Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-09-29

AN UhEW JAIN DUN DVNELDON}
OF TENNESSEE.
ga secret. Mysterious, Oath-Bound Or
sanixationIO
Such Is the language in which the Hon.
Henry 8. Geyer, Of Missouri, describes the
political party Of which Willard Fillmore is
the Presidential nomineei And, says the
Hon. James A. Pearce, of Maryland, ~ did
not approve the mysterious system under
which the American party was organized
These, and the like denunciations OF the
American party, emansting from men OF high
and commanding position, have led to the ut
tersnce of still stronger denunciations by
others, less scrupulous as to the terms they
have employed, until it has become common
to hear in public places, and even from pohti-
cal orators, that the members Of this party
had assumed obligations inconsistent with the
Constitution Of the United Statesl Indeed,
within the last few weeks, so rabid and reck-
less have some men become, that whilst pro-
Tossing to admire Mr.. Fillmore for his many
virtues and his distinguished public services,
they allege and proclaim, that he has taken an
oath, as . third-degree member of the Ameri-
can party, in direct conflict with the constitu-
ton, and therefore they cannot support him !!
When it is remembered that the obligations
Of those admitted into the order, as it was orr
ginally instituted, could only Le known to the
initiated, who were not permitted to explain
them to others, it is not remarkable that pre-
judice should be created among those, who
did not understand, and therefore could not
appreciate the supposed necessity for secrecy
but when the proceedings Of the two last meet
ings of the National Council Tin February and
June last, have been published throughout the
country-and when in nearly all the States,
open organizations have been formed, in the
place of secret councils, it is rather remarkable
that gentlemen Of the acknowledged intelli-
gence of Messrs. Geyer and Pearce, should
have made use of language calculated to mis-
lead the people, as to the present position of
the American party on this question. We are
free to say, for ourself, that from the first, we
have been opposed to all secret obligations,
but it is due to truth that we should add, that
there has been nothing contemplated thereby,
in the American party, but the success of those
principles deemed important to the preserva-
ton Of the Federal Union.
How much-soever then, men may differ as
to the policy of adopting secret obligations and
workings, to advance the success of principles.
founded and advocated by George Washington,
as the Father of his Country, now that those
secret obligations have been abolished and a
pledge of honor substituted therefor, no man
can, with any show of fairness, allege that any
criminality attached to the feature of secrecy,
It may serve the purpose of the demagogue
still to arraign the party as a secret, mysteri-
Gus, oath-6ound organization" but the accu-
sation will fall harmless to the ground, when
examined in the light of truth. We are obliged
to believe, from the honorable character of
Senator Geyer, that he was misled into the ut
terance of such language towards the Ameri-
can party, by want of knowledge on the
point Of the abrogation of the secrecy and
Oaths to which he alludes. Senator Pearce
may be entitled to the same indulgence, though
1t appears, from his own letter, he had reason
to believe such obligations and secrecy were no
longer recognised.
But the the important point remains to be
elucidated Has Willard Fillmore, or not, as
a third-degree member Of the American party,
taken any oath inconsistent with his obliga-
tons as citizen of the United States, or in
any manner conflicting with the Constitution
We appeal not to his acknowledged integrity
AZ man-to his public character as the Ex-
President of the United States--or to the adj
mitted purity of his past life, to shield him
from this charge. With all men these should be
enough, 6utwe come to the proof on the direct
question in issue, and we will show that the
obligations" he assumed, as a member Of
the American party, of the highest degree,
were those which every patriot-every true
American-every disciple Of Washington
every friend of the American Union, would
readily and joyfully assume for the purposes
and objects which the American party had in
view.
1t win be remembered by many of our read
srs that on the 10Th day of May, 1855, we
copied at full length, from the Lynchburg Vir-
ginian, the "ritual of the third degree" en-
braciDg the "o6ligation' imposed upon all
third-degree members, and the charge" given
by the President of the Council to those init
ated. The Lynchburg Virginian had copied
these articles from the Pittsburg Gazette, an
anti-American Free-soil press, and made very
appropriate comments thereon, from which we
extract the following to wit:
without commenting upon the propriety Of