Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-03-13
THE VOICE OF AN HONEST wHIG.

We hear from every quarter that there are Wings
honestly devoted to their principles who rebel against
tho attempts Of their political managers 10 ::ade them
OF mo ,he Know Nothing ranks. They have fought
.he Democracy in fair and open ield aud in the
broad s ht Of day, and they cannot consent TO the
miserable rickery of gaining victory by secret ma
chna,ious and with no principles at stake. They
have bated honestly, not for the spoIl4 but Tor prn-
c,ple-and, like true men and good citizens, they VIII
scotn An art.laton with set OF Secret c"nfpIraiors
who havo introduced into Virginia new ISM from the
bo,bed of Abotionism and whose success will lead
TO the most dernoralizng and mischiev"us results
Many Virginia Wings, however strongly under the
influence OF prejudice against the Democracy! nave
too high regard for the honor OF tue State and Tor
frank and manly bearing, to be seduced into til" nn
,'er ground councils Of fKnow-N No,hnslsm' They can
not understand why an party, aspiring to Succ'--
should conceal their purposes and, inoe-ilke, bar
row in The ground They Justly suspect the honesty
and the wisdom Of Secret c"nsprar'c- and have more
sympathy for the bold attitude and public avowas OF
faith On he part of the Democracy Than for the T's
dous and crawling mannEvcGngs "i the know-No
things. Thor noble and patriotic motivea will induce
mani honest Wings gsno only 10 shrink back from the
embrace OF the Secret Order b' to prove their honcs-
" by rnanly support Of the Democratic ticket, rs
we hear they are doing in all pcrton- OF thu State
But there is another view OF the question taken by
many Wigs. They cannot See what they can gain
tor the success Of their oldushoned principles by
candestinc alliance with the Secret Order. Upon this
point there s an excellent editorial in tie Lcwisburg
(Va.) Chronicle old aud influential organ OF the
Whis party of Virginia. Il refers TO "the under
standing between the opposition, for the purpose OF
defeating Mr. Wise, and adds that the surrender u
the Wings must be unconditional There can be
but contracting party, as the Know -Nothings
arc invisible" The Chronicle then appeals 10 the
Wbigs OF Virginia in the following language, which,
based it is upon honesty aml sound sense pro-
duce responsive vibration. OF The know-No-
things, it says:
Their principles are kept concealed from you, while
n bastard platform il published 10 which Won can
bavs % but little objection By this deception, or two
sets Of principles they expect 10 scduce and deceive
the Wings and 10 rout the Democrats in Virginia. To
this despicablc trick you to lend your influence
We would beat the Democrats in Virginia, ii We
could do il fairly and the square, but victory u
der such circumstances would attend the putting OF
Know Nothingism into power, would rebound no
thing 10 our advantage ns Wings. w" place pnr-
~ in power whose principles TO our mind, are vastly
with whom We can never act in concert, because they
Conceal from us their intentions and movCments.-
They act in secret aud exc udc lis from all particpn-
ton in the benefits Of the victory. Unless wc place
better party in pOwer, patriotism requires that
should let the Democrats rule yet awhile. They act
boldly and above-board. and We cnn understand them
and perhaps defeat them i'll many things. But it is
different with Know Nothingsm. II concncts every
thing ia secret and jumps it upon Us before we arc
prepared TO This is ono reason OF ia success, and
Il >tr'ilE objection with lis to the order.
II the Wings, then can form no alliance with this
party, aud mast be confessed that such thing is
M,'erE impossible they should be cautious in ""ra-
~. 10 power. We should oppose an alliance, even
-, " ""a possible to effect one, and tn those Wings
, WI" n'c 80 kccntn defeat the Democrats, that they
;oot ", "' with almost any party to effect their OBJ
.n,J 49, WI """iT venture word of advice. lou ore
opp'v " democratic principles, and wish to see
put into laws. In this fc,lin1, wa ore with von
heart and soul But we must consder whether w.
can erect uls OBJECT through Know. Sothiurisu We
lnluh VIC canhot Nri!ier we effect il through the
Democratic party How, then, Gun we ctf.ctitl By
preserving our own organization by renn;n;nr n.n
trial. ana by casihS our votes !ur the ncu whose ill.,
ternal improvement principles ore the most accrn,ull
Nothingism once i'll power, may he nor,. din.
cult to oust than the Democracy. MOI KNOWING eny.
thing about it, are we willing to place it in rower!-
Its principles may be worse than those of the Demo
cracy and il may be more difficult 10 remove from
office VIII you, then, as Wings, place it in power,
in the face of these facs7 We hardly believe il
possible If the Wing party is dead, never to be re-
vived, Whgs will have to choose between Domocra-
cy and Know-Nothingism. In making this choice, We
should not allow our party preudices TO influence US 10
the least Lot us make choice pntrotcaly and with
u view purely to our country's good. Ruow-NothinS