Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-07
- NorHINaIsM III 1855 ANp ls57.

KNOW NorHINGIsM IN 1855 AND 1857
The sole and only purpose Of the knOw-nothing
organization in its inception was to get the public
Offices Of the country No familiar with its ear
" progress can forget that its first beginning in each
State was among the idle and unprOductive popula-
ton Of the towns and cities. Such party would
never have been conceived Of among the hardy yeo-
many Of the country educated in the belief that
labor is the proper source Of reward and the legti-
mate means Of living.
Starting out with this single idea Of Office, and
the emOluments it would bring they were ready to
profess any principle or fight under any banner that
would give them their desired reward.
The first idea they hit upon was the power Of as
sociaed effort, held together by the binding tenden-
cy Of oaths impelled by the promises Of reward or
the fears Of penalties to be incurred Such being
the machinery Of the Order, the next step was
to devise means by which the people could be
brought under its control and made subseryient to
its designs.
To do this it was well conceived that under garb
Of pretended purity they should 60 out into the
world and play upon the passions and prejudces Of
the people. How well their plans we're executed all
can attest. The democratic party and the wing
party had had their bad men aud their short com
ings Neither had ever reached that standard Of
excellence that all can conceive Of but none attain.
These things were seized upon distorted, misap-
piled and misused by pharisaical profession which
claimed to be above party. Thus prepared they sal
lied 10th to insigate war Of the strong against the
weak Well knowing that there was a natural jeal-
Gus between the races of men, they arrayed in the
most exaggerated colors, all the Objectionable fea
lures peculiar to the foreign population. Their pow
erty was scandalised as paupersm, and their want
Of learning as stupidity. Their habits we're Carl
catured, and their very language Knocked at as
though there was criminality in the simple utter
ance of broken English. This pleased the idle, graft
fed the prejudiced and naturally excited the fears
Of the timid.
In connection with the prejudice Of races, they
linked the bigotry of ssets, making war upon the
members Of the Roman Catholic Church, as mimi
cal to republican institutions and civlIiberty from
an allegiance of its members to the Pope. Knowing
the general prejudice that already existed against
Catholicism and its adherents, upon the part Of
Protestant denominations, they ransacked the musty
records Of the past for the cruees Of the Inquis-
ton in by-gone-age republishing to the world the
terrors of Maria Monk and the bloody scenes Of
Fox's Book Of Martyrs. Works upon prophecy
were distributed over the land foreteling the time
when the last great battle between Cog and Magog
should be fought The ministry became alarmed,
and hundreds upon hundreds were, under the cover
Of the night taken into secret places and there mi
tiated into the rites and mysteries Of this 'P'Ts
party that was being organized to defend the coun-
try against the threatened invasions of the foreign
paupers andto preserve the cause Of morals and re-
gon from the subtle and dangerous purposes Of the
Pope Of Rome. These ministers in turn went out
among their congregations and spread the infection
from house to house. accomplishing as they thought,
Doubt the two fold good Of salvation of the cOun
try as well as of souls.
1t was in this way that the secret Order first made
its advent. For brief period it met with wonder
full success but when the people came better to un-
derstaud its purposes detect its rotenness, and
fully conceive Of its enormiy, they began to aban-
don it, as IL fleeing from some cursed infection, and
all the oaths and threats and penalties, that could
have been brought to bear would not have restrain
ed them.
When all their Vaccinations were exposed, and
the public sense shocked with their enormity they
nounced to the world that they would ''throw of
their secrecy and that every might tell that be
was member Of the Order. And when from its ex-
posture it had fallen to so low a degree that one
could be found who would take its oaths the oaths
were also abandoned ana it has now been near two
years since we have heard Of any one seriously in
quiring of another if he did not wish to ''see Sam
They have granted an armistice to the Pope-they
have ceased to make war upon Bishop Hughes
recovered from their alarm about the InquisitiOn-
And why? Are these things less threatening now
than in the last Governors election2 Are the Jes-
uts less subtle? Is the pain of the Inqusition less
severe? Or is it that know-nothingsm knows it.
self to be a humbug and having failed in alarming
the people into their support find it necessary to
adopt some other device.
Their present plan is to buy up the masses
They have discovered all at once-haying entirely
overlooked it during the recent Presidential election
that the public lands should be distributed between
the several States so as to enable them to build their
rail roads and educate their people Instead of be-
ing warned Of the danger of the Pope, the people
are now being told from every stump Of the inesti-
mable riches they have within their reach, by sim
ply plundering the Treasury Of the Government and
putting it into the Treasury Of the States. This is an
easy way of getting rich The Government is rich
and we have only to plumber the Government, by
claiming so much of the revenue as arises from
the sales Of the public lands What ideas these
politicians have Of the Government; as though it
was anything than institution Of the people,
upheld by the people supported by the people, and
without coppcrinits vaults or the means Of raising
one save the small sum divided from the sale Of the
public lands, that it does not draw out Of the pock-
cts of the people
If Mr. Harton can be made Governor and know
nothing legislature elected Tennessee is to receive
millions from the public treasury at,washington. to
enable her TO pay the debts of the rail road compa-
mics and build up school system throughout her
territory. This is all to be done upon the election
of Mr.. Hatton and a know-nothing legislature; re-
gardless Of the fact that Buchanan is President,
Cobb Treasurer, and Congress democratic,
The that can be bought up with humbug so
transparent viii be selling himself for a very small
consideration. We imagine there are very few but
what have realized the fact that the Government by
its tariff is supported from the pockets and out Of
the labor Of its people. Ne imagine there are very
few so dull that cannot see that if there is sur
plus in the treasury, it easily be removed in
10 the pockets OF the people as into the pockets of