Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-23
THE TRUE AMERICAN PARTY.


new know nothing party, which attempts to steai
and sparopria.e TO itself the name of american,
after having worn, disgrsced and abandoned the
name Of 'whig," is not, and never was Amer.cah
in feeling It's instincts have always been foreign
It looks TO the British Constitution as 'the perfec
tion of human wisdom" 1t hates the poor for
eioner. who seeks this country an asylum from
the concessions of which he has been the subject
in the cid world, and would crush him into the
earth. But it loves the doctrines of the aristo-
cratic oppressors who force him to fly to US for
refuge.
This new know-nothing party, which has under
itsdiarent aliases III it possesses as many as
the Observation-Disclosures consistently spologized at
least for the enemy in every contest with foreign
power in which the country has been engaged, now
sets itself up as an American partyi 1t has no
more claim to the title than it had to the title of
lrhiy when it some years since adopted that name
The policy of America has always been, in the
language of WASHINGTON to invite the immpra-
ton of foreigners, and "to welcome them to a par
ticipston in all our rights and privileges" A con-
trsry policy is anti American
The policy of America, as established by the
Constitution of tho United States, is, the equal
right of every man to FORM his own religious
opinions, and not to be made the subject of poit-
cal exclusion for such opinions. contrary policy,
such as is advocated by the Know -nothings, is
anti.Americsn
This same know-nothing party, under its different
aliases, has resisted every effort to Amercanze and
lberalize our institutions 1t cngs to kingy and
aristocratic forms, and breads the people.
In every contest in which the country has been
engaged even to the recent troubles with Spain it
has taken the side of the enemy in the arguments
1t has used. We speak not of all the members OF
the party for there have been many notable and
honorable exceptions. But we refer to the fact
that the old federal party sided with Great Britain
in the last war with that country; its successor,
the wing party, opposed the war with Mexico:
and we have ample indications that should our
difficulties with Spain lead to an open rupture the
successor of whiggery-know-nothing fol.
low the course of its predecessor and take the side
Of Spain.
This same anti democratic party has always op-
posed the acquisition of Territory. Under the
name of federast, it opposed the purchase of Loui
siaua by Mr. Jefferson; as wing party it ridicued
the acquisition of California; and as know nothing
party it is opposed to the acquisition of Cuba.
Know -nothingismis the nti-American party. 1t
would reverse what has been the American policy
from the hour when such policy was first an
nounced to this day The complaint of the Deca-
ration of Independence, the act which gave birth
to our nation, against George the Third, that "Ae
has endeaVored to preUent the population Of these
States; for that purpose obstructing the atcs for The
naturalization Of foreigners" can be made in the
same language as is used in the Declaration of In
dependence against the know nothing party Thus,
the first article in their creed is stolen from George
the Third, and is denounced as anti-American in
the very document which made America a nation.
and gave her policy of her own. The only other
feature in their creed--a war on men for their re-
ligious opinions-is foreign and anti-American to
the very extreme Of hostility 1t is borrowed from
the Spanish Inquisiton. The whole process by
which it is attempted to be made effectual is stolen
from that Institution. 1t not only includes its prin-
ciples, but adopts its secret councils and all its
Jesuitical arts to entrsp and deceive the unwary,
1t inquiries into mans religion, and is thus an H.
QUESTION Of the same character as that of Spain.
1t teaches men to deceive their friends, and to
sport with truth. Its policy is secresy and silence.
instead Of an open and manly advocacy of its doc
trines 1t Is, in short, in all its principles and
modes oil action, not only copy of the worst
forms OF European and Asatic despotisms and
tyranny, but is anti-American as though it had
been expressly adopted IS the reverse of all that
has given American institutions name and charac-
ter in the world
The know-nothing party is the anti-American
party. 1t wars upon the very foundation prnci-
pies Of free institutions. 1t is hostile to the growth
and prosperity of these States 1t would rekinde
the fame of religious war, and adopt the very worst
forms Of the Catholic despotisms of the dark ages,
which have been abandoned even in the Catholic
countries of Europe. 1t is gross libel on Amer-
can institutions to apply to such doctrines the name
American The democratic party is, and always
has been, the true American party" and it will
vindcate American institutions by crushing the
life out of this menstrous secret conspiracy against
that RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, TO establish which Amer
lea was first settled, and to defend which we are
pledged by the fathers of the Republic and the au-
thors of the Constitution.
Since writing the foregoing, we have found
an article in the Montgomery (Ala) Advertiser and
Gazette, with the same caption ard nearly the same
arguments, although in better language than we
have used. As the whole design of this know
nothing movement is to destroy the democratic
party, and thus enable the enemies Of Republican
institutions and the admirers Of foreign intolerance
persecution, and manners to accomplish what for
seventy years they have in vain been striving for,
we copy the whole of the article as a supplement to
cur own, in the hope that may save some victims
from the secret conspiracy, by revivng their reco
lections of what the Democratic Party has done for
genuine Americanism:
From the Advertiser and G0zette
The TRUE AMERICAN PARTY-With honest PRIDE
we rejoice in being identified with the true Amer
lean party, every examination of whose principles,
every retrospect of whose history and every glance
at whose present position never fails to swell our
American heart and bid the welkn ring In the
principles of this party, the foundation of this Re-
public was laid. In the almost continual triumnh
of this party read the history of the Rennblic :
And all the hopes of the perpetuity of TINS Union
are based upon the conservatism of the same marty
How appropriate then, and albeit profitable in The
apparent desire to whelm all previous political mar
ties so visible on every hand to recur to- if not 70
Law stress on several of the leading features of the