Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-08-27
.prEcH Or uorssEs OPS BRANCH,

SPEECH Or HoNs1s osp. BRANCH,
-. sss4..e OF NORTH csEoLINA,
In Tie Hosssc Of Represeay9t .juty q, lses
ssS4;S JcONCLuDEDl 3sss
The electors at the North had been carried on
yrsme freesoil principles, as i have shown, ihey
had taken place in thc'fall Of 1854 The eiec!ions
at the South were econIeon in the summer OF 1890.
YAe northern Know Noihings had had :" good time
Uf Il" IN 1854, running an extreme freescll plat
Torn, ! and the southern Know NothinSs' claimed,
axd had accorded to them platform that II was
thought would give them an equally good time OF
It iu 1866. As no elections were penuing al inc
North, the Thing was easily arr~ngcd and in June.
1866, the Philadelphia convention passed a set OF
resolutions embracing, among others, the celebrated
twelfth section. l. for one, made no issue OH that
twelfth section. Itod the people that if It was the
doctrine of the party, and the party would abide by
It, and could be so assured, they might De safety
trusted as far the slavery question was concerned
But told them it not the doctrine OF the party
that it was only put forth to affect the southern e-
ectio1s; and rs soon they were over it would be
repealed, as it had already been repudiated by the
whole northern wing Of the party. That, like eve
rything else initiating against their success, was
Grtaaly and boldly contradicted.
As soon as the southern elections were over, the
newspaper organ Of the party in this city commenc-
ed to agtae in favor Of striking out the twelfth Sec
xion. A feeble echo came from the county town OF
one Of the most patriotic counties IN tue district
nO0Of
the country few instances even in those portions
of the South in which an intensely American feel
Ing :" prevailed, the cry was taken up. The national
Know Nothing council met at Philadelphia in Feb
ruary, 1856. The North demanded the repeal. Mr..
Sheets, of Indiana, said:
"He would assure the South, that the twelfth Sec
tica must be got rid Of He was willing to accept
a compromise, but the section must be got rid Of
He was willing to accept the Washington platform,
for, there was anything in it. it was SO covered up
with yerbiage that President would De elected be-
fore the people would find out what it mas all about
fTumultuous laughter] Three southern States had
been carried on the twelfth section Repeal it. and
we will give you the entire North Applause.
The twelfth section stricken out against the
unanimous vote of the South, and the verbiage'
platform alluded to by Mr.. Sheets was adopted
Thercupon large portion Of the southern members
seeded from the convention lhey say now the
ycrbiagc platform is as good as the twelfth section.
Then shy did they seceae schen at aoas adapted p
After Mr.. Fillmore was nominated, or rather when
they saw that by returning they could effect that
much.desired object, they returned to the conyen-
ton, and Mr.. Fillmore was nominated. Then 1t be-
came the turn Of the northern members to holland
they went off, carrying very nearly all the presdcn-
tial strength of the party. Such is the great and
harmonious national party which is to save the Union
from sectional strife. Unable to save itself from
strife and dissolution through fotycght hours-its
whole history is but long tale of boilers and scce-
0erS Su0D OltefS ana new SeCcueTS IL dueCtS ~ oc
national and claims that in its embrace the Union
would be secure. Their embrace must be more pow
erful than the feeble and relaxed ga ents that bind
together the members of their own body As we'll
might the unhappy parents who wrangle and fight
at every meeting around the domestic board, claim
that they teaching their children fraternal har-
mony and concord. Their example is more potent
for evil than their precepts for good
The northern members who boltcd when Mr.. FIJI
more was nominated, after having been nsuted by
the black Republican convention, and spurned from
their DOORS have amey fallen into the ranks of Free
mont, and will no doubt labor the harder for the
kicks they have received. Hear what Ford, one of
the leading seceders from the Philadelphia Know
Nothing Convention said when admitted to the black
Republican convention:
q The American party has great work to do, and
that work is to spread Americanism and resist slave
~. [Applause] The power ofthe Pope and domestic
slavery are linked together Applause and they have
upon earth but :nisson-the extinction of hui
man liberty. The power of oppression is the same,
whether it be foreign or domestic. Can we not COM
bne for the overthrow Of these powers Of darkness
IApplause.] Is it possible that the people of the
North cannot unite for the overthrow of that hydra
headed monster-Popery and slavery? [Applause.]
we aoiN unite. (Uproarious cheering.] Let US in
scribe upon our banners and proclaim it to the cne
mics of liberty everywhere, that the American par
ty was the first which proclaimed the principles of
edom-[tremendous applause the first, any
where to hold that it has nalienablc rights, among
which life Liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness.
The Wing party has hidden high for southern sup
port. The Democrats have made bids for it. Every
other party has hidden for it, till the American par
tyspraug up. That party has said to the South,
We can no longer serve you" and it was the first
party that ever said this thing. Applause
This is the same individual who figured conspicu-
ously in the Know Nothing convention of June,
1855, and who entertained and proclaimed there the
same sentiments. After having been called to the
confessional by Mr.. Ford in that convention in re-
gard to the repeal of the Missouri restriction, south
ern gentlemen returned home, and proclaimed TO nv
people that the Know Nothing party of the North
was sound, reliable and patriotic
Thus ended, as VIC predicted it would end the at
tempt to form national Know Nothing party. The
Democratic party is the only party in the country
standing upon the Constitution, and maintaining all
its provisions regardless of sections or of sectional
prejudices 1t has existed since the foundation of
the Government maintaining itself through all the
utatons OF parties Of men, and of political issues.
To say that it has occasionally done wrong is only
to attribute to it the character which the Almighty
has stamped on all his works. Nothing is infall;be
but the afl-wise and unseen God claim not for
the Democratic party any greater perfection than
belongs to the falible men of whom it is composed.
But it has always maintained its strength equally
over the whole Union, because its principles have
always been the principles of the Constitution which
was intended to guard, and protect, and foster the
whole Union alike. Whatever party undertakes to
suppant it must necessarily become sectional, or
one-ideaed because it already occupies all the ground
the Constitution affords for any party TO stand on
The Know Nothing party has only suffered the fate
OF all its predecessors and it has only met its fate
moro suddenly and more dsas,rousiy than its pre-.
decessors, because it started sectional party,
whilst all others have started as national, and have
only become sectional after long years of defeat and
disappointment.
In the disastrous wreck at Philadelphia, in Febru-
airy last, the southern Know Nothiucs chung IN the