Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-12
THE KNOw-NoFHINOS-. TnEIR ORIGIN, DESIGNS
AND PROBABLE INFLUENCE on THE SOUTHERN
STATFS


AND PROBABLE INFLUENCE on THE SoUTHERN
SrATES.-[ooNcLuDzD.
9Th. Is not tis tnoO-modiing party, as nor Or
garzed, likely to be tatcl to Tie rights Of The Scam
ern States, to their slGpe prOpey and thence 0y con-
sequence fatal TO the onion
That property is now admitted to be IN great and
imminent peril For years the wing papers nave
been reluctant to admit it. But they do now adj
NIT it in the broadest fullest manner. Wing Sens-
tors and Members of Congress every day aud every
where admit it. Indeed it has become papable
and undeniable to all that twelve hundred
millions worth of Southern property is at this very
moment, as we have already stated, in great and
imminent peril The preservation Of such vast
amount of propertyiis therefore, and ought be,
matter Of the highest concern and interest, with
every Southern man. 1t ought to and it does rise in
fnitely above all ordinary party ties. In proof of
this we need only look to The fact that it has not
only severed and divided nearly all churches
but it has disrupted and dissolved the wings as a
national party II is notorious that they can no
longer act together party in the Halls of Con-
gress on the slavery questions which the abolition
lists and free solers are presenting TO that body.
They conld not net together on the abolition Of
slavery or even the slave trade in the District of
Columbia-on the fugitive slave billion the Ne
braska bill-indeed on not single one of these
questions could the southern wings prevail on
their northern friends to 60 with them against the
abolititonists They utterly refused to cooperate
with the southern wings in protecting them any
longer in the enjoyment of their property. For
this, the wbig party of the South was compelled
to withdraw from the wing party of the north
The separation wide, total and fual on the
Nebraska bill. Now the solemn question which
we ask of any wing OF the South, is this: if you
were thus compelled TO withdraw from the wings
OF the north, how can you expect to co operate
with the know-nothings of the North? Who are
the know-nothings Of the NORTH You know
precisely who they must be- Every body there
either a wing, abolitionst, or reesoiler, or
democrat. These were the elements Of the
whole northern population, and know-nothingism
there must necessarily be composed OF some one
or more of these elements. 1t is not composed Of
democracy we know forsevery political fight has
been with and against the democracy of the North.
Northern democracy expressly took issue with the
know-nothing party, and therefore constitutes no
one of the clements of know nothngism. What
other elements were left? Why, of course, none,
but the wings and the abOitonists or freesoilers,
these last constituting but one party.
Thus know-nothingism in the Northern States is
reduced to two elements, both Of which are totally
inconsistent with our Southern property. Te:t
these elements practically as they have often been
tested No Northern wing who is also know
nothing will vote with the Southern know-noth-
ing against the repeal Of the Nebraska and Kansas
bill-against the repeal of the fugitive slave bill, or
such notifications of it as will make it wholly nu-
gatory-against the abolition Of slavery in the Dis
tric of Columbia or any other of the slavery ques-
tons On the contrary, he viii speak against will
vote against, and do all he can in every way to
cleave down and destroy his slave property. All
this must take place in the halls of Congress at its
very next session. 1t must take place also in the
first know nothing convention to be called for the
nomination of candidate for President. The South
ern portion Of the party must demand from tie
convention aud its candidate, some pledge that the
institution of slavery shall be recognized and pro-
tected--some pledge that the fugitive slave law
shall not be repealed-some pledge that the Ne.
braska act shall not be repealed-some pledge that
if the people residing therein shall choose to have
slaves Now we know that the Northern wings
viii give no such pledges. They have been tried
over and over again on the subject, and because
they would not, the wings South separated from
them. The abolition and freesoil portion OF the
know-notbings will of course give no such pledge
but will proceed to make their nominations They
viii claim to be large majority, perhaps two
thirds Of the party, and that therefore it is right
that they should make the nomination acceptable
10 them and not to suit the views or interests Of
the minority. Nay, more than this, when that
nomination is made, matter of whom, whether
it be Hale, or Seward, or Wilson, they will point,
with an iron finger, to the recorded OATH which
every member has taken, that he aC5H cote for ann
ccaadidote majority may nominate That oath digs
the grave Of the South In it will lie buried twelve
hundred millions Of her slave property. In it too
will be deposited the broken fragments of VIOLA
ted constitution and union of our coun:ryl How
much better would it have been, if the whigs Of
the South had never withdrawn from the wings Of
the North. Then if they had been out-numbered
and candidate nominated that they could not sup
port without rua to themselves and their families
they might have broken of from that nomination
without mourning the awful guilt of perjury But !
now they have united with new ally and bound |
themselves by an obligation recorded in Heaven |
that come what may-Poverty to themselves |
beegarv TO their chidren--serve aud externna- |
ting war, still they will have to redeem that luck
less and ill-fated OATH There il no way. Every |
man of sense must know that it is but poor eva !
sion, to say that the know-nothngs of the South |
would withdraw from the party rather than to |
erbmit 20 such deporable results would Withdraw
from the order. Aye, they might withdraw, but
when it was too late 1t is certainly mach safer
not to go into the lions den, than TO trust the
chances of getting out OF it without being devoured
The abohtonists know well how many thousands
there are in the South who would recoi from the
idea Of being published and degraded as deserters
and traitors to any cause which they had once es-
poused. They know well what great numbers of
them might have mistaken but vet most conscien-
tons scruples and doubts whether they co,d with
draw their solemn oaths, after they had bao, 20
corded in Heaven. Herod was thuuderstr,,ol, -.
the head Of John the Baptist was demanded n
knew it would be unjust and unprovoked murder