Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-08-11
The CIoyeu Foet.

more and more clearly the old cioven
foot of whiggery peeping out from beneath
the Know-Noihing mantle. Under the
old organization and name of Wings
they had no hope of the present or of
the future. Even under such leaders as
Clay and Webster, the Wing party hal
ceased to exist Again and again had
the people of the Unsp, decided against
the principles and policy Of that party
and from the manner in which they h d
been discussed, in Congress, BY the pub
lie press, and in private, and from the
thorough knowledge the people had ac-
quired Of them, it was impossible, with
those principl s, to steal a march upon
the people, or to foist into power their
advocates. The cloven foot was there
fore carefully wrapped up, to conceal lis
utter dcformty, and placed IN the bac k
ground while in It's place, was thrust fr-
ward painted bawd, with more hideous
deformity, but covered with sauze and
tinsel, around which, it was hoped, all
the cd Wigs would rally, and which
would draw enough from the Democratic
ranks, to gre to the opponents Of Democ-
racy an ascendancy in our State and
National governments. Such is Know
Nothingism, and its office. Thus far, it
has succeeded but badly. Hundreds aye
thousands Of true hearted Wings, men
who were Wings from. principle, who
honestly believed that the principles and
policy advocated by Clay, would be pro-
duclive of the greatest good to our
common country, at once saw through
the gauze which covered tine new idol =
at once saw it in all its corruption and
loathsomeness, and turned from it with
sickening disgust. From the D, mocratic
ranks, it has drawn few political hacks,
standing offce-seekers, men without prin-
ciple, except it be the principle of spoils,
men, who had never acquired or had lost
the confidence of the Democracy, and
who saw, in the new party distant hope
of the success Of their own peculiar
principles.
Thus far K. n ism has fulfilied one
of its boosted missions, that of purfca-
ton. 1t has purified the Democratic
party, by taking from it those who acted
with us when the party was in power,
and carried with it the prestage of sue
cess and the spoils Of office, but who
have now deserted to join what they
thought to be stronger party, with a
greater chance for Office. Any other
party, with any other principles, would
have produced the same result with these
men. But the desertion of these men
has lost US no strength, for there are
more than enough Wings, who were so,
honestly and from principle, who reject
the new creed and join US heart and
hand, to counterbalance the disafection
in our ranks. But notwithstanding the
presence Of the new idol, before which
they bow in secret and slavish submits
sion, the clovcn foot, which the Democ-
racy has so often sent limping from high
places, must peep forth. In this County,
bur few Democrats had joined the Order,
and the leaders were either too ignorant,
or lfthey thought at all, were too greedy,
10 make even show of distribution. AT
the Convention was grand rush and
grab, and like starved pigs to well
filed trough, each one grabbed wha, best
he could, whether he preferred it Or not,
regard IS of his neighbors or of the con-
sequences In other counties some show
is made, under the guidance of more
experienced wirewor kers aud trickstefs
of distribution of Offices among tn
mrmbers of the old parties, but even
tbcn-mark it well-it is only the inferior
ministerial Offices that are thus divided,
while on the Legislative tickets through
out the State, you will see at least three
Wings to one Democrat. Here then,
the plan is plain and simple. The ole
Wing party Can well afford to d stribute
equally the more unimportant County
Offices, while they are allowed, quietly to
usurp the Legislative and Executive de-
partments. And should ever they attain
success in National politics the DEM
Gratis who have joined them will find
when too late, that they have been bul
the tools of set of tricksters.
To these Democrats who joined the
new party in hope that something better
and purer than either Of The old political
parties would spring from it, we say,
think again calmly, before you take
final and decisive action. III claven
foot is seen TO plainly to deceive us, and
i l. l.