Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-02-15
The company then adjourned.
AUTOMATA, OR "FLUMMERY' AND "TOM-
FOOLERY."


sAs
AUTOMATA, OR "FLUMMERi' AND "IOM-
FOOLERY."
We have been good deal taken to tnsk for charg-
ing the Know-Nothings with making themselves
mere "automata," with parting with their separate
individuality and free agency, by becoming the in
strunents aud sworn liegemen Of midnight lodges
The abandonment, at least in Virginia, of the oahs
and secret meetings, the "humnery and tom.iooery,
goes far to justify charge. We did not dare here
tofore (none but friend and ally could do that,)
charge them with "Aumnlery" and "tom-foolery.'-
We did not suppose that grown up men took oaths
without serious, weighty objec-much esss to break
them. We did not presume that they would ride
mauy miles to hold midnight lodges, for mere idle
ceremonial. We believed what they professed, that
the lodges directed the political conduct of its men,
bers, and that the members were sworn to obey. We
have seen no reason to change our opinion, nor to
soften our language.
A much harsher construction might be placed on
the epithets applied to them by their late ally. If
their oaths, their ceremonial and their lodges,
"fummery" and "tom-fooolery" it must have been
because they disregarded the obligations of their
oaths. and the couueels and commands their lodges
We are sure no such charge was intended, yet tho
words will hardly bear any other construction
Those oaths, lodges and ceremonial, very serious
and important matters. We rejoice that Vrginians
have been the first to dispense with them.
Still it is melancholy to observe the wretched fate
of once prosperous and jubiiant "Sam' The follow
ing melancholy picture is not drawn by an enemy,
but by one who sympa.hzes with the bigoted "na-
tivcism Of "Sam." II is from the New York Courier
and Enquirer-hish authority-and the richness of
the humor the rgor Of the pencil and the trutuness
of the picture all commend it to the attention
of those who called upon to lament tie prema
ture decline of poor Sam
Under what happy stnr was it that our friends the
"knor- .NOthings" found their name! A very silly
and babysh name some thought it-a shocking bad
and most outandish name, in the mind of others-a
new and most fantastic name, all agreed. 1t turns
out to have been just the thing-a hit-a palpabe
hit 1t has all the qualities of good name. In eu-
phony, it is like Of HoNER's epithets. In origi
nali,y, BUSYAS could not have done better. In sig
nicance, fitness, and application, there never was
anything in the whole range of party nomenclature,
like it. 1t is full Of meaning an egg is Of meat
descriptive through and through-suggestive and
stimuative out-and-out. 1t is more than q mere
designation; it is apothegm in itself-a watch
word--a motto-a thing to be borne in mind, and
lived up to-a name to be worked out and made gnod.
That fast young man, ALcIBtADEs, the Greek HIS
torian tells cut of his dogs tail to Get Athens
wondering. The American "Sam" dubbed himself
know Nothing" from no such low motive as that.
He did il from sense Of proprety, and regard for
truth. He did it because he specs he ought TO be
called by something characteristic OF him, and be-
cause he don't know mhO he is or rhere he is or hoT
he is or chy he is. He did it, because like Joe in
Bicuk House, he "dont know nothing" and like
Topsy in Uncle Tom, "don't want to know nothing"
"Know thyself." An excellent maxim that
Plato called it "heaveu descended.' But, ye stars
ahn phaf a m .sSam " hone
ful. Where shall he begin! There is not one inch
OF him he dares assert to be his own His pneal
gland has left him. His of identity is oil snuff
ed out. 1t is related Of Johnson-"rare Ben John
son"-that going home in hi. wagon, one hot day, he
fell asleep. Some young scsmps passing that way,
unhitched his nag, and, sending the poor beast
roaming, drew the wagon to the fence. Alter time
Ben awakes. He wonders, and. wondering exclaims,
IAN I Ben johnson. or am / notl If am Ben
johnson have lost horse; If am not Ben john
son have found a cart" Ben did not know him
self Neither does our "Sam." Ben, however, recov-
cred his wits "Ssm," we fear, never will.
Psychologists tell that an alligator, when cut in
two keeps on manfesting for while equal vitality
in the head and tail. The one snaps the other slaps
1t has been mooted point which extremity in this
condition was the true alligator. Now "Sam' has
been often heard to say there was much OF the al-
gator in him. lie, too, has been bisected; aye, he
has been quartered nay, more he has been torn into
more pieces than was ever ACTION by ms own
hounds. They halved him in June at philadelphia
vember at Cincinnati and Springfield. on the Fusion
Plank. And last week they cut him into mncemeat
at Washington, in the grand final fight for speaker
Pieces of him found in all parts of the held OF
His skin is already, like ZIsKA's, i'll drum head
the Democrats big war tom.tom And yet II VIII
not do to call him dead. He himself being judge,
he is not dead There is life in HMM each parti'
cuar part Of him, aye, and, alligaor.ke, ngnt, 100
We believe that We are bound to believe it, for lie
says 30. But of all these pieces, which is "Sa'n thS
.Saml" the true "Sam'" the veritable Identical
"Sami' Aye, there's the rub. We can answer IT,
Who cant
If 1T were the Slavery question alone which dis
tracted and divided the Know Nothings, their case
would not be singular. All parties have suffered
rom that cause-and the Know.Nothings none the
.rs because they have strven to keep clear OF it,
ne distraction Of the Know Nothings is not simply
l" wlthout-it has its source in the very elements
ol thelr being. They have not one single homoge.
.;... amongst them nor single specific dis
tlncuve principle To the KnowNOthings of Louisi-
ana, Roman Catholicism ia no dsparagement; 10 the
Know Nothngs of Massachusetts, il is the one lehal
taint, the one fatal curse. TO a kuow.Nothinp of
virginia secrecy OF operation is abominaton; to
know-Nothlng ot New York. it il q sine qun non. -
An Eastern Know Nothing wants FOREIGNERS ercInd.d
from the ballot box for life; Western Know No,I;nr
for terp of years only md there are thousands Of
Know Nothings. who don't want him excluded pt ali
proyided he is good Protestant. A Know. Nothing
here wants the Bible read in all schools; Know No.
thing there wants it read IN some schools; and a
Know.Nothiug yonder don't want it read in any
schools whatever. We defy their best friend to
show solitary particular on which the Know-No.
things of the different parts Of the country are all
arrsed-one which may be taken as proof of their
identity or an exponent of their individuality Even
when We bound our view Of them to single State,
where do we find any peculiar characteristic wrought
out by them into any peculiar act They have had the
control Of the government and legislation OF M6sea
chusetts what specific change have they there intro
duced What new policy have they inausurated
They have had, and now have, great power in tols
State; what new laws have they made, or 40 tney
propose which receive their universal and exclusive
support7 The plurality of our present State Assem-
bly, consists Of Know Nothngs; what is there IN the
daily proceedings reaching u.s. that shows the fact
unless it be the scramble for Office when the chance
We put thom to recall what we have again and again
sad-that there is no security for the existence of the
Know Nothing party an independent organization
Its spirt-and we sdmt that there good deal that