Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-20
KNow,NoTHINGIsN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

In 1852, as everybody knows, one of the stron-
gest objections which the Nashville Banner then
edited by Gen. ZoLLrcoFFER, made to the election
of Gen. PIERCE, was that he lived in State which
excluded Catholics from Office. No,c, this Nash
vile Banner under another editor and its then ed
itor as a present candidate for Congress, are the
advocates of an organization leading feature in
whose creed is the exclusion of Catholics from Of
feel In New Hampshire, this very know-nothing
party, whose doctrines are advocated and defend
ed by Gen. ZoLLCoFFER and the Banner, is IN pow
er, and is attempting to perpetuste the principles
then condemned but now approved by the Banneri
The features in the Constitution of New Hampshire
condemned in 1852 by the Banner, are not strin-
gent enough for acknowledged. We see from
the inaugural message Of the know-nothing Gov
ernor Of that State that the principles of the par
ty in that State, accord exactly with the ntoerant
bigotry and snt Slavery fsnsticism which dis.in-
guish its policy throughout the North This Gov.
ernor begins his programme of reform with re-
commencing a more severe law even than Neal
Dow's famous statute, for the suppression of the
traffic in ardent spirits, which be denounces as
worse offence than "larceny, forgery, counterfeit
ing and other kindred crimes" He next expsti-
ates on the evil of immigration and the necessity of
curbing the insolence of the Catholic hierarchy
To this end he proposes the extension of the term
of naturalization to t,Oenty one years, and the ex-
clusion OF members Of the Catholic communion
from civil trust and political distinction
But the evils of drunkenness dwindle into in
sifcance in contemplating the enormities of negro
slavery; and the power of the Papscy is but a
harmless fiction in comparison with the alarming
aggressions of Southern insoence. This is the
declaration of the Know-Nothing Governor of
New Hampshire and accordingly he recommends
some measures ofresistsnce to the "encroachments
ofslsvery" The Know-Nothing legislature will
doubtless respond to the following appeal, by some
such treasopable enactment as the "Perso1al Eber-
ty Bill" of Massachusetts, as it has responded by
the return Of John P. Hale to the United States
Senate:
'As one OF the sovereign States of the Uuion,
New Hampshire has a common interest, with 9TH
ers in me administration of the affairs of the eener
al government However local its legislation may
he or may he designed to be, every portion of the
country must feel its influence. Not long prior to
the last session of the Legislature the Congress of
the United States passed an act establishing two
new territories, Kansas and Nebraska A proyis
ion was Incorporated in the Act, repeating what has
long been Known as the Missouri Compromise by
which slavery in the territories was limited to a
certain latitude. In this compromise the free States
had always in good faith, acquiesced though the
time 1t WAS agreed upon 1t was far from being
acceptable for the reason that the advantages ofthe
compact unduly favorable TO the slave states
Still they felt morally and politically bound to ad
here to IT. and they did so without any attempt TO
annual or eyade it. But theislaveholding power
retarded in its advance by the blghting effects of
il. peculiT institution, and feeling the loss of poll
teal influence by the broad extension of the area of
freedom became dissatisfied with the compact and
demanded its repeal The demand was acceded to,
many members of Congress- doubtless, voting for
the concession, with full belief that IFS practical
operation would not be njIrious to the cause of !
freedom, as it generally said and believed at |
the time that those territories not adapted to
the interests of slavery.
This repesl, the people of the free States justly
deem a violation Of faith and the infection Of |
great wrong upon themselves. They fad that tho |
aggressive demands of the Slave Power are inssti-
able Even the repeal of all laws prohibiting the |
foreign slave trade, is already agltated, far more
openiy and earnestly than were the first faint and
timid whispers uttered Of design to repeal the
Missouri Compromise. Kansas is evidently already
doomed by violence to Inc curse OF slavery, and
all our vast territory is now open to 1t. conquests.
Acquiescence in these aggressions Is not virtue
and firm resolve to resist, by all legal and con-
means, the further extension OF slavery,
and to insist upon the restoration of the Missouri
Compromise, is not only the right, but the lmper-
auve duty of the Free States"