Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-16
KNOW-NOTHING MACHINERY.

THURSDAY, FEHEEARE t5, 1883.
KNOW-NOTHING MACHINERY.
Repugnaut os are the principles of Know H"'n','9
ism TO every liberal sentiment, the agency winch "
employs fo- its purposes is sill more
re.pec, OF public policy md moral efee'. Wv, of
one word OF inquiry to tho os'e"s.''' ,:',.,
the Order, its mere machinery ID chous' c,u..;,,
and repel every rsht-thnkinc mind :.,;sa. tho
| sentiment Of Jesuitisrn that the emu lu''
mesn, is the vital principle of Know Not''hso'l ""N
>, roozo ;ts vision of political power s'r"h' ''o
49,. ..;r. ,,d .rurus no expedicnt OF fraud or OPP
,~,,.;ov ,rbot if it's aspiration be never 20 h'sh
r., ,.',ox,r,. should men wnllow i'll filth ana cover
.,S,,i,.v with ufuny in pursuit Of dazzllnS chi'
"sr.7 Are VIC not forbidden by Divine injunction
.,,o o,;, ,h,, rood NAV come Of tt Docs any hon
os, pstriot pretend that the interests oil the country
are to be promoted by acts Of personal olS
honor or measures Of public lgromlny /"
fight and bleed and die for country--t" Saer'nee
TO the public good everything Of personal ease or
advantage, is worthy of praise and lasting remen'-
brance but the genius Of liberty is not propitlated by
the arts OF vulgar denagoguism aud thr snh'ertugeS
Of low ambition 1t is against the order OF l'rovi'
dence, that good cause should lean upon Ill eF'l
agency: that Virtue should contdo in the champion
ship of Vice. Wo do not look to bad. men Tor Soou
deeds, neither are the interests OF humanity protect
cd and promoted bv measures Of immoral nature ana
vc;ous tendency. "Meu do not gather grapes OF
borns, nor figs of thistles.' We neither Judge the
man nor the party BY their proiessons' We hho" INT
tree by it's fruits If the precnceS OF the man "re ho'
borne out by his conduct, we suspect MN Us an iu'-
,ostor and dete.t him for his hypocrisy. II aparty
rc.or, m unworthy means and corrupt agency, we
dstrus its patriotic professions and regard lis pnei-
pes as a sham and o deception. No atfeeta''oh OF
virtue or audable purpose can cover the seeret COT
rup,iou of me heart concilate the confidence o'
mankind. But unworthy conduct exposes the houo"
avpucrsv of tho man or the party that courts credit
by professions OF honest principle and patriotic pur-
pose.
If wc uncover the hidden agency Of KnowNo-
,hnci.m, and contemplate its base practices, we must
be satisfied without further inquiry that a s pari.
otto professions and highsoundng principles are but
cunning devices OF imposture and masks Of vicious
conduct and evil design. II q man come among us
with sealthy step and downcaSt look, refuse to give
his name or tell his object, and evade recognition bT
anxious coucealment, tho community begin 'mmedi-
ately to suspect and prescribe him as one harboring
some dark purpose o! crime. Apply this simple test
of common sense to the secret machinery OF Know
Nottingham. II the principles OF the par6 be pure
aud it's object legitimate, why this ANXIOUS concc"i-
mcnt and all these elaborate devices o; dsssnuluton
Ii the practices Of Know Nottingham are p-aisewor-
thy, why hide them from the public cye' The truth
| is Know Nothugism shrnks from scrutiny with tie
guilty. foar of the f.on. Conscious crime makes II
avoid detection and wrap itself ir the gloom Of an i'm
penetrable secrecy.
1t obvious that secret political associations are
inimcal to tho institutions Of republican government
and the supremacy Of popular opinion. Their inevi.
table tendency is TO withdraw public matters from
popular discussion and Concentrate them IN the hands
of an irresponsible and unknown olicarchy. il
Know So.hingism usurp the power to which !; as
pres the people will be bere of all political control
and the Government: be perverted from its original
nature 10 the most corrupt and oppressive usts.-
Hence, Prs1IcirY is rcckoned among the invioab)e
safeguards Of liberty. writer of this country, but
of authority wherever vigorous in,eliurt aud sound
philosophy command respect, in discussing the
guarantees Of liberty, employs this remarkable
language: ain free countries political matters
relate to the people and therefore ought TO be pub.
lie. Publicity informs Of public matters; it teaches
aud educates, and it binds together. There is no pr
tr'ossm vnhout p"b'icny, and though publicity cn-
not always prevent mischief, IL, at oN cre"ts an
ulurm bell uhict calls tie pnbln attention 10 the
place of daagcr In former times, secrecy was con-.
sdered indispensable in public matters: IL IS sal so
tchrc monarchicol absolGt,m sways; but even these
governments have been obliged TO yield to better
spirit" &c. Again Liberty, have said, is coupled
with the public word and, frequently the pub
lie word may be hbused il is nevertheless true, that
out Of it arises oratory-the astheics of liberty. All
governments hostile to liberty, are hostile TO prhlic.
~" &c.
But light begins to penetrate the secret rercsses OF
Know Nothingism, to Illumne its dark caverns ana
expose to popular indignation all the hidden machinery
of fraud perjury aud oppression, by which 1t s"bducs
the manhood Of its victims and binds them to its dts
potic purpose In recent issue Of the HMg, there
was disclosure OF the mems cmployedby know-No.
thing Councils to nnidate and coerce the represen'
tatives of the people in the Legislature OF New YORK.
We propose still farther 70 deyeope the nature OF
Know. y Nothiugsm to give n portion Of the debate
which it did 10. suit ths purposes Of the llhgto pub
sh In another column insert the speech Of Mr.
Baker in the Legislature Of New York, " whch candid
man can reHd without feeling OF unutterable detes
.atiou and oathing for the infamous inposture Of
Know Nothingisu. People Of Virginia, read this re-
relation and sayif thing corrupt, oppressive
20 bghtinE in its effect human nature, intolc.
rsnt SO in'idiou graspng, deadly hostile to IL
bortv, 80 degrading shall fl,ten its fangs on th,
good Old Commonwealth.
'cber on Civil Liberty aud selfCiorrrnmen. Vol ls.,
pp 1926.