Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-08-01
.Son5of Henry G Iayon.t tn stump aga inst
IL :, n ~ 81 i, 1 4 nj m . -

Ison.of Henry G Iayon-t the Stump against
KnOW-Nothingism
The Kentucky Statesman, of the 10th
inst, referring to the speech Of Mr.. James,
B. Clay against Known othingism says:
Yesterday was ID great daylin this city.
1t being court day, a great many people
from the country were in the city. 1t
had previously been announced that Mr..
James B. Beck, one of the most distin-
guished and able lawyers in our city, and
Mr.. James B. Clay, son of the Sage of
Ashland, and owner of the old family
seat. would address the people on the Po-
litical topics of the day. There was great
anxiety 10. hear both gentlemen, and at
the appointed hour. the court house was
filed to. Overlooking. $50
Mr.. Beck spoke first He has always.
been whig, though a. man of indepen-
dent thought and action. He spoke for
two hours, and made one of the most able
and efficient arguments against Know
Nothingism that we have listened to du-
ring the present contest. t...' s-L
His speech, throughout, was powerful,
argumentative, convincing, conclusive,
and told with tremendous effect upon his
audience. ...-.-~
The next gentleman who took the stand
was Mr.. James B. Clay, who, as we have
already remarked, is the son of the great
statesman, and has succeeded to the pa
ternal estate Of Ashland. .. ..
Mr.. Clay said that this was his first eff
fort at public speech, and nothing less
than the profound interest which, he felt
in the great questions at issue, could in
lduce him to appear on this OCCASION
| Never before had such extraordinary,
such alarming, such novel questions been
presented for the political consideration
Of the American people. His apprehen-
sions were aroused in view of them, and
sometimes trembled for the fate of his
country. The idea that this government
was to be taken into the keeping of
secret, political, oath bound organization,
which set up unconstitutional test>oaths,
and the members of which were bound to
each other by the most terrible obligations
was to him most alarming, and should in.
his judgment, arouse the apprehensions
of every patriotic man in the whole coun-
try. go ...r. ...r IL.
Mr.. Clay denied that the platform put
forth by the Know-Nothing convention at
Philadelphia, was the real platform Of the
party-party did call them, said he no,
they are not party in any proper accep-
tatlOn of the term. Parties have hereto
fore been open, public and above board !;
but this is a secret, oath. bound, political
organization, which is seeking after the po-
| lltlcal power of the country, by ways and
means unknown to the law, and in palpa-
BILE disregard of the long-established usa-
ges of the people and the history of the
government. 1t sought political power,
not by open and fair means, but by secret
IPlottings, by cabalistic passwords, by
signs and grips, unknown by the people
at large, and in palpable violation of the
government.
No, said lie, the true platform of this
extraordinary organization is to be found
in their oaths and ritual. They were to be
found the things which they were sworn to
do and carry, out; and looking into these
oaths and the ritual, he found that their
objects We're, to cstriket at the citizen of
foreign BIRTH, at the .immigrants from 9TH
| CT NOUuILAC9t tOsulollduCuLSG, ue5Tdue anu
disgrace them, by. depriving them not
only Of the right to Americanize them
selves, but by cutting them off from the
rights of hospitality and humanity. They
also sought to disfranchise and degrade
another class OF. our citizens, whether ma
tive-bQrn or foreign, on account of their
religious opinions, in plain violation OF
the constitution of the country, and re-
CARELESS Of the plainest dictates of justice
and humanity,
Mr.. Clay said rather than submit any
extended remarks of his own on these
subjects, he had chosen to collate the ex-
pressed and authentic opinions of the old
fathers of the republic and he read ex~
tensively from the writings, of Washing
ton, of Jefferson, of Madison, of jackson,
of Quincy and others.
! He concluded his happy effort by say
ing that, though the old wing party, with
which he had always acted, was broken
and dispersed, yet he appeared there as
ono of the old rear guard of that power
full and great party andin that capacity
he protested against this new secret or
ganization, as fraught with danger to his
country and its liberties and called upon
all the old liners of the wing party to Join
him in the protest. 80 ..
MASSACRE OF BRITIsH Troops IN sierra