New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-01


what extent religious bigotp and the old IDEAS Of
pricsily domination are mixed up in this Know
Nothing movement--which proposes to cure reli-
gious bivotry by hair Of the same dogs evident
from the number Of clergyneR who have taken
part in 1.-THE large proportion OF whlte-cfa's'ea
members in the Know Nothing Massachusetts, Leg
islaturr Of last year having given 10 that body
quite cadhyerous aspect.
This new Know.Nothing political monster-thus
combining in itself all the elements OF sristocracy
that ever had much hold upon the North-very
naturally followed the precedent of the Caucus
politicians it was trying TO supersede in attempting
to strike up league of cooperation with tho
Shareholders. Aud this brings us tothe great
of the year-an event destined to figure IN hs'
tory-,-the meeting and the result of the Know
Nothing Convention at Philadelphia
1t is true that body consisted for the most part
of small and unknown men. But what OF that
So did the Long Parliament; so did the CONT
mental Congress: so did the French National AS
semby; SO does and must every national represent
alive body. What does history consist oil eAceps
the actions. under difficulties, OF very small meo-
men utterly unknown, except so far "a history
decns to mention them, mixed up with whom is a
very small sprinkling OF here and there man OF q
somewhat superior order Time and circumstance
NAV give to the actions of the smallest men the
utmost historic Importance, while all the talent IN
the world. without the standng-ground OF time
and circumstance. can never secure 10 any man
historical mention.
OF these truths the Know Nothing Convention
at Philadelphia afforded a striking illustration.
The men were small, the result was great-no less.
in fact than failure-brought about through tho
noble and memorable efforts OF q few men in that
body-to establish that entente cordial between
Know Nothngism and Slaveholdng, the expected
establishment of which alarmngly threatened TO
hold the country in close arstocratcal letters orat
least another generation, during which the caucus
system was TO be exaggeratedinto dark-snternisrn.
while to the political intolerance OF slaveholding
was to be added the religious intolerance OF Prot
estant bigotry.
As il is. the aroused Democracy, though stid
partially stupefed with long and drugged slumbcrs
and with eyes not yet more than half open, stli
sits on her bed hardly touched by the blows full OF
malice, hatred and fear, which King Caucus and
the Know Notbings-in their interval OF hghtlng
each other-and the shareholders, without any IN
teryal at all. are all aiming at her. And possibly
before the end of the current year she may rise to
her feet and may kick back into their respective
kennels tho three wol6sh monsters that are now so
ferOciOusly setting upon her.
What will greatly tend to this most desirable
result is another great historical event of the past
year: the attempt-thank God the hitherto un-
successful attempt-of the shareholders and tbs
caucus aristocracy, as represented by the Admins
tration at Washington, to crush Freedom ost in
Kansas. This attempt was openly begun by the re-
moyal from office ofGoy. Reeder nomnally for spec
ulating in Indian lands, really everybody knows.
because he had refused TO recognize the Border Ruff
fan Legislature attempted to be imposed on Kansas
by the Pro-Slavery party OF Western Missouri.
The Endorsement by the wretched Shannon-ths
fit tool and representative Of Pierce and Cushing
of that bogus Legislature, naturally produced in
Kansas--thus derelict of laws or Of any legal
government--the movement for organizing Free
State. That movement successfully carried out to
the point of proposing Constitution for ratification
by the people, naturally produced the late Border
Ruffian INVASION of which the object was to sack
Lawrence and TO sweep the Free-State settlers
out of the Territory before they could organize
under the new State Constitution. Who 30 dull
and stupid that be does not perceive that the heroic
and successful defense of Lawrence against these
ferocious assailants, is to hold place in hist0Uf
To the great free, and prosperous communities
to grow up within century west of the Misss-
Appi that siege and defense of Lawrence will be
what Lexington and Bunker Hill are to us now. Not
a man nor woman who participated, however
humbly in that glorious defense, but has fairer
title and better chance, too, of historical reme-
brance than nine-tenths of our recent State Gov
ernments and Members of Congress.
On the list of historical events of 1866
next to the glorious defense Of Lawrence by the
aid of sharps ri6es-if, indeed, pOsterity does
not reverse the order and place that first which
seems to us seconds the noble stand made BY
the sngle-handed and unarmed Williamson in his
prison at Philadelphia, against Judicial usurpation'
and the felonious attempt of Federal Judge act
ing at the dctatOn of the slayehoding aristOcracy
to secure by judicial construction, the privilege
for slavedrvers and slaye-traders of passing with
their slaves through the Free States 1t was the
opinion of Jefferson that the greatest danger 10
our Democratic Institutions was from our law :
vera and judges;-and whatever else may Do,
thought or said Of Jefferson, he was beyond AL
question DemOcrat-along with Franklil, The
foster parent Of the Democratic ideas intro