True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-05-08
urrrOpposition,

Soaccustomed to the tricks and shifts..of
renal and partisan politicians and presses,
that the most ridiculous things may be,
and are oftentimes, asserted of persons and
parties and their principles. which Cover
come us without our special wonder. >
We're it not that the most silly fables are
being circulated daily and whispered into
the ears Of credulous persons by the most
unprincipled, jcsuiticsl and venomous op-
position ever experienced by an Organiza-
ton in this country with respect to the
principles and objects of the American
movement and the mode adopted for their
accomplishment;-we should be disposed
to silence; and we now allude to this Oppo-
sition rather as climax in political tricke'
ry than for any other purpose.
A large class Of naturalized citizens who
are susceptible of deception in such matters,
are told that the Know Nothings seek the
enactment of retractive laws, depriving
them of the right of suffrage as welfas
other political rights. 1t is true thatpara-
graphers of the press have not assumed the
brazen boldness and elfrontery to impute
openly such an object to the American par
ty, vet we see it limited at in terms that
cannot be mistaken. But let the street
corners tell their story; let ORoorke and
Schmidt give you their expose as received
from demagogues who have grown fat
ane sleek on office secured to them by
the votes of these obsequious slaves to par
ty, who believe and do the bidding of their
most unprincipled masters-and no logical
analysis of words or sentences is necessary
to discover their meaning, The American
party may regret that class Of foreigners
unfit at presentin every way for their pro-
per exercise, have been clothed with the
rights of American citizens; but with US
"bygones are bygones still" and we only
hope that they may speedily fit themselves
for their exercise and become thoroughly
Americanized.
Catholics are told that this "monstroua
party of bigots' seek to deprive them of
all the rightsand privileges of citizenship,
and thisin the face ofeyery thing appearing
in those prints which advocate the Ameri-
can movement, and of every thing which
the opposition know Of Know Nothingism,
to the contrary. Our Americanism wars
only with Romanism as a political institu-
tion--asa political machine; it takes away
no civil rights Or privileges from these un-
fortunate citizens who owe..allegiance to a
power behind the Constitution; it gives
them the rightto hold Office upon the same
terms as other citizens, namel ly-that they
receive the number of votes required by
| aw to elect; but our vote shall not be of
them. This is precisely what Wings and
Democrats do and say of Democrats and
Whigs-and if this be prescription then
make the most of it.
Again, we are told that they, the Ame-
ricans, are the aggressors in all election
riots and violations of law by force, which
have very properly brought the condemna-
tion of all good citizens upon the instiga-
tors of them; and that the Germans and
Irish have shown themselves the very
"pinks of perfection in obedience to law
and order, as in the recent election riots in
Cincinnati-whilst at the same time the re-
suit Of the legal investigation of the facts,
saddling the disgrace of these riots upon
other persons, stares these wilful pervorters
Of truth in the face.
But the latest Of these fables is one
which surely can not fail to force smile
of contempt, and has for its seeming pa
ternity, the father of great many others,
the Statesman, and is in relation to the re-
cent swindle and display of "squatter SOW
ereignty" in Kansas. That veracious sheet
says ''that the Kansas elections were carried
by the frauds and tricks of the Know
Nothings, cepterins in Missouri and aided
by the Know Nothings from the North. "
No, Sir! The elections were carried by that
fraud, trickery, and pipe laying which no
man understands better and is more skilled
in than he who ponnod the above charge;
by the same meansbywhieh manyeleetions
have been carried by these pscndo-cham-
piAns Of civiland religious hberiyby means
which the American party repudiatc, and
which we hope for the honor Of our nation
may never be witnessed again. Let the
people look well then to the facts before
giving credcace to these idle stories.