Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-11-15
Speech of John NJ. Bright, Esq.

Speech Of John NJ. Bright, Esq
against Know Nothingism, at Fla
Greek, Bedford County, Sept. IL
1855. 4s iHa -bemea.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: i
On rising before you, the inquiry
, is suggested, Why this vast concourst
: of people? Why has the cloud O
; care, which recently darkened the
brow of the patriot, given place to the
sunshine of JOY? Why does the
popular mind yet heaye and roll after
the storm has died away? Why this
deafening shout? Why this floating
banner? Why this unanimity Of
feeling? All, your shout is but the
child of victory; your banner, but the
herald of aAher battle; and your
| unapimity, but the pledge of final
conquest. Surely your banquet joys
are neither wild OF irrational. Your
foe was terrible in might. 1t chal-
lenged the the heaviest metal and lar
gest muscles of our Democracy. 1t
came from the North, invisible and
inyinciblo in its march. The old po-
Iitical organizations bowed before if,
like the trees of the forest before, the
sweep of the hurricane. 1t knew no
check until it crossed Mason's and
Dixon's line. Then the unterrifietl
Democracy lowered and expanded
before the danger, and withstood. the
shock. Thus far, in the South, with
one exception, victory for the Democ-
racy has hung upon the heels Of bat
tie. But our foe, though beaten is
not conquered. It's now giving no
uncertain sound to the battle-trumpet;
and the rallying of the scattered
forcas tells us that We must fight
again. Then let us draw fresh cour-
age from our recent victory, and
strengthen every sinew Of our poiti-
cal warfare. We therefore come be-
fore you to-day, to prove that our re-
ioicing is just; that the, overthrow Of
the Know-Nothing party, in Tennes-
see, was politically, morally and re-
ligiously right and that the leading
principles of that party are funda-
mentally wrong. Y ass~@9r s5t qoF
We concede that the party is ma
tional, as to the secrecy of its organl.
zation;e but we contend that it is sec
tional, as to its principles. 1t has
Northern platform, and a Southern
platform, with various eliminaions and
additions. Louisiana has torn out
the Catholic, plank, and Georgia has
put in the Cuba plank; and 50 many
other changes re being wrought, that
we feel constrained to say Of the par par
ty, it is just
"As the chameleon which is known
TohaYe no colors of its own; -i
But borrows from its ncighbor's hue
Its white or black, its green or bluc.'
We shall, however, speak to the
leading principles Of the party. as
they have been advocated in NJ fennes-
see. searsrss ,r.o
1st. The secrecy of the Order.
ID The extension of the time for
the naturalization Of foreigners to
twenty-one. years. ~. ,a.It - :,
from Office. ~-
We shall make only a passing re-
mark as to the5secrecy of the Order
The history of the werld4proves that
all secret political organizations; are
not only dangerous to the peace, but
to the very existence of the. govern
ment. The conspiracy Of Gahhne
was secret. a lie, with other illustrioqs 5
Romans, conspired to destroy the
senate. plumber the treasury, and set
Rome on fire. They, too, were oath
bound; and, as a pledge Of their Ii
deity, it is said, they drank with each
other wine mingled with human, bleed,
They had the government balanced
Eon a hair, aud it was saved only by
n
the vigilance and energy OF Cicero
secrecy was the soul Of the cJesults
power. Their societies became onep,
sive to Europe. and They were expelled Z
England in 1904; Venice in n6o6'
Portugal in 1859; France in l9o4
ESpain and Sicily in 1767; and totally
hs,ippressed and di abolished by rope
element XIV. 3inr177S." Let ou, 1,
! country profit by example, and guaro
against the ambush and surprise o
ali secret political organizations. :.
But we pass on to the consideration
of the subject Of foreign Immigration
We shall notice in brief, aysn .,I
l lst. Its principal moving causes.
ID Its character.