Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-12-14
THF WILMINGTON JOURNAL.
An,,-Kuow Nothing Meeting.

.roctable meeting of citizens opposed to the Know
Nothing order met at the Court House on TUESDAY
evening, the 18th inst =
The meeting was organized by calling IhomaS
Asbe. ESQ.,, 10 the Chair, and appointing Wm'
rooobs and Joshua A, Walker Secretaries
John l. Holmes, Esq, explained the objects OF the
oot;r to ho the interchange Of opinions and sentI-
nents between citizens opposed 10 the domnancy OF
the Know Nothing order, and in favor of the liberal
Ant.Know Nothing ticket for Commissioners OF the
Town of Wilmington Mr. Holmes concluoeo Oy
calling on Robert Strange, Esq
MIR. Strange said that if left to his own choice he
would much have preferred to have renamed ST.
1ort auditor rather than to become speaker upon
this OCCASION not that he did not sympathse and go
nth the movement heart and soul, for he did :; but
because that the pressing nature of his engagements
had rendered it impossible for him to devote that at
tenon to the subject which its Importance demands
Mr. Strange then proceeded to anaIize the position
and progress of this new Know Nothing party-Rc
show the universal afiation OF It's Northern mem
hers with abolitionism-ts reputation OF the much
talked of 18th Article of the Philadelphia Platform,
now openly advocated and pressed by It's central
ssOrgan" at Washington City; that Article being al
ready in fact dead letter, and even If alive and en-
dorsed amounting to nothing. Look at the candl-
dates SUPPORTED by the anti Democratic coalition in
Conoress, for the high and honorable position OF
Sneaker of the House L. D. Campbell OF Ohlo ~
P. Banks of Observation-Disclosures opponents OF the
Southland Henry NJ Fuller of Pennsylvania, who
received the votes of the K. N. members from
North Carolina. Who is he? The friend and sup
Dorier Of the notorious Governor Johnson of PennsyI-
n oh n IN
svlvania? A Freesoil Legislature of Pennsylvania
passed bill refusing the use OF the Jas OF the STATE
for the safe keeping Of fugtves from labor and tor
bidding any officer of the Commonwealth assisting
the Southern man in any way IN the recovery OF Ills
property a subsequent Democratic Legislature re-
peaIed this odious law, and -GoVernor Johnson
pocketed the repeating act-klIed IT. IN TACT Hen
~ NJ Fuller is the chosen friend and co-adJutor OF
Johnson-lke him, he is anti Slavery, antl-FugllVe
Slave Law anti Nebraska, anti Southern and he re-
ceived the votes of the X. N. members from North
Carolina. The Know Nothing order may have ma
tionalitv. but it is nationality which embraces only
the North, and in which the South has neither act
nor part.
Mr.. Strange then proceeded to the discussion OF
the ostensibe principles OF the order-lt principles
they might be called, namely The exclusion OF Ro-
man Catholics and naturalzed citizens from full
participation in the rights of citizenship guaranteed
by the constitution and the laws. This was quite a
sudden revelation 10 the majority OF the leaders OF
that party or order since they had but few brief
years ago as late 1852, been among the strongest
supporters of Gen. Scott and had vehementy at
tackled Gen. Pierce as a citizen of New Hampshire,
because of the clause in the constitution of that
State excluding Catholics from office, and yet they
were now unfolding that same odous doctrine them
selves So with their extreme zeal against naturali-
zed citizens Who had so warmly eulogised this
class of our citizens IN 1852 as their then standard
bearer, Gen Scott
Mr. Strange read from Gen Scott's letters in l84S,
and still later, in 1852 in which letters that great
soldier bears warm and enthusiastic testimony TO the
Valor the patriotism and the constanCy of the cltl
zens by adoption, VINO fought sde by side win The
native citizen on every battle field in Mexico and in
the war of 1912, on the Canada line. Testimony
which put to the blush the sweeping charges made
against them; especially the sheer at their So
month, as though the immense Of IS month
cancelled and blotted out all the debt of gratitude
due to valor patriotism arG sefsacrfce. If the poor
private who gets the paltry sum of So a month is
amply repaid and deserves nothing besides but SCOTS
who gets $500 month, as did Generals Scott and
Taylor; and yet who would pluck laurel from
their brows, or suppoSe that such services could be
estimated in money
Mr. Strange showed at some length and with
much cearness and force the national position of the
Democratic party, what it had done for the Country
and how it stood up for the constitution and the
equal rights of all sections under it,
Eli w. Hall, Esq, being called upon, responded
at considerable length, in speech replete with wit,
eloquence and argument. Why, said he did find
so many citizens assembled together why the deep
interest felt and manifested in a merely municipal ,
contest Time when such things passed almost
unnotced and citizens had TO be begged TO 60 up to
the pols-when no test was thought of in regard to
a citizen to be elected Commissioner but that
contained in the question-is he honest and has be
a house with brick chimney But things have
changed-the affairs of town have become more i'm
portant and more complex, aud consequently more "
interest is felt; but that is not all, nor the
main cause of this interest and excitement. There
is now great principle involved-a great principle
at issue Without going into any ngthened discussion
OF the propriey improperly of introducing such is
into our muniCp pal contests the could say that our
skirts were clear of have introduced any such thing
Along in last year there sort of talk of some
odd shaped affair they called Know Nothing" but
whether the said Know Nothing was fish. flesh or r
fowl no man could would say. Most certainly, c
so tar as being able to find out anything about it, he
was vertable Know Nothing. Well, about cleo Il
ton time for Commissioners he happened 10 be abb +
few doTy md yulo bo hooI