Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-04-11
-...s from the Address of MIR. Caruthers of
EAf missouri his Constituents

EAT missouri his Constituents
ho contest for the steakership developed the fact
ut there are now three parties in the countryside
nrtborn know nothing and abolition party, fused
dor the name OF black republicans, the (socaed)
" national Americans" and the democratic parity
This know nothing party was born amidst the FAC
;oro excitement manufactured by abolitionists and
J.nnists out of the passage of the Kansas Nebraska
iii II sprung at once, =" like Minerva from the
brn Of Jove" full armed and entered the political
arena In the morning OF its existence it was full OF
promise 1t declared that it would say to the angry
waves Peace be still - that the only broad
national conservative party that its great paramount
mission was to save the Union, which was mperiled
nv agitation. Relying upon these promises, conhd-
ing in these assurances, many good men everywhere
- manv in my district-went into the orgaiZaton.-
| went twice land but twice] into their councils. |
saw SAM" II took two visits to see him all over.
7 made them saw enough and determined TO new.
er look on his face again
In dealing frankly with you, it IS due that should
make this acknowledgement. l would not have the
vote of an anti know nothing in my district, without
his knowledge that had been in their councils; nor
would have the vote of know nothing without
his knowing that am not of his order. | freely ad-
nit to You that | ought never to have gone into a
secret political society of any kind whatever they
are wrong in principle, against the very genius of
our institutions, dangerous in practice and should be
avoided by all men of all parties objected then,
and object now, to the whole machinery of the or
ganization | objected then, and object now to an
ndiscriminate prescription of naturaliZed citizens
from Office objected then, and object now, to any
thing that even looks like making religious test
Protestant by birth, Protestant by education, by
preludice by reason, by faith, Protestant in ALL RI
regret 10 say except the practical catholic
ganization formed to brand me as unworthy of pub
lie trust because OF my religious opinions, | would
call upon every honest Catholic in the land to aid
me in striking it down. AS would have them dc
unto me will do unto them"
have been often asked if am not in favor of re-
organizing the whig party! | answer that, in the
present condition of parties and the country, in my
judgment such an effort can do no good and nigh
do great harm.
say to you that we have no sound material
North out of which 10 reconstruct that party. Look
back at the past Every wing representative from
the North in 1849 voted for the Wilmot proviSo.--
But three of them of seventy three voted for The
fugitive-slave law-that law which does but common
Justice to the South, and which is commanded by
the constitution itself Not one whig north of Ma
son and Dixon's line voted for the Kansas ebrask
bill of 1854! On all these measures ma oriy oil
the northern democrats voted with the South. Have
we then, not reached the point, proposed by Mr..
Clay when he said, " If the whig party becomes
merged into a contemplate abolition party, will
abandon it in disgust" and should not we, his ole
followers take his implied counsel and his proposed
example, when he says: I" will act with that party
tuition and the Union!" To endeavor now to re-or
ganize the wbg party would be but to divide and dis
tract the sound national men OF the South.
Where have we an ally in the North outside of thu
democratic organization! These allies have beer
true to us in the past With patriotic devotion tt
the union of the States, and patriotic regard fol
the constitutional rights of the South, they have
barred their bosoms to the ragngs of the storm
they have stood unmOved while malgnity and fanat.
icism have poured their fiery torrents upon them
Al 20 hrOth nd
and cherish them there.
How stands the democratic party? | have given
you the resolution of the present members of Con
gress.
Listen to Ohio STEPPED as she has been in free
sOism in State convention assembled, with the bold
ness OF right with the candor of manhood, they de-
clare, On the 9Th day of January last as follows
al. ReSoiUed, That slavery (beng the creature O
positive law cannot exist without it) is domestic
institution, and that Congress has neither the power
legsate it into any Territory or State, nor to ex
Clude il therefrom, but to leave the people thereof
perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic in
situations in their way, subject only to the con-
stltuton OF the United States.
90 Resolved, That the right of the people Of each
particular State and Territory to establish their owr
constitution and form of government, TO choose and
regulate their domestic Institutions of every
kind, and to legslate for themselves, is fundamen
tai principle of all free government; and that it il
the lfsame right TO secure which our ancestor
WageQ the war OF Inc reVOlullOn-a FISuI lying d
the very foundation of all free Institutions,
cognized in the Declaration of independence, anC
established by the Constitution of the United States
and we hereby endorse and reafhTm this dispu
ted principle"
Contrast this with the resolves of the Know-Noth
ing convention at Cincinnati.
Listen to Indiana, as she, too, speaks in her Dem
Ocratc State Convention. She says:
RESOLVED, That we approve the principle of III
compromise measures of 1850, and their application
as embodied in the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and wi
faithfully maintain them"
Hear the democracy of New York. as they, toe
in convention declare:
d" Rss0Iued That the determination of Congress.
avowsd in the Kansas Nebraska bill, to reject troT
the national councils the subject OF slavery IN tn
Territories and TO leave the people thereof free t
regulate their domestic institutions in their own way
subject only to the Constitution of the United States
is one that accords with the sentiments OF the de
mocracy of the State and with the traditional cours
of LEGISLATION by Congress, which, under Democrat
auspices has gradually in successive territorial bills
extended the domain of popular rights and Unite
the range of congressional action and that we be
eve this disposition of the question will result mos
auspiCousy to the peace OF the Union and the caus
Of good government"
All, EVERYWHERE, from Maine to Texas, speak tn
same language, declare the principles, and RAJ
~ under the same flag is not this party national
Contrast those resolves with the fact that the know
nothing party, but two years DID, has managed, eve
in that short time to be in favor of secrecy again
secrecy in favor of test oahs against test oaths-i
some States for the Catholic test, IN others agans
the Catholic test-on side of the Union Tor tn
twelfth section on the other side against the twst
section and in their late convention, at one time tn
southern ehvalry bolt, at another the northern tree
sOers bolt, and tell me if you can support such
party even though Willard Fillmore is its candidat