Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-18
To tie Editors Of thc En2uWs
PORTSMOUTH LECTION.

Gentlemen: Permit us to nGce. through your pa.
per- ali article in the Wing ofhe 10Th, over the sig
nature Of Native Land" written from tlllr place
We know that apologies for efcat commun,
and GENERALLY 80 silly, as To unworthy Of notice;
but as charges similar 10 thnsrnnaned III the article
referred to hive been roaatcty made, silence
might by some be construel into al admission OF
their truth,
III. wi tier charges that I'll combined force of the
Government oGicIas a. tie Cspurt Navy Yard aid
ed by every nation and hiHre! and .@Rgne on the
tuce rf the EARTH was brougt Ia bear agalat them,
the Know EGtIiugs We uote this much to show
how readily the writer r'2ul sacrifice truth 10 round
his sentence. lie says thunEdsi.- worHnen III the
Yard yDra on the list of &C. Democratic Vigilance
Committed, aEi ti.gt the are publication Of their
names sufficient to tScnt ;;iany from going I"
the polls. This charge ID voUU. IGei--g libel on
...... --,-.sss h,,.- 80. 80. q. ,u"ru
others by themselves. kn who sh.pe their poiiticnl
couroe With view to scare portion OF the oaves
aud fishes. GiiEct o. y"eci!e tbs nagnanimily shown
by honest msn in openly clgO"!edging aud retract.
ing error. We prdfas Il hE0E g0mething of
Portsmouth, and We have iesrd OF but one R.a. yin
voted agans; his own sentiments, and he voted the
Know Nothing ticket 10 ecape prescription. But,
in regard 10 tho cg.~e Of Iaster. workmen intnida.
ting voters, It is well Enn.l lat both parties have
had men in the Navy fad Oh their vigilance com.
mitees. and at this very elctiGn it was the Cass sth
the Enu% Nothinga, notwithstanding this absurd
charge ard r1eH; b.rs of tat party still holding APP
DOlntIDtnS III lIlt Nhyy ~ were among Tile most
aDfiye aud bitter oppOIelt of ta3 Democracy. l.
the wriur ignorant Of the act that Knew Vtkings
from New fOfk and elsewhere have been eI3 plu yed
TO such 81 extent in sons ( HE departments as to
induce the charge against Iss;ereEorSEen that they
were importing votes to dctat the Democracy And
is he not aware of the fac that these very men,
drawn from New York andelsewhere, haye, at the
polls. attempted IN prevent he freedom of the elec-
tive irachsei II not, BEIGE writing again, we I'D
wise him 10 learn The truth.
Again, he says: "Ti'ere u-cn about 10 Irish votes
boiled all of whom were ir'm tie t,G"v )urd and
were brought TO the polls bysuI!e one Of the DelGu.
cratic Vigilance Coinmitten, who had their naiura.
zaton papers III rcGplpg fol them, thus endcavor-
ing to make the impression let oil the Irish i'll Ports
mouth receive support from go%eiIme;;t patronage
and were meTs autUnatons the hands .: the De-
mocratic vigilant Commute. Our only reply to
this s that in its length breadh and depth and
height, it is unrue aud the vi Ter Duat Lsye known
il to be- such when he pennetit and We do not be-
lieve that ANY citizen OF Drtsnouth wonld make
such Il statement over his own name. There xas
usi such a hue and cry lasyear in regard to pro-
.cripitor and one IhOrn6Wy, in the excess "f his
zeal nudG OATH ,E Pi"hnUn that some forty men
had been discharged froI, I;G!e department III the
yard because they were kno"ao iaEs., arG this GER
ifcate thus to before Justice Df the EeGce,
vas published with n great flourish by the Know
Nothing press OF Richmond; and get there had not
Term one S'Egic re:poraH Wtreally would have sup
posed that the prgEp. eTpsnre OF tins pe0'red
wretch HOUlu nave iGILHtT
tGus from any Thornbury, j.
We will barely mention )ne fact to show to all /;
honest men how fage and asurd is the charge ot
government patronage c56tT;I!Hg the eectlons.-
The usual Democratic majort' III NOriuis County IL
about I'M votes. cspeak il round numbers. At !
the election in 1850, when this cry of prescription
was at its height, WIS, n, h MIR F1ihag candi-
date rcreircd abOH 2pO majcrhy in Norfolk County,
Including Portsmouti) over the Democratic candi !
date Gen. Mson, who, in ih rural districts, where
no patronage distributed, received Increased ma
iOriirs l.; tbs face of such fact, stubborn r.
cor1.d fact, viii any man but know-NollIing-a
Know-Nothing by profeSsoB end an tart-even pre-.
tend that government patr,Digs :acreased the De-
lnUcratc strength!
But, gentlemen, supposethe charge Ind bea" true ,
-Shat then Illus that parry my cause to complain! {
Is moi prescription the patoru which they stand!
ls it not their very breath Of ife Have they no,
prescribed oil Democrats ad Wings who would not
join them i'll their prescription Did net the know
EOhng Council Of this place remove every Demo !!
crat aIi appoint their own MEN their places Did !
not the Councils Of Nuriolk pDscribe Wings and
Democrats, from the muyOralty down 10 the mud |
machine literally, with single EXCEPTION from mo- |
tives of policy! Did not their Saters, in the cam
pasn Of 81, challenge and uvit, prescription! "Lay
on Nacduif," was their Language and they no doubt
really rushed M.W party prescribed. What cared
they To- the mechanic or labrsr! Would not this |
aid in notwithstanding Virginia and perhaps lead TO
success in the coming PregiddI:ia canvass I! Sup |
pose tue slli5E hou'u
not they, HE iendrS get OFFICES under the reign Of
Sam, and safe their cormorant ,petites at the public
crib The truth ia, Sam is MT only great brag. |
but great cry-bsby. We hav, no desire TO conceal
our sentiments on the ujeci q: prescription. AS
between Wings and Democrats for reasons that we
will not stop 10 give, we have ,lYaye been opposed |
tn prescription. But in regard to Know Sothlngs,
we think the President who akts al oath to support
the Constitution, ought tn auw TO hold Office
under him who bound by alth 10 aid in breaking
il down. The Know Nothings he'd the rens i'll Ports
mouth one year, and such was heir own opinion of
themselves, that they nominated al the last election
IN entire new ticket for the Cognc-nnd for Mayor,
4 gentleman not member OF the party Was not
this at once confession uf their uIworb Gess and
their weakness
In 1855 they had a majority Of some so votes;
now the Democrats ofsomc l25. Tie signs ofle times
sufficiently explain the cause of this e-actun. Men
INQUEST nen-were inveiglrd tito Know Nothing |
councils oy dtcepton-open discussion was disalow-
men claiming 10 ie-freemen would
not discuss great public measures without first per-
mission from His Majesty Sam. Democrats were |
odd by these Thornbnrys that th,ir leaders we're in
he council; Wise was member, 8, vas Douglas, so
vas Cass, and the "p:ivete secretary: saws jackson
would be If living The old Wing larty was corrupt, |
he Democratic party was corrupt snd this was a
lew party OF new men-an honest isv party, formed
rom the ruins OF the old corrupt on-i Is the only
afe, reliable party for the South. So mach for profess
oni yet ihey have seen all Theses Professions falsied
They have seen Know Nothing National Council re-
'udate that portion Of the platform Itch promisedjus
ice TO The S0uti-they have seen Know Nothing
delegation in Congress from Massaph settso over whose
lection they have rejviced supporting Black Repub
can as speakerand furnishing that SPEAKER in the per-