Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-11-21
THE LAST OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

or one thing the recent election was decisive be-
Nothing party.
Iu the summer Of the year 1851, the existence Of
the Know Nothing Order was first discovered by the
public, though it s since ascertaned that had been
secretly spreading time before it's effects were
visible the surface. In its youth the thing exhibit
ed wonderful precocity Of mind and body. Its coun-
sells were controlled by sagacity that would have
done no discred 10 the greyest veteran in politics.
and the earliest display Of its prowess was altogether
worthy OF an infant Hercules. In the North espe-
cialy the atmosphere Of which was in harmony with
it's nature, Know-Nothingsm WAS propagsted with
the fecundity of rattle snake Feeding upon the ana-
ticism and the moral corruptons of that unsound
section of the oonfederacy, the Urder grew with
such astonishing vigor Of development, that it
soon overpread the entire region, even as vermln
once covered Pharoahs accursed country. Impeled
by the instincts Of rspne the Order came creeping
in this drection but finding nothing TO its taste in
the South, it was soon driven back to the nest Of it's
nativity. And there, under another name, it still
hourshes in unimpared power.
In the spring of 1855, the Know-Nothing order
was confident of carrying the Presidential election OF
1856 Invincible in the North it anticipated equal
" easy conquest of the South. Everybody remem-
bers its in.olence in that the day Of it's power. For
the Democracy it had only contempt and curses. Our
doom was sealed Nothing could sppease the re-
lentless spirit of our enemy. We all to be
driven from power The Irish, the Dutch and the
Catholic were to be consumed in one grand auto
Ill, ,pinp nf
"Sam' were to leap and yell in delirium OF drum
ken Joy. This was the programme of policy; this
was the delightful prospect which stimulated the en-
erges of Know Nothngism to so desperate an effort
And in truth the ambition was not altogether ridcu
luus. If Virginia had given way in the spring o!
lS55-if our invincible Democracy had been unable
TO repel the onset, what other State in the South
would have arrested the march of Know Sothingsm
with all its prestige OF unbroken success and all the
power of its accumulated conquests' But Virgins
stood firm, and her gallant Democracy rolled back
the tide of invasion from the soil Of the South
| From that day-from the memorable Path of May
1865, when Henry A. Wise gloriously triumphed oveI
the "invincibls invsibles" down to the 4h OF No
yember, 1856, when james Buchanan defeated th'
coalition of Fremont and Fillmore, the decline o
Know -Nothingism has been rapid and uninterrupted
II wss never able to recover from the effect OF tha
first fatal blow Its dissolution was inevitable II
the course Of time.
The nomination Of Fillmore was an effort ot de
spair. There was bare possibility that the respect
ability OF his name might compensate for the intam
of his parity and that the power Of prejudice and as
socation would rally the remnant Of the Whig organ
ization to his support. This was the philosophy
FImores nominations its folly Is seen in the result
the election. Instead of rescung Know Nothinglsn
from ruin, Know .Nothingism carries him to the DOT
,omless abyss of perdton. In every State OF tn
Union but one, and that OF the least respectabiI'!
the Know Nothing party sustaius an ignom'nious dt
feat. Even in Fillnore's own district his own can
didate for Congress is beaten by the Delnoera''
nominee. The party is not only dispersed out 'S Vi
| ;.,;o, ia nnnibilnted, and its rotten remains ar
n-o..d TO the scorn and contempt Of the world
without representative in the next Congress, ii
destitute members have no basis Of support-n
point upon which to rally. Necessity will ooInps
them to choose between Democracy and Black lie
publicanism.
| In the moment of its dissolution Know. .Nothingsr
supplied signal instance OF "the ruling passlo
strong in DEATH" A ruffan from the beginning, il
last thirst wac quenched in the gore Of its murdere
victims 1t died in the cutters Of Baltimore grasp
ing slung shot in it's bloody hand, and breathing ou
its soul in rbal6 imprecations against the lrls
Catholic. The land is covered with the stencil OF il
| deceyipp CARCASS.