Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-11

tion, would unite in such a conspiracy. Gentle
men, this is all stuff. We know what this secre-
sy il. and What il was for. They have proclaim
ed their principles and basis, They proclaim
that it is peculiar organization. for the purpose
If building up "A party To sustain certain princi-
pies If those principles are good, of what I'M
| portance is il, that they choose to 90 together
and consult about them, aud discuss the ways
| and means to procure their ends, in secret. Il
not every political association practically secret
| in It's operations. and its communications with
| other associations affiliated with 1t, and in all the
machinery calculated to give effect and success
to their poliieal objects We know what II l..
! We know that the great mass of the party have
nothing TO do with all this preliminary manage
men, and in truth know nothing about IT,
No, gentlemen. we know what the object of this
secrecy is or mt least think we do, and think
| it j. stated in n very able letter issued recently
! from some council in New York. II gives very
fully Tho objects of this organization, and the rea-
! sons OF its secrecy. will read you some extracts
! copied into the Lynchbnrg Vrginian, from n
| PENNSYLVANIA paper, which is opposed to this
| Know Nothing organization. Its perfectly well
known that it was designed to protect those who
were DESTROYS of joining this party from the ter
rors and denuncatons of the old parties to which
they might belong. Possibly there many men,
honest industrious, and sober men, men whose
bread depends ON not quarrelling with their par
ty who though DESTROYS of joining this new organi-
zation could not do 40 unless they could he pro-
tected from the consequences of an open avownl
of the fact that they had joined the new party. |
will now read from the Lynchburg Nirginian the
extract which have referred to.--(We perceive
in looking to the paper that they are the cdiorl-
al comments of the Nirgnnn upon the article
copied from the Pennsylvania pnper)
I'VE need only look over the columns of any
democratic press in the State, to perceive how
necessary it that the members OF the new
party should protect themselves behind the shield
of secresy. Whenever democrat is discovered
in connection with the movement, regardless OF
his rights as n citizen and his feelings as II nun,
he is sgnatzed rs u mscreant and traitor, and
held up to the and contempt OF the world
The rigor of its party discipline is such that few
men are bold enough to incur tho yindcitivc and
relentless penalties of absolying their allegiance
to the democratic organization. The law OF
Rus sinn despotsm which makes 1t n capital OF
fence for subject to quit the realm, without per-
mission of his imperial master, is not more strln-
gent more rgously enforced than the obl1ga-
tion Of the democratic fealty, which demands
perfect and perpetual adhesion. The regulations
Of military service have been adopted into their
code - and descrters are either shot without
mercy, or drummed out Of camp with the ignom-
inons notes of roguc's march. 1t would have
been impossible for the American organization To
have obtained recruits from that party, had they
not been protected by an obligation of secresy,
in Withdrawing from the one body and uniting
with the other. And if the object and principles
IF the party are in themselves patriotic and proper
this condition of membership will be excused as
II necessary and sole means of promoting their
strength-and the only proper subject of inquiry
and comment remaing is ms to the purpose, not
the character of the organi2oton'
Besides all that, we now have it pretty well
understood that the purpose and objects OF Tins
secrecy having been attained, and the party be-
ing strong enough to sustain itself, the veil of
secrecy will be removed. Aud then every body
will probably worder what great fuss was made
about this secrecy, which at last may turn out TO
have an no secret at all, except, in regard to
some particular modes and details of proceed
ing.
Now, gentlemen, believe | have said pretty
much all that designed to say, though | may
have forgotten something. One of the papers of
the city, II very respectable paper, aud edited by
very able, amiabe, and tacetious gentleman,
published some time ago, speech OF niue, made
here ut tins place IN good hundred rnilery OF
the Taylor Conventional speech which suppose
must have been considered 10y my Democratic
friends "a exceeding funny, considering the vast
amount of printed laughter which IT seems to have
occasioncd. Well! now. in perfect good humor
towards Mr., Hughes, for whom entertain feel
ings OF kindness and respect, | beg leave to say
that II is little strange to mo that while he
h'hhiiE " llN'Il - bNfl IT. II H'N'i 't'di
red "a him that there was another convention to
which that speech nbout the cat in the meal bag
might possibly hive some application, as well as
the lravlor Convention. There was II certain
Convention which assembled not very long
ngo, Mt Sauntou where there WAS also n eat
in the meal tub, and there II certain Arch
bald l}ell-the. eat, who threatened to hing the
bell around pnsss neck, at the Convention, that
| there should be m mouse running about there in
| danger of being caught. But some considera-
! tons oycrruled this bold intent. Harmony was
! thought more eApedient than the assertion of
! principle, or like Bob Akcrs, his courage ouzed
ont ht his fingers ends.
No body knows 10 this day what arc the prin-
ciples of the Virginia Democracy upon Hunters
| Land bill. There is another matter suggested by
! this reference to the land bill which presents
considerations of great importance in reference
| TO the question OF toreigr Immigration. One If
the most miscellaneous habits of legislation has
| grown up in Congress in reference to new terri
tories in the west and south west-and course
of legislation inconsistent as it seems to me, with
the spirit of the constitution allude TO the
ganzlng Territories that every foreigner-al-
though he have only been in the country a short
time tsx or twelve months) believe. becomes IL
voter III these territories 1t is in those States
built up by that population to the great extent
n population who cannot speak our language or
read write any langnage-a great many of
them, it is ill., say, those States, built up by
population of this cast, that great and import
amt political party is growing up which, before
many years, at the present rate of mmi graon,
would have the power to control the destinies of
the country. And besides all that, in connection
with this of legislation in regard TO the
territories, we have projects of practical agra
ranism appropriating the public lands to all who
will 60 and settle upon them without price or at
merely nominal prices. furnishing bounties to i'm,
migration and thus filing up those States to a