Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-03-28

DEsoLATE CONDITION OF KNow-NuTHlNGIsM--
THE PHILADELPHIA NOMINATION A GRAND
| FAILURE
The New York Courier and Enquirer, with a strong
American bias. draws the following graphic picture
of the sction Of the Philadelphia Know Nothing Ma.
tcna Convention, and of The embarrassing and iuai
position Of i;s chief nominee:
| The Know Nothing National Convention has had
| its appropriat. result. 4 body made up in about
20 ua! proportion ot mcap.bies and nnprarcablcs--
working from beginning t" end in confusion and
turmoil that absolute stnlttying Itself by
taking delegation from n Roman Catholic c"nstitu.
tncy, in direct cuutravrl,,"n ol ut The very first
articles Of lis cree! breaking up all previous plat
forms and leaving the fragments III state IN ~hich
10 one knows whether they belong TO the Orler or
nOt-ito,:f Utcriug for days upon the very BRINK oi
disruption, and towards the las: moi able TO prevent
| the breaking away of one full trd-ths body iu!ly
enough wound up its career by settling upon man
who stands entirely aloo from the organzatlon.-a
mere outsider. We do not deny that the nomination
actually made tho best that could have Deen
made under the crrumstaucrs-we are bound 10 pre-
| sumo that it was-but the circumstances must nave
been cruel indeed that imposed such necessity IL
is the trst time in American politics that party
has been obliged to 20 out of its own pale for
an available candidate. The case is the moro extra
ordinary in the fact that it.is altogether unknown
what the sentiments of this nominee are towards tha
party and its objects. He has made no declaration
of ihuse sentiments. There IL nothing IN his pre-
vious official life to show that his views accord with
those of the Know Nothing party. majority ol Inc
delegates from his State, who must be presumed
10 be b. acquainted with his actual relations To the
pnrty made Il written protcst against his nomination,
in which it was declared that the nominee 's moi
member Of the American party; lie has never oeeh
inside of Council room, and no act n his lltr 10
word spoken or line written by him, which we have
any knowledge Of indicates that he has any syinpa-
thy with The party would carry out lis prInrlples
and stigmalised the nomination aS IN betrayal oi the
American movement, tralt0rnus ateinpt to wresl u
from its purpose" We will not say that 90 harsh
language is drsGrved-or the act finds perhaps SUI
fcent excuse in the nccesslty-but II is undeniabie
that the nomination is virtual REIMBURSEMENT OF the
distinctive principles of the party heretofore profess
ed The parlv that dareI not o .n into battle under
a Icuder and with standard of its own, IL no longer
auarty-d u II mere cOHr,t6Jn ~ mcrcrAartss. II no
l0agr, G.,ht> ior ranS, Sp1is are rs only ObJcct
Mr. Fillmore, we suppose, will accept this nolnna-
tun. This i'll itself is easy enough"-Dut therehi!er
will trial. lie will have to stand very sharp IN
crrogating from al parties and from all quarters OF
the Union Non-cp.nsnlnsln i'll his case, IL clearly
impossible Even suppo-ing that the mass OF the
voters in The party which nominated hlin' woulu d.
low it, in respect 10 the Oh ects which they have pro-
essed To have at heart. still there nre other interests
which cannp, be lulled into indifference, and other
questions which cannot be evaded. What thinks Mr.
Fillmore concerning the destruction ot Tile Missouri
Comnronisr u,ld the adm sibility OF Kansas into tht
l
sw.r Ia that question, and will the South tor II IL
the question of the day. The attempt to escape 1t
should such All attempt be made will be set down a
proof of lack of principle, and will alike alternate
each section from his support The disposition ot th'
North even a this early stage of the matter, Is ut
tested by the act that in tue preliminary convention
the famous twelfth section was annulied W the uhi
imous vote OF every Northern State, save New ork
which wis equally divided and the sentiment OF h
South ID well enough read IN It's persistent refusal 10 I'd
init any prupo sition i'll the slightest degree ut variance
with the principles aud policy of the Kansas Nebraska
Bill Mr. Fillmore will have an infinitely more Dim
cult position To maintain than either OF his two com
prtors. Whoever these PERSONALLY nHy be, We ma.
s.t Il down II. certain that they will be- the exponent
nf priuciple in relation tO the action Of the Genera
Government upon the adinturblng subject OF slave
ry. Their cour-e will bc clear aud easy Tor ttey VII
have nothing Ia do except 10 give IN their adhesion
IN IN. principle aud remain faithful 10 1t. In dom!
Ibi- they can alientc that really belong tn tiltl
party. But Mr. Fillmore cannot undertake. 10 DO thl
without lis ending in drawing upon himself the mos
vehement opposition from muudcs ot ms "r'8ha
surportcrs Not his strongest frienis can couh
securely upon his receiving the electoral vote OF hh
porticuar State in the Union for the very good rea
son that they securely count upon he positl"
hp may finally take in reference 10 the great issue
. . which will inevitably divide the two sections OF tn
! country during the canvass. MIllard FllmOres ho
scope would be the very last one any sensible set
IN the Know. Nothing phrty would undertake. to ca
,uine.