The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-07-15
KENNETH RAYNER.


declining the ksrsr! 1t was certainly g
great fall frsz the Ionged-for nomination
for the Presidency by the great body of his
party, dewn, down TO the tail end of the pi-
cayune ticket of the New Jersey sub boilers
Hr. Rayner's letter is a rare production.
1t draws a dark picture of Know Nothing
ism-shows up its perversions," its lin
terpolations," &c, as the causes of its pre-
sent imbecility. He even asserts that
"trading politicians" had obtained sufici-
ent influence in the Order TO foist upon it,
to some extent, the machinery of party pol
itics. Alas his famous Third Degree was
impotent to save the Order in its pretended
purity its boosted nationality The au-
thor of the Third Degree is compelled to
confess failure! Nay, more, Kenneth
Ruyner-thc great high priest of North
Carolina Know Nothingism-asserts that
the direction and management of the or
der YES taken from the hands of the honest
and unpretending passes" land it fell I'M
der the control Of selfish and ambitious
politicians" But we must give the render
fuller view, from Mr.. RayRer's own bitter
confession. Read the dark and damning
picture as drawn by this High Priest of the
Order Our Know Nothing friends who
regard Rqyner as infallible, will find but
little to cheer them in this letter. Hear
him:
LAS long rs the American party adhered
strictly to these three great principles; as
long as it was true TO its mission as long
AS it ignored all extraneOus and minor ques-
lions; us long as it preserved its prestige
of great popular uprising against foreign
influence. priestly tyranny, and assaults
against the Union; it swept every thing
before it, As long as IFS members agreed
to tolerate differences of opinion, on irrele
want questions, and to act together for the
general good, nothing could stay its march.
The rival parties of the country stood a
Ghast at its whirlwind progress. 1 am
not sure its immense strength did not ORR
ginate the causes of its late disasters. Its
friends seemed to think it strong enough to
carry any and every thing-dnd hence they
cndedUOred TO engrGf upon IL other Issues
Of domestic policy and SECTIONAL IMPORT.
OF its enemies, those who openly Rssailed
it with SANDER and Misrepresentation were
pOwerless for harm whilst others crept
within its folds, some to pervert it from its
principles, qad others to spy out its ma
chinery and betray it to its foes. And
then again the indifferent-thOse who have
no fixed opinions on any question, but who
will fight for whomsoever will pay them
best; l mean the trading pOtiticians-en-
listed under Its banner to carry out selfish
UieUs and to that end foisted on it to some
L., s
The effect was Instantly apparent. AS
soon as those of one section began to inter
polate on its creed their views of anti-sla-
very, and those of another section, their
views of pro- slavery-as soon as the direc-
tion and management of the Order ,Uds ia
Ken from the hands of the honest and un-
pretending masses with who it had origi- |
mated, and who adhere to it for the sake |
of its principles alone, IL fell under the |
control Of selfish and ambitious politicians
the people of the country saw and felt that |
something was wrong. and enthusiasm Ee-
gan to give way to indifference and neglect.
With its first revPrses, those who had got
ten control CT the order became alarmed
ana then commences that series of tempor-
iSings and bL4Rd1rs. which have ended in
mystefying the public mind, to some ex-
tent, as to our definite aims and subjectng
us to the charge of inconsistency and vacil-
lation. In the vain expectation of disarm-
ing the enemies of the Order, of their wea-
pOns of falsehood and perversion. cOnces-
siOns hare been made again and again,
which, instead of abating, have only in
creased the violence of their malignity. In |
the equally vain hope of modifying the ha-
tired of the RGmish Church, and of satisfy
ing the croaking conScientiousness Of Lux e.
warm friends, one ofour cardinal principles
Il mean resistance to the aggressions of the
Romish hierarchy has been so DILUTED,
that like Douglas Kansas bill, IL is constru-
ed one toay in one section, and another in
another. In addition to this, other issues,
extraneous to the objects and purposes of
the Order, have been added from time to
time-difforing in different sections, to en-
able local politicians to save themselves at
home, regardless of the effect upon the gen
eras good OF the order, as a National orSan-
i<dttOR. And it has turned out, that ma
ny who aided in originating this great
who fought for it with
might and main, in the days of its pristine
purity-fnd themselves left far in the rear;
and that they have become objects of de-
1unciatiOn and abuse, by those who have
.hus travestied its simple and fair lineaments
who held aloof from it in the weakness of
Is lhidHCJ' puL VINO ruSncu To lts embrace
N the strength Of its manhood.
fOresaw the dangers which beset us,
md predicted the consequences, at the
Philadelphia Convention in June 1855. |
hen discovered growing disposition to
Try and cOnciliate the adherents of the 10
nish Church in certain States, by abatinr
he stringency of our opposition to the dam
;erous assumptions of Papacy-and l
warned our friends, that if this was done,
t would not only be a compromise of
great principle, but that whilst it would fail
o appease the bitter hatred of Romanism,
{ would lose US the confidence of the rural
population, whose resistance to Popery was 4
perhaps the strongest element in their at
achments to American principles. / there I
a struggle between the Northern c
nd Southern Delegates, as to who should ]
btain a triumph, in fitting in the slavery ,
flank of the platform. For myself want
d no such plank in it. 1 used every eff
ort in my power to prevent its insertion.
saw plainly, that when the American par
y had to walk that plank" it would do so I
0 its sorrow. First-because the question ,
r Slavarv arfr 81 !