M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-04-27
From the Quincy (ll.) HOald.l
Was George Washington IA Know
NOthingl

From the Quincy (ll.) Herald.
was George Washington IA Know
NOthingI
One of the most prominent, and yet
most ridiculous claims to public favor
set up by the new order of proscriptive
zealots known as know nothings, is that
George Washington, the Father oil his
country, was in feeling and spirit and
principle know nothing-that he was
an enemy of religious liberty and hos,
tile to the emigration of foreigners who
come here to support, uphold and de-
fend republican institutions. As an
evidence that Washington was hostile
to the adopted citizens, the papers in
the interest Of this iliberal order quote
and keep standing at the head of their
columns, an order given out by him to
his under officers on the eve Of the bat
tie of Yorktown. These know moth
ings tell us that Gen. Washington said
on that occasion, TO his subordinate Of.
ticer, "Put none but Americans on
guard tonight" Now, perhaps he said
that, and then again, perhaps he didn't
History furnishes no evidence that he
ever used those words. But suppose
he did. He didn't tell them to put none
but native Americans on guard! He
didn't tell them to put no man on guard
who was not born in this country! He
didn't tell them that if they overlook a
true hearted american citizen, who
happened to have been born in Ireland
or Germany, they shouldn't put him on
guard! That Washington did not in
tend to exclude adopted citizens from
the responsible service of guard duty
that night, by the remark attributed to
him, is proved clearly by the fact that
only a year or so afterwards ne defined
unequivocally what he understood to
be all American, by signing and approv>
ting naturalization law, under the pro.
visions Of " hich any foreigner might
become an american, and enjoy all the
rights enjoyed by any other American,
after residence OF two years in the
country. 1t is. perfectly clear, therefore
that " ashington, if 'he'ever made use
Of the expression, did not mean there.
by that Tory should be put on guard
simply because he was born in this
country, and that those who happened
to have been born elsewhere, should
not be put on guard although they had
served nearly seven years in the cause
OF American liberty, upheld and vindi.
Gated the honor and rights oil the Amer
ican flag in'e hundred battles, and by
itlieir devotion to the American cause,
upon all occasions and under all circum-
stances shown themselves TO be as true
hearted and patriotic Americans as any
of those who happened to have been
born in this country. When Washing
ton spoke Of Americans, he meant pre-
cisely what we mean now a days when
We speak Of Americans, he meant,
simply, men who had American hearts
in them, and men whose attachmen;
and devotion to the cause of American
liberty was undoubled, whether they
were born in this country or elsewhere
1But there is no occasion or necessity
Tor argument to ascertain Washiugton's
position upon the question of religious
liberty and the rights of foreigners. -
He has left daguerreotype OF bis
lwhole mind upon these subjects upon
the records OF the country. To those
records we turn. We take up the life
of Washington, and turn 10 page 1877,
and we there find him giving utterance
to the following sentiments, in an ad-
dress to the Catholics, delivered by
him in March, l790:-
GAS mankind become more liberal,
they will be more apt to allow, that all
those Who conduct Themselves as wor-
thy members Of the community, are
equally entitled to the protection of
cirI government. | hope ever 10 see
America among the foremost nations
in examples of justice and liberality.-
And | presume that your fellow citi
zens will not forget the patriotic part
which you took in the accomplishment
Of their revolution, and the establish :
ment of their goverhment--or the i'm
Iportant assistance which they received
from nation in which the Roman
Catholic faith is proiessed.'
We find here no hostility on the part
Of Washington to the Catholics. On
the contrary, he acknowledges "tbe
patriotic part" which they "took in the
revolution" Again; on another occa-
sion, Washington said:
"The Irish volunteers merit the
warnest thanks of America for tlIeir