The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-06-21

LETTER OF HON. T. L. OLINGMAN TO HIS CON
STITUENTS.

| LETTER. of HUN, Il l.. JLlNdMAN 10 HIS ooN-
| STITUENTS. .#
FELLow-oIrIzENs: The Hon Edwin O. Reade one Of my
colleagues time since published letter which seemed
chiefly intended as reply to my address 70 you dated
March l6 1856. This publication consisted chiefly OF
tracts from writings and speeches of mine and Of criticisms
and structures my course public man.
There was nothing in it, however that seemed to require
any reply from me because most of his objections to my
political conduct had formerly, again and again, been
brought forward with force and much unfarness
and had been often concusyey reuted As far as he
assa my consistency his letter appears TO be made of
scraps OF paragraphs and sentences torn from their
text and thus made to favor views opposite to my real
opinions. As you were familiar with my whole
and had repeatedly given judgment in my favor baye at
no time apprehended injury from this publication have
been informed however that some of the know-nothngs
and other opponents of mine attempting 10 misrepre
my for not having said any thing in reply and
therefore avail myself Of little leisure to notice snch of
the points embraced in it have reference to the political
contest now going in the country have desire TO
keep up controversy with my colleague for made
reference TO him in any way nor the other hand shall
complain II he thinks my opinions and former course
other matter before the country shall only notice
some Of the prominent points made by him, which
possibly If unheeded might tend to mislead the unn-
| formed.
To sustain the peculiar doctrines of the know-nothng
or American party he makes quotation from speech Of
mine, delivered January g. lS45, as follows:
"And if the foreign Catholics foreigners generally,
continue banded together, with view of controlling the
elections of the country there will be aroused anagonse
feelings in the hearts Of all Anericons which win pep
aay The party to which they have attached themselves
The sentence following it. in the speech is in these
| words
But, sir, wish distinctly understood am for no
native American party not whether may have
been born under the icy which grts the poe the
torid cline where the morning is first seen or at the
place of its going down. if he comes to this land and after
residence prescribed by law and in the provided
takes an oath to support the constitution and adopts with
uphold the rights and interests OF this country against all
Others that will take by the hand and welcome
American citizen should be by his fellows"
this sentence had by colleague with
its fellow Immediately preceding it would have been clear
every that at that time utterly opposed
the formation of any such party he belongs to. On
the contrary, regarded such party mschevous
than the abuses which was condemnipg. Those who
have read the whole speech know to what had reference
Nearly twelve months previous there had occurred very
serious disturbance in Philadelphia in consequence of col
sion between of the foreigners and Catholics and
native citizens during which killed on both
sides and Catholic churches burnt by the mob In th
midst Of that excitement native-AmericaD party was
formed and Mr. Clay adopted as its candidate This cir
cumsance taken in connexon with the violent waged
against the foreigners and Catholics very naturally drove
most of them into opposition to Mr. Clay Under the
element Of that very heated canvass those foreigners and
Catholics guilty of the excuses which condemned and
did, therefore, say that if they continue banded togo
with view of controlling the elections of the country my
would create successful opposition to the party with which
they associated But point of fact this not the
On the contrary it is well known that in the next
presidential election that of l84s the foreigners Cath
oics were divided like the native citizens between General
Ta and General Cass and therefore there the
slightest for hostility to them the part of native
Americans AS the condition upon which my prediction
made did not occur of the prophecy could not
be realized and hence the geneans hopes of
his American party, which to be mainly built this
prediction of mine destined to fall to the ground When
therefore discontinue overakes his American party hope
he will reflection not allow his faith in prophet
to be shaken. w..
Mr. Reade in the next place. refers to my statement that
the abolition movement in this country has received its
main strength from the support given 1t by the British
government and portion of its aristocracy and adopts
the statement as true He then insists that the
of forpiuu Ia bpsil In wp
ought to be opposed to those foreigners who emgrae to
this country 1t is singular that my colleague should be
ignorant of the well known fact that in Great Britain
well in most of the European countries the body Of the
people opposed TO their government and hostile to
its policy For that reason, the government keeps up
large standing force to compel the people TO submission
On OCCASION when the people of London about
TO hold meeting TO complain of the oppression under
which they suffered the government employed as many as
hundred and fifty thousand TO repress any out
break that might 1t thus happens that most Of
those who emgrate and this country inspired
with feelings of hostility to their own governments and
manifest the most decided opposition to all movements
that favored by the governments they have aban
doned. Most of the emgrants from the British domin
ions Irishmen, and 1t is well known that they
have, both in war and in peace, shown themselves
true Americans, and especially hostile TO Great Brit
ain. II is thing to find an lrishman who is
abolitionist The Irish and ohrr foreign citizens
the persons who supported the authorities at Boston,
and prevented the sboonsts from rescung the runaway
negro Burns 1t was because these people upheld the con-
sttuon and laws against the native aboonss that my
colleagues know-nothng party when II into power
in Massachusetts, dsbanded the military companies
posed of foreigners and refused 10 allow them the prvi
ege of supporting the Of their adopted coun
try The fact Is undeniable that since the Rntislayery
movement has become formidable the great body of
foreigners in the North have acted with the friends Of the
constitution and Of the South against the native abolition
ss Is IL not therefore, strange that Mr. Reade citizen
Of southern State should advise his constituents TO JOIN
The ndtiUe aboonists in making upon the Foreigners
because these foreigners friends Of section
Might he not in direct terms well ask you to turn abo
litonst yourselves advise you TO cooperate with
our enemies The only advantage that has resulted from
the know-nohing nave-Amerean organization is that
its movement has tended to make the foreign voter, still
decided in their support of the constitution and the
rights Of the South On the other hand the who
deavoring carry the abolition spicy of the British
government are native Americans led on by Gddiugs
Seward, Hale Chase Sumner Wilson, and the like whose
birth own soil.
My colleague also argues that to put down the abol
tonsts should join his American party This is sim
guar remedy when il Is remembered that the great major
ty Of this party Rboitioniss themselves eesoers
10 the northern States where alone IL has had the CONTROL
than nineteen-twentieths ant-slavery My
colleague must remember that out Of about hundred
members Of Congress which that party has from the North
not one could be found who would for Aiken against
Banks, who was avowed ffeesoiler and aboitionst
That small fragment Of the American know-nohing
party of the North with which he proses TO act and which
nominated Mr. Fillmore is in a minority In every Of
the free States IT. therefore you should follow his advice
and Join hts party you will either go into organization
which Is thoroughly abolitonized you must act with
small squad Of men who in the minority everywhere
and who not able bring your aid congressional
! vote.
On the other hand looking to the results Of the cleo