Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-01-19
What is Know-Nothingism !?

We present the following remarks o
Mr.. Eustis, Of Louisiana, delivered in ths
U. S. House of Representatives on the It'll
inst. Mr.. E, is the only Know Nothing
Congressman from Louisiana, and the po-
sitions he takes in the remarks following
corroborate fully the charges we made
against the party during the last election
IN Virginia. We then stated that the re-
bg,ous test was wholly and entirely repu
dated by the Louisiana Know Nothings
The charge was Indignantly denied BY
the Know Nothing Press OF the State
especially the True American, and Union
Republican Of this place. The Republl
can is now deiunct, but the editors are
still engaged in another field, IN defending
the heresies of that piebald organization
and we call their attention, as well as the
attention Of the editors of the True Amer
lean, to the candid and patriotic state men,
Of the Representative of their party, from
Louisiana. What a rickety and urhing-
ed concern is Know Nothingsm! In the
North it is Catholic. hating and Niger
stealing; in the middle States, partly 18th
section, and partly anti 18th ,secton-partly
etoalh. bound and partly anti-secret-
oath-bound. In the South, in one section
it is aead and ears against the "dem furri-
uers the Pope. the Priest; and the catho
lies generally; and in tie other, for the
broadcast religious toleration-repudIaline
prescription for religious opinion, and leav'
ing mans spiritual affairs between him
self aud HIS God. Such is Know Nothing
ism! Where is its nationality oneness
Echo answers-where?
Mr.. E0sTls lose 10 personal explana.
ton. lie said that be had ntended to oc.
cupy the attention of the House after an
OF eanIzation was effected. but that the pc
culiar complexion Of the debate on Satui-
day last, aud the remarks of the gentleman
from Mississippi, Mr.. ii. s. BENNETT,
which he found in the Congressional Globe
of Thursday, compelled him 10 change the
course which he had determined upon
That gentleman had asked whether the
American party in Louisiana did not view
The eiglh section Of the Philadelphia plat
form as prescribing Catholics and foreign
ers, aud whether 10 consequence, they had
not ignored aud repudia,ed it3 That, il
he fMr. BENNETT was not misinformed,
the gentleman from Louisiana. Mr.. EUs-
It's, who was elected by the American
party OF tina. State, had repudlated that
portion of,he platform, and yet he was
still harmoniously acting with the Amer
lean party here in the support Of Mr.. Fol-
LER, of Pen nsy lvania.
Mr.. E. regretted exceedingly that the
vote which he had the honor TO give the
patriotic aud conservative gentleman from
Pennsy " ania should have given any con-
Germ or uneasiness 10 the gentleman from
Mississippi-more particularly as he did
not think that he required from that gem
tleman any prompting, any suggestion. OF
any lecture. He sad this in spirit OF
kindness aud courtesy. He thought that
he was alone responsible to his constituents
and political friends for any vote he might
give. He yielded to tina, gentleman the
broadcast latitude in the expression Of his
opinions here and e,sew heIe, and he claim
ed the same privilege tor himself. He
had voted for Mr.. FULLER because he
thought him the most acceptable candidate
and because he knew him 10 be sound
aud conservative man. and would continue
10 vote for him as long as he permitted his
name to be used by his friends in the
House. He wished however, 10 state the
position OF the American party OF Louisiana
on the subject Of religion. nThe party III
that State held it as card0Ial maxim, and
he hoped TO God tina, It would be so held
IN every State ofthe Union, that religion.
faith was question between each individ
ual and his God, aud they considered any
attempt to abridge or circumscribe religious
freedom as w worthy OF our great countr,
as it was in violation of the organic law 0
the land. In this splri, the American party
oil Louisiana repudiatea the 9Th section 0
the Philadelphia platform, and he now re
pudlated j: IN toto. He cared not wha
construction gentlemen might be pleased
ia perfect good faith, TO put upon that ar
| ticl.. They might say that 1t was inope
rative, and therefore inoffensive, as agains
American Catholics; but The words wer'
there, aud they were offensive and insult
ing " the American Catholics. He Gale,
the attention OF the House TO the cons,Iue-
ton that FIournoy had put upon that art,
Gle when he was The American candidat,
! for governor in Virginia. That gentleman
published letter IN which he sand h.
: would never vote for Roman Catholic
and he thanked God that he (Flournoy
! was defeated. He ougIitt6v be defeated
! there was enough in his letter to have de
feated ten thousand candidates for COVER.
. nor : and he hoped that every man VIII
held such odious, such monstrous doctrines
i would eysfneet with as deep and as ear
/, ly poll,i SW grave as did the Hon MI
0 FlournoJ
He agreed with the gentleman from His
: sissippi Mr.. BEsNETrl when he saidshs
: ifthe 9th article ii lne I,nl,aaeipnia pia,
: torn did not meaL to prescribe Catholics
, meant nothing. The cardinal principle d
' the American party, and the only on,
: which he chose to endorse at present, wa
that none but native born A Arican
: should be elevated to office. Ii I'D Il bu
!. native-born Americans should be elevate,
: 10 office. all foreigners both Catholic an,
: Protestant, were excluded, and were ex
l eluded NOT Oh account OF their religior HI,