Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-07-25
COMMUNICATIONS.
Know Nothing peceptioss.


the kindness to insert in your paper. Never haV,
ing written an article for publication in my life, feel
somewhat ut loss will therefore be as concise
as possible and cut the matter as short as practca
bic.
At the Democratic con9en ton at Franklinton,
last April I made public denunciation OF the
Know Nothing organization. stated that had oeen
induced to have degree conferred on me In tnat
dark order, and that disclamed or abhorred the
organization, which disclaimer was substantially
copied in your weekly issue of the 18th OF April,
which contained disclosure OF secrets IN words or
signs thought had discharged my duty as a
reod citizen when had denounced the dark order
and warned all good people, and Democrats in par
ticuar to beware of it. Had they been quiet there
the matter might have rested; but from that day
the vile tongue of SANDER and persecution has been
at work against me-not openly and manly to my
face, but secretly and clandestnely. am living in
n community where was born and raised and
where have resided. l have no favors to ask
at che hands of Know Nothings in any shape. 1t is
only necessary to be known by whom and for what
purpose these base and ungentlemanly insinuations
have been set afioat.
think it will be proper to give some of the cir
cumstances under, and the means by which was
induced to Join the order. l never sought them,
but they sought me. Some time in the month of
January last happened at ForestVille on Sat
urday evening" not knowing suspecting that there
to be K. n. lodge held there on that occasion.
had however, heard few days before that there
was likely to be established at that place. A
little after dark number of persons began to gath
er in which, for that neghborhood, was quite unu-
sual I'D to that time, and began to suspect some
thing and remarked that would leave, as might
be in the wav. 1 told by gentleman that
was not In little while the company had nearly
all dispersed, knew not whittier. Very soon the
same gentleman came in and asked to see me pri-
yatelv. did not suspect his business until it was
disclosed to me. He asked me if l did not wish to
20 and hunt for the Know Nothings told him L
knew nothing about them, and l would go into
nothing in the dark. We had some further CONVEX
rUbi T So recOlieCt. which
convinced me that they were close by and would
be very easily found. then proceeded to assure
him that if my connection with that order would in
any way suppress, even trammel my religion to
my God or my politics to my country, that would
have nothing to do with it-that held both sacred
and nyiolable, and that would maintain them
through life and contend for them in death !; to
which he replied that he did not know that could
be Know Nothing. responded that did not
if could not, and parted, he returning, | sup
pose, to the council room, and l to the store from
which had been invited. In short thin there
came another gentleman and requested to see me
privately. Not knowing that he belonged to the
order l did not suspect his business until it
made known to He asked me if certain
had not been talking to me about joining the Know
Nothings. told him he had, and proceeded to
captuate what said to the other man in reference
to my religion to my God and my politics to my
country and he stated that the other gentleman
knew nothing about tit would have no such ten
denotes as to suppress or tranmel either. lie as
sured me it was as much Democratic as Wing
measure, and understood from that that it was,
to some extent, a Democratic measure. He said the
society was composed of Democrats and VI hgs, and
they for the constitution as it is; by which
understood they for strict construction of the
constitution, and that there nothing in the
gulations Of the organization that would conflict
with the spirit of the constitution Another induce
mcnt held out that carrying every thing be-
fore it in the North and of the objects and tend
encies was to put down the Northern aboitonists
and the Southern disunionsts thereby alaying that
great fanatical strife, so much to be dreaded, in
Congress; and about the first thing that occurred
to my mind was, that if the Northern abolitionsts
were sienced, there would be no Southern disun-
ionists. There were other things spoken of, but
these were the prominent inducements held out
told the gentleman, " on these terms will go with
you and see what you have to say and do"
We walked Immediately to the council room, l
was invited to a seat, and very asked if be-
longed to that Order. My reply was that did not
know-that had been invited there by a gentle
1 then upon my feet, and to be certain
that difficulty should originate, and before any
secret of any character was revealed to me, l re-
marked to the whole council that if my connection
with that Order would in any way suppress even
tramme my religion to my God or my politics to
my country, would disavow* the whole concern.
A gentleman of intelligence remarked that he did
not think there any danger, but if found it so
could withdraw. / was then requested to take a
little obligation of secrecy which they said they had
all taken, and intended to keep sacred as long as
they lived; and 1 induced to proceed on the
faith of the assurances given me, with the avowed
declaration my part that lift concted with those
assurances 1 would disavow the whole concern
Having confidence that all would be right we pro-
ceeded to the 9Th question in the ritual. saw that
calculated to control my vote at the ballotbox.
I told them that would have to be left to my own
would not vote for any man that did
not wish to, neither would vote against any man
for whom l chose to vote. So that was left just
where we found it.
was then told there was yet another obligation
to be taken before the secret could be revealed and
1 was positively assured that that should not con-
hict with any duty owed to myself to my family,
my country or my God On that assurance we pro.
ceeded again. We had not gone far before COM
ing to a clause which required me to comply with
the will of majority of that council in ali things
both political and social, though it might conflict
with my own personal preference, l stopped the
gentleman and reminded him of the terms on which
l started / told him if 1 chose to vote for man
would do it. though every other man in the State
should vote against him and on the other hand if
chose to vote against man 1 would do so, though
every other man in the State should vote for him.
was asked if would not go through in the usual
there would be an explanation given on
have to come first; which he proceeded to give 1t
was simply that if had any conscientious scruples
could withdraw at any time. was then asked
if would not comply or withdraw, and answered
that would do one or the other. He then procee-
ded and went through the first degree These two
items being the most prominently Objectionable at
the moment, were both repealed.
When the ceremonies were through was in,
ormed that all former political ties associations
yere severed, and that had entered into new
political association, to which listened without re-