The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-04-21

to-day for two rcasons-!irstly, because
mass meeting Of the people opposed to Il
order is called at the court house this even
ing and secondly, because sundry threats
have lately been made by members Of the
order in town that unless we ceased our de-
nunciaton oft, an effort would be made to
break us down.
AS for the mass meeting, we had no
knowledge that anything of the kind was in
contemplation, until the notice was handed
to us for publication. 1t seems, however,
to originate with men Of all parties, and as
the object appears to be to enter into free
discussion of the merits and tendency of the
order, we hope it will be largely attended,
and that our ablcst men will participate in
the proceedings. And in reference to tho
threats, all we have to say is, that as know
nothingism is purely political organization,
proposing to regulate and control public mat
tcrs, it is lcgitimately matter of public dis
cussion, and as we cannot approve the mode
of action, nor, as far as NC understand them,
the aims of the order we conceive it our du-
ty to oppose them, and if in doing so, we
are broken down in the printing business,
we shall probably be able to find something
else to do
We do not like their mode of action. 1t
is secret, in tho dark-the men they strike
at are taken unawarcs, and behind the back.
In all ordinary warfare this is considered
discrcditablc and dishonorablc. Their OBJ
jects or measures arc sccret-if right, those
outside Of the order oppose them ignorant
ly and thus the public interests suffer-if
wrong, there can be no open examination or
free discu ssion Of their perncious tendency,
contrary to the very genius Of our insttu
tions-and the public interests suffer again.
There is among the IIindoos similar as.
ISOLATION called Thugs" They are bound
together by secret, horrible oaths and OBJ
.jurgations, and make it their business to ex.
terminate all who oppose their order. Po-
litically the nature and object Of the know
nothings seem to be precisely the same. We
believe no moral or political worth can save
any man in region where the order is
dominant, from ahnihilation politically, if he
happens to incur its displeasure. Hence we
notice the papers arc beginning to call the
order llndoos and Thugs" and the name
is certainly not Inappropriate.
As grand, leading aim, We believe the
order profess to have in view the disfran-
chisement in this country of all foreigners
and catholics. The platform is too narrow
to build a party upon. Foreigners, as an
evil, if felt anywhere, are felt only as such
in few Of our larger seaport cities. We
certainly never heard Of the rural districts
being over-run with foreign laborers, and
we apprchend an inundaton Of the sort
would just at this tin,o be s,vatiy welcomed
by our farmers. And certainly the disiran.
chisemcnt Of catholics can never become a
popular party cry in country where our
very constitution rests on the principle of
universal liberation
These leading aims secm to us to be
thrown out merely as bait to catch gudg-
cons. There are many narrow minded, ig.
norant men in the community who harbor a
deep prejudice against foreigners, and who
are constantly haunted by frightful "raw
head and bloody bones" in the catholic
church. The prime movers in know moth
ingism, like shrewd schcmers as they are,
have merely turned this prejudice to account
The charm Of the order, however, consists
in its secrecy, and in the fact that it carries
elections and helps men into office. 1t is
by these means that it clasps in its lcprous
embrace all soured politicians and dema-
gogucs, and as long as they can thus obtain
office, tits not strange that they should be
its jealous supporters.
But all cannot obtain Office, and the vital
principle of the order being thus diseased,
it must die out. A year ago it swept over
nearly al the cities and villages of the north
like hurricane; but at the local elections
this spring it already met with many reverses
and disasters. In every quarter we hear Of
quarrels and divisions among them. In
Pennsylvania the order is divided into three
iragmcnts--onc is called the "Cclestals, y
another the "Orignals," and a third the
"llindoos." In New York they are divided 10
to "Bakcrs," "Allcns, and Bogus" OF
"Frccdom" factions. A recent grand state
council at Lancaster, Pa, the telegraph re
ports, broke up in great confusion. The
cause Of the difficulty was the opposition
,, which was manifested towards open organ
: ization, and on account Of public opinion
0 running counter to secrecy and oath
bound conspiracies. Mcssrs Cameron
Johnson, and General Irwin withdrew il
:. disgust. And at Lockport, n. Y, dozel
a or two gentlemen, have just withdrawn lron
the order, declaring it unworthy the fellow
ship Of honest men.
=, Added to these descriptions, the late Out
rage committed by the nunnery committc
T. in Massachusetts,, the open attack made b
|, the organs of the order on the Methodist an
y, Episcopal churches, and the violent destruc
n ton of poll book and other riotous proceed
!. ings at the election in Cincinnati, have ca
Is an amount of odium upon the order that
y will he difficult to survive.
, We infer, then, that its fall is destined
be as speedy as its rise has been. The
may succeed yet fora little time, in control
ing local elections, but before many montl
pass over, they will find themselves "as hit
D. cous as Mokannah and disgusting as
$ satyr." In the language Of a cotcmporar.
!; 'thcrc is such a thing as an appeal from C
element to sobriety. When that appeal
/. taken, as it surely will be, the know mott
4 ings will be universally condemned and c: