The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-02
THE SECRET ORDER OF TIE DAY.

effort get them Of the trap Is not out of place
Thousands of civil and deoen educated men, noted for
trnkness and independence have been led believe il
right to join society which conoeas It's name and would
conceal its existence; to repudiate publicly party they
with privately aud continue in friendly political and
social relations with persons whom they bound solemn
oaths deceive betay and njare and protesting
Chrstians-nay ministers Of the Gospel themsevesare
found among the members Of order whose leading
feature is ignore the Divine command thou shalt not
Ie1
We do not need to the truth Of the revelations
made in various quarters by repentant or ueaeherous
knownothing in order quash the pre,ensions Of the
order to rank among honest political parties The editors
suspected of knowing declare them false but as they dis
claim the time all personal knowledge Of the sub
ect-matsr their declaration carries with it conviction
In fact truth and open-deaing 10 be counted for
nothing compared with the preservation of the mystery
which surrounds the order Theman who has gone through
the pompous promises of petty lodge seems to think
that thereafter for bm lying is Legitimate and bbing
lsehood II is enough for purpose TO assume facts
known of all that the order exists though member
ship Of il is universally disclamed that who belong
il retain ostensiby their connexion with the old parties
go into wing and democratic conventions and pledge them
selves before the world to support the party nominations
while at heart they resolved tobetray them at the polls
We win not insult readers by citing by way Of
illustration
General dstrust is exhaled from the know-nothing
lodges The Oldest acquaintance suspect each other of in
sincerity Smith has known Thompson for twenty years and
confded in him they have been to market and church
gether have discussed politics thousand times without
quarreng have learned TO agree to differ pleasantly but
Smith thinks Thompson traitor to the party while
Thompson returns the compliment by voting Smith
ming old fox Both Of them perhaps have doubts about
the minister of their church. and shrewdy suspect the
chant and the miller of the township. tradesman finds
that all his Catholic customers have suddenly left him
wing nominee sure of success until the polls opened
is abandoned without notice by ninetenths of those who
brought him before the people, and his democratic oppo
nent rreparaby injured with his party by receiving
immense but unexpected majority Deception every
where suspected because too often practised The friend
by your Preside may be spy the neghbor the way
enemy sworn to exclude you from every post of profit
honor and the delegate the political convention
a traitor
This general deception and dtrust constitute evil Of
fearful magnitude The national character long dis
tngushed for manly sincerity in danger of being broken
down into fasehood and equyocaon The religious
tment Of our people hitherto broad in its scope and
phianthropic in its aims in danger of degenerang into
unchristan prejudice and narrow intolerance.
The countenance given to this snberranean order by
preachers of Christianity is significant to the of
the evil II would nonplus them sadly to be called upon
to reconcile knownothngism with the preceps enoinng
all believers to profess the truth And what would they
do with the martyrs II may iscain all knowledge
or order TO which be belongs Peter right in de-
nving his Lord Knownothngsm is the virtual condem-
nation of that noble army of martyrs which, from the
Savours day to the present has preferred the cross the
axe the gbbet the stake dclaimng their allegiance
Christ If the order is right the martyrs should have
reeanted renegadesm virtue Christians may spit and
trampe the Cross in Japan sturdy virtue is foolish OBJ
stinacy, and unwavering faith bigory ft only for
old And yet it is said there are fifty or
sixty preachers returned by the know-nothings to the
Massachusetts, legislature Who or what they are we
know not they may be cantng cobbers thinkers turned
theologians regularly clergymen but of
one thing certan--they win gain no laurels
in their new vocation Religion will be worse and politics
better for the change The time gone when the world
satisfied with laundering ntolerant laws because
the legislator pgolesse5 % make them in the of
God and the time Is gone when the press spared
prncipled politician because he poor priest
All the manifestations of know-nohingsm in dcate that
the order is under the control persons who are either
corrupt feeble attain consideration in regu-
lar organizations whose bgory and tanatcsm predom-
mate their respect for the rights of others The rank
ard file composed of good citizens educed by the cry
Americans Should rale IN america and Of good Proes
tants drawn into antCatholic crusade by Astounding
revelations Of the unholy designs Of Pope Plus upon the
liberties of America We do attach much import
TO the attempt to outlaw every born in for
eign land immigration is evidently the interest Of
many of our States mat NO entertain little fear on
that head But the foray against certain sect is more
dangerous The real object Of not few of the know
nothing leaders is crush the Catholic church their
Of efecting this is by abrdging the rights OIL
Catholic citizens While the liberal mind OF Protestant
Europe tends towards Catholic emancipation these United
States eoIsecrge 70 freedom Of religious opinion are 10 be
made the theatre Of Catholic ensiayeneat Religious pro-
fesson already made by designing profitable game
to play is to become under the phase of religious
intolerance the high road 10 political Office.
We willing to acqut the of know-nohings Of
al well-dehned notions Of the Interior views formed by
their leaders TRey inEk patriotism crusade against
the Catholics, They fateF themselves with being good
citizens when they only gratifying the feelings Of dis
like and revenge which naturally feel towards those