The true Democrat., 1855-11-06

that head-and this strange conduct must be &C., ounted for by the very significant fact, that soldiers of the army have no votes to give for or against any body It never has been pre- tended 1 believe, that the soldiers of the army in Mexico did not fight bravey and galIantly; and all past history has shown that foreigners are as ready as the native population to take up arms, in defence of this their adopted country-its homes and its fresides.
 It does not comport with the charater of true American, to shut up his country as the Chinese have theirs and deny an asylnm aud the previleges of a free government to the oppres- sed of other countries. It is against the deli berately expressed opinions of the fathers of the republic: it is against the policy cherished for sixty-hve years and always upheld by the democratic party; it is selfish and ungen- erous in the extreme, and it is pressed now for political purposes by a secret oath bound organization as interruptions as desperate.- And 1 cannot help expressing it as my firm con- viction, that if the Know Nothing or Ameri can party could be assured of the foreign vote, all hostility to foreigners would cease, their lodges would be disbanded and their records burnt in twenty four hours
 How can they reconcile this fierce proscrp- ton of foreigners with legal gations-with what consistency claim to pay obedience to the constitution, and at the same time, deny the rights secured by it, to large class of persons who have become incorporated into the body polite, with rights and privileges equal to ours the right to hold and transmit property-the right to vote-the right to fill offices to which their merit may call them.
 But the Know Nothngs affirm that they are not obliged to vote for either foreigners or Catholics. Abstractly speaking it is true, for they have control over their own votes. That is not the point in dispute. The wrong is tha, they combine together for the purpose of ex- cluding foreigners from office, and from exer- cisngthe right of suffrage, and they aim to bring the people at large, at least the native popula- tion, to the same way of thinking, and then consummate the outrage at the ballot-b box. It is the combination that is illegal, and an in- fringement of the constitution--it is the illegal attempt by means of that combination, to do indirectly, what could not be done directly. which must be indignantly reprobated by eve ry lover and supporter of good government Would the Know Nothings if in power to-day put laws Tn the statute book to carry out these purposes? If so such laws would be utterly vold. Can they attain the same end indirectly by making the ballot box the instrument of in
 
 sttuton?
 If the Know Nothings can lawfully combine, and bind themselves to each other by oaths, and pledge "their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors," to carry out these nefarious schemes; is there any possible combination that could be considered unlawful or reprehensible2 May they not on the same principle and with equal proprlety combine to obstruct the enforcement of | dislike?
 Ifthey can succeed in indoctrinatng the pub- lie mind, with their sentiments and thus ob- tain the control in governmet, would not such provision or law become perfect dead letter and the constitution be changed in fact, al- though existing in form?
 This is the precise position of the abolition ists of the north. They SOW the seeds of hos tility against the fugitive slave law-create a public sentiment against it-go to the ballot box, claim the right, and actually elect agents officers and representatives who despise it; and thus it has become Imperative, and can hardly be executed at all except at the point of the bayonet Such doctrines must of necessity lead to a virtual dissolution of government, and place all power in the hands of an irrespons- ble mob
 1 am glad to be confirmed in these views by the opinion of one of the first constitutional lawyers of the day, and although whig yet toe elevated and just to ally himself to Know Mo- thlngism-l mean Reverdy Johnson, formerly United States senator from Maryl land, and at torney general of the United States. In an ad- mrable letter dated September II, 1855 he says:
 " In vesting iD congress the power to estab-
 fish uniform rule of naturalization it was ip- tended that aliens by birth might become citi- zens by adoption and by coufinihg the excIu. sion of such citizens from the right to fill the office of president of the United States and from no other right, it was designed to place them III all other respects on an equality with the natlves.* x * X To combine together in any form to exclude from office those who have been or may become naturalized under the present rule, Is as clear a violation of the constitution as would be forcible denial of any other rigb either of person or property.''
 'I hat the wrong is to be done through tht balot-box gives 1t no excuse. The thing is in itself at war with the constitution, wholly ire spectlve ot the means by which 1t is committed Indeed It IS rather an aggravaton of 1t as i abuses the sacred purpose of the franchise, by converting 1t into an instrument of injustice from being as it should be the means of sup porting all the rights that the constitution con fers on the citizen"
 "But the aspect in which such a combination successfully carried out would present us to tn world should be matterOf deep regret. It woul, prove native Americans false to a most solemn national promlse-that holds forth the expec tatons In words too clear for debate, of equali | ty of rights. This combination alter the ex pectatlon has been acted upon in good faith b the emigrant, deneis 1t. It therfore carries witt It national dishonor. It makes also the consti tuition what 1t Is not It changei the law, whcl all are equally bound to obey in spirit as wei as letter, and makes for itself law'' 1 If persons of foreign birth are to be denied the right of suffrage and to be excluded from al offices and employments of honor, profit or trus ln the federal or state governments, are the, also to be exempted from taxation and from tn burdens of government, or will the Know No thmgs-the great American party, that doe not In fact represent one single American prin | ciple, apply the tory doctrine to them o taxation without representation Against tha principle our forefathers appealed to the God o battles; and secuted 1t from this continent; bu 1t is again to be introduced in new form, an, applied to portion of our citizens
 Next comes the prescription of the Catholics The constitution of the national council pro fesses to exclude from the order any one wh, IS Catholic himself or has a Catholic wife; bu to catch the popular breeze in States where tn Cathollc population are numerous, the subor dnate State councils are expressly "autho,yzec
 to so construct their respective constitutions as sa best promote the interests of the American caus 20 Mear severaI jurisdictions" And vet th Know Nothings claim to be national! Reat fellow citizens and ponder and reflect! In State like Louisiana where the Catholic vote Is worth courting, Catholics may be admitted to the order and become thorough Know No things. In Arkansas where it is insignifcan and could not turn the scale in any election, i Is not worth the asking and so Catholics may not be introduced to the order. The preludic against that creed here Is used and famed in to a flame to induce Protestants to join; whe Tn Louisiana the same prejudice is subdued b the principal motives of discretion. In AT kansas 1t is kept up because something may made by 1t, whereas in Louisiana 1t is kep