The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1855-10-11

from the Georgia Constitutionalist
LETTER FROM THE HON 4
B. LONGSTREET, ONKNOW.
NOTHINGISM.
We 6nd in the last number Of Ii
Nashville Union and American, q le
ter on this absorbing question, fro,
this distinguished native Georgia,
now President of the University !
Mississippi The name Of Augastu
b. Longstrect is endeared to the pec
pie Of Georgia by many ties in tn
history of the past. 1t is q nam
which we were taught to revere h
early youth rs synonymous with a
that was bold and fearless in the cha,
acter Of the advocate, with all ths
was parental and dignified in the SAG
instructor, and with all that was p,T
and honest and upright in the minis
ter Of the gospel. The old men q
Georgia have been accustomed I,
love him as 4 brother; the youn,
men, scattered throughout the Staae
who, from his lips, have heard ~,
lessons ofwisdoni, continue 70 rever,
him as . father. - There u no mar i,
Georgia who will dare stand up nm.
say that 4. B. Lonsstrcet speaks from
impure motives. The indign..
frowns ofan homes, people would par
alyse the sacriiegious effort Jndc,
Longstreet has been forced from ii,
retirement to come out and speal
upcn this question; but having co,ns
ont, he has met the issue with ,h.,
boldne~ and honesty which ch.r.c.
,crizcs the man. He speak. 70 n,
people in the voice of warning w;..
dom, and tells them to beware 81 An
organization, which must lead to r..
ligious intolerance and persecution.
The circumstances which led 70 the
publication Of this letter, arose from
an attack made upon the Judge by the
Memphis Eagle ard En- ,uirer. ck.re.
ing him with preaching anti-Kno1-
Nothing doctrines.
After alluding to the editors oftAa,
paper, who have assailed him a. the
head of the Mississippi University. he
proceeds to condemn the Order in the
,erms to be found in the extract. DC.
low. Let every Georgian read them
carefully and ponder over them well
whether he be now-No,hing or anti.
Nothing.
I'm July iast had just heard Of a
new Organization in the country--se-
',ret in its movements. and going us-
der the name Of know.Notl,ings. t..
principles, understood to be oppo,i.
ton to Catholics and foreigners, to be
planned in the dark, strengthened bv
osths and manifested ut tho ballot.
box. 1t filed me with alarm.
| saw in it the elements ofrapjd ~.
pansion and awful explosion. IeI.
hlbited them 10 the class that gradua.
ted in that month, and fercwarned
them to haze nothing to do with it.
HAD 1 been inspired, | could hardly
have foreshadowed its history more
accurately than | did. Ofny predie.
ton, nothing remains to be fuiflled
olt the outpouring gilmore blood
NY torccastin relation to it ought IN
ensure respect for my judgemen, i,
and about Oxford at least; bu, III.
that very forecast which 10 raj s;oe ,
olzz OF discomfort against ~ . in hi.
vicinity now. This is the ain which
brought out against me Il e recon l;t,
presses which ! have mar s.ed above
1t l, Is called "da6a,ng T.. po1ities," bu
This is the sin for which / am .oon
:" peI.hance' to ~. sacrificed. The,
,n.' u., .,;'ol saonea ~ the prophets of old ar,
. se' h. allvs, = ana why should l expec
. "e..er lase .han theirs9 Well, ! d,
no' kaow LAT a better use could b.
g. c'aa.e o. ny old carcass, than the Of
:ernS I" it up on the altar ofthis Amer
.saa s' !" ial. An incense would sris,
,t. ro' it that would do more to purif
VI ' Church and the State from thi
domination, than any thing whicl
San emanate from my poor ffost-cov
cred brain. The public has now Ii
sum total of my political sins, publ
ana private. l shall speak At larg
the new order, in an appeal to IN,
|hurch at some future day, i'll ma!
De allowed to do 50. lam commits
against it, and ! shall oppose it Garev
er--not in the classroom, but ever
wnere else-notas a partisan but -
christian. This the patrons Of Ia
University should know. For oil Il
honors and emoluments Of esrth
could not be induced 70 assume q po
sition of neutrality in regard toM
ail experience DO not Q fa3sehoot
ana all history a fable, it will thro,
this country into ceaseless convu
slons, if it be not crushed, and tha
speedily.
In my view, every man who has
scruple's influence should rise again,
n-now-immcdiately, ere it be for
ever too late. Indeed: IL allows a
neutrality. With all it, profcsse
hmericanism, it assumes an absolu,
dictatorship. II will allow no man
question its purity or its policy.
gathers within its pale, men Of dign
y, talent and piety, preachers an
teachers, and with them, the most d,
Prsved abandoned, desperate, Coo
aeiying sinners upon earth; binds thci
oy oaths in the bonds of fellowshi
ana sets them all at work in potisi'