Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-01-19

.~fUE BEGINNING OF TIE END
II apv enrnest inquirer wants TO ascertain 'ne rea
nature and object Of Know-N"th'nS'sn lei III" I'll
rect hi. attention 10 Massachusetts, ~hcre II hn
achieved its most signal triumph, and where Its prin
cirlcs pro dryclopiu, themselves III measures OF gov
crnlnent.
In Tn. legislature OF Massachusetts, there nre not
,ozen ,r.u who do not belong TO the Know Nothing
order. Their first act was to hest"w a signal marx o
,orGl.,ce md favor On the disappearing abolltlonlst
Tbo,Iore Parker; aud they are about IL consuin'
,,,,o t,s ;niouitv Of elcctinS Il worthy associate o.
summon 70 the United States Senate. They will toll
Ior nm tbe wnr upon the South, by rcspond!nSto the
.,,,,os,ions of their Know Nothing Governor, in III
,ornosin, every obstacle to the execution Of the fu'
.itive Slave LAW -
we have already made the message of Tins hho"'
Nothing Governor the subject of comment. w
have quoted the language i'll which ne e'"eS
Soutb, and have pointed out the measures D! WIN"
ne proposes 10 destroy the effect Of the inS''''. 'N'
,ow. There i, perfcct concord between Tic h"'"
Nothing Legislature md tho know'SothinS "''''"'
or. Both the Executive and Legislative dep'''."'' =,
Of the Government Of Massachusetts, "' f.:,, l..
to the basest purposes of anti-S!ave'y
the dominant power at hho"--No'""7 b;s
Governor Gardner is rcdeeming tic
inaurural address, by measures when T." ,r,.,
tho care, irtolerance and the anti-slarer! PNI"
sT.,,. S,,hi,cism. The first act OF Ills ""'''
n >, d;sbauL all the military co'hp""rs
which had been organized by the ""7
S,a.o These companies had their origin
in the patriotic impulses OF the ha'"'""- "-...r,
uoss,rbusctts. They were not accn''u !"
couduc, ar sinister designs. They were "'S"" 'or
,bo nurpose of maintaining the pence ~" -
,,,;a,v and they had vindicatcd their INC i
,,,si.,co IN times of trouble. Tho s'"l"'
,,.;. ,r,,,iza,ion attes;c,l the readiness y '""
u,o,nbsrs f, leopard life and limb in delehro" '"e' III
,oros,s ,f their adopted country. But' 'hey were Tue
- 49,. nm, IS ,be Hind md relentless prescription
of KNOWN othiusisin.
nh, borl fute %: these companies deserves The SYM
,o,Lv Of th, South. They did IL good service i'll M
Lour Of trial, and We cannot witness their drSrada-
tion without sorrow and regret. When the ianaticis'n
Of the native population Of Massachusetts, impe!lcd
hem to resist the execution Of the fugitive slave law,
when they rcvultcd asains: the authority of the icdc
al government, and trampicd upon the rights oi the
South, who was it that curbcd The ims,Icnre OF popr-
ar fury, maintained the peace of society aud the ru-
Of law, upheld tho Constitution and the
Union. and enforced the just demands of the South!
recy companies Of ih' forc'gt-bor~ citizens 81
Massachusetts,, Both in tho Gaze Of S.mms and
Burns these companies were con- piruon- in rrprc--ing
.evolt andin enforcing the execution ri the law. Their
conduct on these occasions provoked the Remuneration
IF Theodore Parker, who Indignantly charged upon
hem the criminality of fearless and faithful support OF
he laws. II was al Irinh-born citizen of Massnchu-
that was slain by the abolitionists, while aiding
N the ~recapturc of n fugitive slave. The offence OF
hose companies Of naturalizcd ci,izcn-soldicrr, in the
Judgment of Know nottingham, was not their foreign
birth, bu: their conservative attachment TO thoc"n-tl-
.utiun, and Ia the rights OF IN" South.
The disbanding Of these companies III Massarhn-
is the first step towards the complete distr"n-
,lisement and degradation OF the forrign.b"r" popu-
alton of the United States, which the know-Notlings
contemplate as the ultimate triumph of their move
ncnt. Here 10 the beginning Of the end.