Washington sentinel., 1855-07-21
SON or Henry Clay on the stump against
KnOw-n al hin Qism.

xnow-nothin gism.
| The Kentucky Statesman OF the 10th instant
referring to the speech of Mr.. James b. Clay
against -nothingism, says:
Yesterday great day in this city. II be
| ing court day, great many people from tn,
country Were in the city. Ii had previously beer
announced that Mr.. James b. Beck, one Of the
most distinguished and able lawyers in city
and Mr. James Is. Clay, son Of the sage Of Ash
land, and owner of the old family seat, would ad
dress the people on the political topics of the day
There was great anxiety to hear both gentlemen
and at the appointed hour the courthouse wai
/ filled to oyertiowing.
| Mr.. Beck spoke first. He had always been
| Wing, though man of independent thought and
action. He spoke for two hours, and made one
of the most able and efficient arguments against
know-nothingsm that we have listened to dur
| ing the present contest
| His speech throughout was powerful, argu-
mcntative, 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 re-
marked, is the son of the great statesman, and
has succeeded TO the paternal estate of Ashland
Mr.. Clay said that this was his first effort at a
public speech and nothing less than the profound
interest which he felt in the great questions at
issue, could induce him to appear on this occa-
sion. Never before had such extraordinary, such
alarming, such novel questions, been presented
for the political consideration of the American
people. His apprehensions were aroused in view
of them, and he sometimes trembled for the fate
Of his country. The idea that this government
was to be taken into the keeping of secret, po-
litical, oathbound organization, which set up ufi-
constitutional test-oaths, and the members OF
which were bound to each other by the most ter
rible obligations, was to him most alarming, and
should, in his judgment, arouse the apprehensons
of every patriotic man in the whole country.
Mr.. Clay denied that the platform put forth by
the late Know nothing convention at Philade-
pha, was the real platform of the party-party
did call them, said he; no, they are not a party
in any proper acceptaton of the term. Parties
have heretofore been open, public and above
board; but this is secret oath-bonnd, political
organization, which is seeking after the political
power of the country, by ways and means un-
known to the law, and in palpable disregard of
the long established usages of the people and the
history of the government. 1t sought political
power, not by open and fair means, but by secret
plottings, by cabalstic passwords, by signs and
grips, unknown by the people at large, and in
palpable violation of the government.
No, said he, the true platform of this extraor-
binary organization is to be found in their oaths
and ritual. There were to be found the things
which they were sworn to do and to carry out;
and looking into these oaths and the ritual, he
found that their objects to strike at the citi-
zen OF foreign birth, at the immigrants from other
countries, to disfranchise, degrade and disgrace
them, by depriving them not only of the right to
Americanize themselves, but by cutting them off
from the rights of hospitality and humanity.
They also sought to disffanchise and degrade
another class of our citizens, whether native
born or foreign, on account of their religious
opinions, in plain violation of the Constitution of
the country, and regardless of the painest die
tates of justice and humanity.
hr Inv hat her han hrntf NV
extended remarks of his own on these subjects,
he had chosen to collate the expressed and au-
thentic opinions of the old fathers OF the repub-
lie; and he read extensively from the writings
of Washington, of Jefferson, Of Madison, Of
Jackson, of Quincy, and others.
He concluded his happy effort by saying that,
though the old whig party, with which he had
always acted, was broken and dispersed, yet he
appeared there as one of the old rear guard of
that once powerful and great party; and in that
capacity he protested against this new secret
ganization, as fraught with danger to his country
and its liberties; and he called upon all the old
liners of the whig party to join him in the pro-
test.