Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-04-11
A German ON the know Nothinss.


Mr.. Valentine Heckler,a German citizen of Rich
mond having been assailed by the" Richmond Anzie
gel" German paper, on account of his co-oPera
ton with the Know Nothings, has published tell
ing reply in the Penny Post. We have room fol
only few extracts. Mr.. Heckler says:
81 don't want any office myself. and couldn'
get one If did, and wouldn't be fit for one 1t
| could, and think am about as fit as the rest d
my countrymen that am acquainted with but
believe the people of this country understand e.
nougt about their own affairs to manage tor them
selves; and don't see that because they let me
come here. and live among them, and enjoy my
liberty, and follow my trade, and they support
me IN my business and protect me IN my rights
that that gives me any claim to ask them to GET
out of my way. and make room for me to come In
and have an office too
IF was at my native home in Germany land
an American citizen was to come there ana SET
himself up for an office, should not feel That ne
had any right to complain fine, and feeI unKina-
ly towards me, because preferred my own eoun-
tryman to him and think it would be very
hard matter for any American to get an ONCE
where | came from, that was worth any BODY
having. and for that reason don't complain be-
cause Americans choose to have their country
controlled by their own people in preference TO
mine.
81 have American born children, and am salts
fed that they should come in for their share OF
offices, and don't want any foreigners to come
here and shove them out of the way"
The following extract will be read with inter-
est.
"But there is another thing that made me a
Know Nothing. and that is, that was carried
into the 'culvcrt' by my brother German, Mr..
Henry Miller, where saw the Elephant large
as life. In the month Of September last, was in
Baltimore with him and he took me up to the
German Roman Catholic Church, where heard
the Priest preach in the German language from
/ o'clock to !, on politics, with newspaper in
his hand, from which he would read and then adj
dress his congregation, and he told them, in my
presence and in my hearing, that those pho did
not come up on the neat Sunday and pledge them
selUes 10 voie for candidates that certain parties
,cere 10 nominate that ,ceek, (for the Maryland E.
lection that was TO come offon the following month
of October ,oould no longer epermited to claim
Jesus as his brother, Mary as his sister, point
the Hirgin Mary. If | had not been satisfied he
lore, ms WOulu nave uCcH cllUuSH W CuH'iCc ihO
of the dangerous influence of the Priesthood and
the uufiiness o. the Roman Catholics TO govern
this country and that the two matters Of Politics
and Religion, or Church and State, were too
much mixed up with that denomination of Chris
tians, to command my confidence in the selection
of proper persons to discharge public duties.
THAT the foreign Roman Catholics of this
country should be opposed to the Know Nothings
is natural enough; but if there is any reason why
foreign Protestanis (of which | am one) should be-.
have yet to learn and will thank the editor of
the Anzieger if he will condescend to inform
me-"
Mr. Heckler concludes as follows:
"The Irish Catholics may get some offices, but
German Protestants never do. They will serve
the democrats for voting purposes, and that isal,
and after that. it is don't know nothing on one
side. and don't care nothing on the other. So !
will go in for the benefit of my children, who will,
hope, be able to take care of themselves. espe.
cially my two youngest, John Minor Bolts and
Henry Clay"
After the above was put in type we discovered
in the Post of the 4th inst a card from Henry
Miller, denying the truth Of Hecker's statement
in regard to the Baltimore sermon. He says
the priest said not word about politics. Heck
Ter, on the other hand, promises, in Fridays pa
per, to produce proofs of all he alleged, and also
that Miller himself spoke OF the sermon and dep
rscated IT, on board the Potomac boat