Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-05-19

pW The Legislatures of New York and Massachu-
sets, it is KNOWN are largely Know Nothing and for
the Maine liquor law. They also abolition in
their character and the same is true as to the late
Legislature of Maine, which passed ultra abolition
resolves and enacted very stringent prohibitory
liquor law. In the Northern or non-slaveholding
States, all these Ssnps i1aUGria6Ly go together and
they are used by designing men and unscrupulus
decevers of the people to advance their own cor
rupt and selfish ends. The New York Herald, a
neutral paper, furnishes the following sketch of the
character of the Legislatures of New York and Mas
sachusetts. What would be the fate of this great
country if such men should obtain the control of
its affairs at the federal capital? The Herald has
not overdone the picture-indeed, it appears to be
true to the life. We very much fear that the world
is no better than it was cen turtles ago. Readerl
look at this pictue of Know Nothingism and it's
kindred isms:
"SINGULAR ANOMALIES OF MODERN MORAL LEa1s-
LATIoN NEW YORK AND MAssACHUsETTs.-Som
of the late proceedings of the excessively moral
hgious, temperate and high toned anti-slavery Leg
islatures of New York and Massachuse it's are very
curious and very suggestive of the pretensions and
weakness of poor human nature.
In Massachusetts,, to begin with, they appointed
committee to look into those terrible and danger
female Catholic institutions of education and re-
lgion, which threaten to undermine and blow up
the old Bay State Assembly and Bunker Hill Monu-
ment with another Popish Gunpowder Plot But
wolf in Sleeps clothing was discovered among the
goats of the committee. He was brought up for ex-
animation, and found to be very bad customer to
sit among the sixty preachers of the Gospel in the
House Of Representatives at Boston. He had pas
sion for strange women-a horrid thing in
ried man outside of Mormondom; he had foisted
the name of certain luxuriously inclined Mrs. Pat
terson among the members of the committee, and
had uplawfully enjoyed himself in her society, &C
cording to the strong crcumstantal testimony of
the experienced chamberm of the hotel at Lowell,
and had saddled the bill of costs upon the State
Treasury, to the extent of some six dollars and
twenty-five cents, more less God save the Com
monwealthi
The House of Representatives, including the cler-
gy thereof, were shocked, Mortified, and Indignant.
They were duly and infinitely convinced, however,
of the guilt of Mr.. Hiss, and so they have expelled
him almost unanimously. But here comes in the
really shocking part of the story. Mr. Hiss pleads
that he has been too severely judged-he has been
invidiousy condemned, and urges, in palliation of
his offence, that it is common thing among the law
makers of the indignant Massachusetts House of
Representatives, He can, it seems, show, if they
desire it, that from hundred to hundred and fifty
of his fellow MEMBERSHIP says nothing of the sixty
clergymen-are each, to some extent, as partial to
contraband liquor and females himself. What
to think of this? W hat will the good Maine
law and virtuous people of Massachusetts think of
it? We call for committee of investigation upon
this broad and general charge of Mr. Hiss. Where
there is so much smoke there must be some fire.
Will the House be content with sacrificing Mr.. Hiss
the scapegoat of his guilty associates? No! Let
the whole Legislature be purified, both with regard
to contraband females and contraband liquor
These frghtful and demoralizing discoveries in
the Legislature at Boston, have been almost equal
led. however, in their peculiar and overstrained
morality, by some of the recent doings of AL
bany law makers They came down to New York
official visit, headed by "a little villain of
the most thorough-going purtanical pretensions to
good works. They went over to Blackwell's Island,
and there, according to the showing of their
reporters, they mortified the convicts of that
famous locality with their bad behavior. The Lieu
tenant Governor, who had pledged himself in favor
" of liquor law, but not the liquor law led off,
and Assembymen and Senators had a glorious
spree. They kept it up bravely, and returning
evening into all sorts of mysterious and suspicious
holes and corners. Had q general fire that night
broken out in Church or Mercer street the police
would have discovered the whereabouts, perhaps,
of some of the most sanity Pharisees of both hous
es strangely mixed up with bad liquor and the most
dangerous and hardened members of society, of
both sexes. Their frolic to the city being at last
brought to Close legislators convinced from what
they had experienced and seen of the necessity for
some bold measure of reform, returned to Albany
and passed the act for the suppression of temper
ance, vice and crime" known as the liquor law.
Now, the question arises, the reforms of such
teachers of morality and temperance those of the
Massachusetts and New York Legislatures COM
mand the respect and obedience of an intelligent
and honest people? Are they not rather calculated
to excite public contempt, disgust and resistance?
Let the future answer for the consequences. ga
corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit