The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-03
The Know Nothing Ixiot ~t Washington Tn.
Bloody History or the Party.


Bloody History or the Party.
We publish this morning the details of the
saneuinsry election scenes in Washington on
Monday last, which Is the latest chapter in the
bloody history of Know Nothjngism-
Organized, as this party is upon the bellige-
rent Issues of race and religion, II is not sur
prising, whenever the occasion has offered in any
place where the elements of religious and politi-
cal hostility most abound, that riots, bloodshed,
and a resort to the military by the civil authori-
ties, should be among the consequences From
the terrible outbreak between the native Ameri-
can party and the Irish Catholics of Philadel-
phia, in 1874 down to this day, the historical
ganizstioa are scenes Of similar character.
Within the last two years, Cincinnati, Louisville,
ST. Louis New Orleans and Baltimore have been
bonored with election riots like this at Washing
ton, and all involving, more or less, On appeal to
aims, and the destruction Of life and property.
| Know Nothingim is sort Of political
mushroom which can flourish only In the
hotbeds Of our great cities and In the
| midst of teeming foreign and Roman Catholic
population In the rural districts, and in the
smaller cities and towns OF the interior where the
| German and Irish vote and the Irish and German
inroads upon the avenues and the wages OF labor
are not felt, and where the expansions Of the
Clutch of Rome are not feared. Know Nothing
ism, like Jonah's gourd, has wilted and dried up
as rapidly rs il was developed.
But here the question is suggested, why thee
of recurring violent collisions between the Know
Nothings and the Irish Catholics and Germans in
our large cities. We know that the leaders and
managers of the Know Nothing party are, 10 q
great extent, desperate and reckless adyenturers
often without visible means Of support, aud far
more frequently full believers in the doctrine
that the end jusli6es the means We know thai
the fighting mercenarics Of the Know Nothing
camp are professional ruIllans OF the genus "Shor
Boy" or Plug Ugly, . and that 20 them au clccsior
without the exciting fun Of bloody riot is like 9
fourth of July with nothing stronger than lemon
AIDE or ginger beer; but with this solution Of The
question the nquiring reader will moi be Satisfied
He will still maintain, notwithstanding the mora
depravity OF the Know Nothing party managers
and the savage eroclty Of their lighting followers
that there is something of principle and provoca
ton. and something, witha. Of wholesome retalis
ton. in the Know Nothing faith, and even il
theee violent explosions OF Know Nothing foil,
and fanatlcism.
There are many respectable and hgh-mndet
men of the Know Nothing faith-many sincer'
believers IN the folly that the country Is In pro
cess of being overrun by Irish Catholics, and IL
imminent danger Of being undermined and DIES
troy,d by the wicked Jesuits aud the Pope o
Rome. But the mass of the American party arr
men who cherish very natural pride in the pre-
negatives of their birtbrght, and who feel as the
deepest insult the Intervention Of any foreign born
obstruction or resistance 10 that inestmable Anne
| rican institution the freedom Of the polls. And
! here We come at the primary causes creating the
native American party Of "a and "a, and at the
key to the riotous and bloody history Of these ma
| tive anti Catholic organizations
II must BE- conceded, with due allo vance for
all the generous qualities Of the Irshman, that
his hereditary and Unborn affection for the shillc-
l lah is one of his most serousdrawbscks Whether
J the fruit OF centuries of oppression, or pre-ex-
sting Characteristic il is fact that, in season OF
out Of season, poor Pat Is too apt 70 b