The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-04-21

The New York Hsrald sd the Know
Nothings-rhe Case Plainly Stated.
Our elder Seward contemporary gavely in
forms the public that the HERALD "has been
all along coquetting with and applauding the
Know Nothings !" but that now it is begin
ming to tire Of their company, and already
gives unmistakeable signs Of going back to the
democratic party" Our Seward philosopher
here betrays the common mistake of all mere
party hacks, of presuming that it is impossible
for any public journal to take sides with this
or that party, except upon the principles which
govern the tactics and organs of Broadway
House and Tammany Hail. For the better in
formation of our Seward contemporaries, there
fore, and all others concerned, we are con-
strained briefly to define the principles and the
party which have been, are now, and will con-
tinue to be, supported by the New YORK
HERALD.
First--Our political principles have not been
CLEANED from the ricketty and wOrmeaten
platform of any party, wing, democratic or
Know Nothing, North or South. We care little
or nothing for mere party resolutions, ema-
mating from conventions Of spoilsmen and
demagogues, whether gathered in council at
Baltimore, Saratoga or Syracuse. Our plat
form is the federal constitution-our princi-
pies are its compacts, concessions reservations
and compromises. Our policy is the unity, the
perpetuity; the harmony, progress and pros
perity of the republic, against all enemies, in
all DISCUSSES, inside and out Our candidates,
in view of this, our established and invariable
policy, are the best that can be had for the
time being.
Upon these general principles we supported
the election of Jackson, Harrison, Polk, Tay-
Tor and Pierce to the Presidency, men Of differ
ent party associations, but each believed at the
time to be the best adapted of those in the
field for the furtherance Of the harmony, the
prosperity and the glorious manifest destiny"
of these United States. II we have been de-
ceived in some instances, we may say that upon
the whole we have "done as well as could be
expected" We have steadily resisted the sedi-
tious schemes and doctrines of the abolition
and free soil factions of the North, and the dis.
union tendencies of Southern secessionists We
control of the government upon "the cohesive
power of the public PLUMBER" and have never
stopped to defend corrupt and incompetent
cabinets or unprincipled cabals for the dirty
consideration Of the spoils. The HERALD, in
fact, has never been the organ Of any political
party, or man, or set of men, but it has uni
forEly endeavored to be the organ and expo
this American Union, and as cherished by the
honest and independent masses Of the Ameri-
can people, resting upon the fixed and solid
basis of the federal constitution.
Here, then, is the key to our alleged eco
quoting with the Know NOthings." Let US
see where we stand. There is no national whig
party-it is disbanded. There is no national
democratic party-it is broken up and
dispersed But on the one hand we have
an imbecile and most worthless administration,
with the nucleus of party, formed of its spoils.
men and retainers; on the other, the Northern
anti-slavery Seward coalition. Revolving
against the one, and disguised with the other,
vast bodies Of the honest people, North and
South, during the last eight or ten months,
have fallen back upon this new American party
of the Know Nothings. We have somewhat
sustained this movement, believing that good
must result from it, in quashing the corruptions
Of this Pierce administration, and in heading off
the great Northern Seward scheme of q renewed
anti slavery agitation, and sectional contest
for the succession. Let it be understood how
ever, that the moment we are assured Of Goa
lition for the spoils between the anti.slavery
men and the Know Nothings of the North, upon
the seditious platform Of Seward and his con-
federates, or anything like it, that moment we
abandon and resist the organization as treach-
erous conspiracy, and as party organized upon
false preteuces. 1t is this "coquetting" with
this mischieyous element of antislavery fanata-
cism that has destroyed both the old political
parties.
Should the Know Nothings, as q national
party, proclaim the constitutional American
principles OF our political platform, they are
with us and we with them. The Albany Re-
gister has indicated q programme Of this kind.
Let the Know Nothings adopt it, and give over
this ''coquetting" with the unclean abolitionists
and freesoilers, and the course is open before
them. Otherwise we shall certainly "tire oftheir
company" and await the re- organization of the
democratic party Men and doubtful parties
are as nothing, when the Union and the consti-
tuition are at stake. We support that party
which hest upholds the constitution.
COUNTRY NoTIoNs OF WAR.--We notice that
our country exchanges reach us full Of warlike
anticipations- rejoicing, others lamenting
al loro