber in Chicago writes
~ regret very much / cannot get vour
fdcfs In German. Our German friends need
light. The Know Nothing movement has ex.
cited such feeling among them, that thew are
afraid OF almost every American journal. and
seem to suspect almost everybody of hostility
to them" ''-''
1t is an evil that all sensible men knew
would happen. We wish we had the means To
print large edition of the Facts in German
for gratuitous circulation, but have not.
NEUTRALIzING ANTI-SLAvERY SENTIMENT
A subscriber in Kennebunk, Maine, who lately
withdrew from the Know Nothings, remarks in
letter:
al fear it is doing in this State what it is do
ing all over the country, neutralizing the Anti
Slavery feeling"
There is ground for this fear.> Wherever ar
Anti Slavery press has fallen under the domip
alton of Know Nothingism, it has ceased to be
radical and uncompromising. We do not re
member single exception.