Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-10-25
THE EVIL TENDENCIES OF KNOW NoTHINGIsl

THE EVIL TENDENCIES OF KNOW NOTHINGISN
We have expressed it as our firm conviction, on
more than one occasion, that there is something
inherent in the very organization of know-noth-
ingism that tends to evil connection, disorder and
revolution. Something in it that seems to attract
the disorderly and corrupt material of every COM
| munity, and to encourage and incite the worser
passions of the most reckless members of society
Starting from the dark and secluded purlieus of
New York. basel upon the prejudices of races and
religion it signalised itself as the spirit of mobo
cracy in the Astor House riots which was the
germ of the bud, and the famous Bill Pool TRACE
dy, in the summer or fall of 1854. The same row.
dyis1n, the same disorders, the same disorganizng
tendencies have marked 8 progress from city to
city, and lie its black and blasting mark, more or
less, in every community where it has attained q
strong sscendency. Reversing the natural order
of things, it has made heroes out of bad men and
lowered ther better mentioned and moro respec-
table mamters t. servila folo vors The most vio-
lent, the vulgar the mJst reck less ranters are
dignifed as leaders. rhe more respectable, DELHI
crate and srgun5 Of their editors and speak
ers are held in su0Ordinston and secondary to
these leading lights and wonders of the hour.
There is no doubling tn ese general truths. The
better portion of the party and feel it, and are
often made to hang their heads in very shame at
the reflection. Many respectable men of the or
der strive to relieve their cousciences from these
ugly realities by saying to themselves, that oil par
ties have their corrupt and bad men, and that they
as individuals are only re sponsible for their own
personal demeanor. But it is fimsy and unten-
able pretext with which no candid man can re-
lieve himself. True, every party and every church,
has its bad men, Id such fact is not of itself suf
fcient to driy e any one from them. But when
ever that party as body-or that church as bo-
dy-notwithstsnding good men or well intention
ed persons may be in it-becomes demorslisng
disordery or DANCE rous in its example or effect,
then Il Is the bounden duty of every citizen, from
which neither God nor man will excuse aim, to
abandon it as he would an infected house, and Ia.
Dor with ell his might to razs it to the ground
No good man in the misnamed America party
can relieve himself from share of the odum that
attaches to that party from its mobs, riots, muir
ders and other social cslamities, on the plea that
he himself has had no hand in these things. 1t is
q false plea Every man is particep crinainis who
countensnces these things by an utilization, open
or secret, with the active parties in the drama
Every man becomes party who looks on and, by
his connection or his silence, permits evil passions
to get the sway, with the mere hope of political
ascsndeney. An ascendenc y, too, that the good
cannot control but that will control them. An
sscendsncy reared upon the baser passions of men,
that can live, only as it was constructed, on its
revolutionary and disorgaaizing material.
Regarding this order as we do-witnessing daily
its devastating influences socially and poit ly-
it strikes us with establishment ct tina countensnce
many men are giving it-men of general intelli-
gence, honest purpose5 with families growing up
around them whose destiny is the future.
We know of no higher duty on earth than OPP
position to know .nothingism. 1t is duty that
man owes to every relstion that he sustsns in
life-to his children, to bis friends, to society, to
bis country, to his God. There is no moral means
that he should not resort to, to put it down, not
by its own weapons of violence, but by every le-
gal pesceable honorable effort that can be con-
ceived OF.
Trusting to the virtue, intelligence and patriot
ism of the masses, who are generally honest, with
every motive to do right and but few to DO wrong,
we believe in God that it sOiR be put down, and
that sad will be the fate of those who shall be
etandinc beneath its crumbing walls.