Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-04
TNnv yuTgfNg DENHbBATe,

AT the advent OF the Know NothinG organization
Ii Tennessee special pains were taken to assure the
public that it was in no way connected with either
Of the two old parties. Itwds most Indignantly de.
MED that it was trick Of the old whic party and
to make the bait still more tempting to unwary de-
moerats, the declaration was expressly Incorporated
into their platform that it had arisen upon the
ruins and in spite of the opposition of the whg and
democratic parties and Z. in no way respoasi-
BILE for the o5nOzioss acts and violated pledges of
| either" As further indueement to democrats to
abandon their old party and go with this new one,
the fact was harped upon that the old wing policy
of Distribution, Sc, had grown obsolete, had been
abandoned, and were no longer issues before the
country The democratic policy relative to all those
cid Questions was admitted to be the established
policy of the country and the people told that
the new Order had arisen solely to "correct
abuses that had grown out of the two old parties
to check the heavy tide of foreign paupers and GRIM
inals aocking to shores, and 10 prevent Popery
from becoming element Of political power in the
land. And to this end they pledged themselves to
put none but good men in Office and to adhere to the
old maxim that the Office should seek the man, not
the man the Office. ......-.
From the overimportunity of friends, connected
with these fattering representations, numbers of
honest democrats were decOyed into their secret
councils and placed under the ban Of their illegal
Oaths, who never dreamed of fOrsaking the pria-
eIes which they were honestly attached to, and of
finding themselves arrayed in defence of measures
which they had always opposed and which they
assured we're longer issues before the coun.
try. .'.''''''..-.
But one State election has passed off since TINT
time-another one is near at hand, and now what
is the aspect of affairs before US Let this ques
ton be seriously contemplated. Those who were at
the head of this organization, denying that
it is any longer in existence. The Enquirer one of
their organs at Memphis, speaks of it ''aneient
KnowNothingsms-thePa Patriot of this city character
Uses it efsts Know Nothingism, while the Bannsr
contends that it ought not be discussed in this
canvass for the reason that it has been abandoned
''IOng ago." Suddenly the Pope of Rome and the
Catholic Church have ceased to be objects Of alarm
They longer propose, the only salvation of the
country, to check the tide of foreign emigration,
but are willing to welcome them with open arms,
and only desire to trtsnd the naturalization laws
and prevent "alen suffrage" in the territories.
And even these are coIaterals to the
great and absorbing issue which they say over
shadows every thing else. They profess to have
discovered that the old Wing party is not dead and
that at least one of its measures that of Dstrbu-
tion still lives They profess to have the peculiar
guardianship and control of this old Wing party
and its remaining issue of Distribution. Their
candidates claim to be the candidates of ''e Wing
and American" party, and the representatives of
Wing and American principles" and notwithstand-
ing they profess to have abandoned their oaths,
they claim that their recruits from the Democratic
party are bound by their Oaths to support these
&c Wing and American" principlesl
Now what show of honesty can a man have who,
protesting to have been Democrat and to have
carried with him his Democratic principles, contin-
ues in the support of such party? What respect
society have for the ordinary integrity of
who will so stultify himself? We entreat gentle
men who desire to continue united with this organ
izstion and preserve their respect, to place their
action upon a correct basis, and say that they
have changed their views as to the efficacy of DEM
ocratic principles and have thrown them off for the
new born love they have for Distribution and its
old advocates, However poor compliment to their
judgment, it would smack more of Old-fashiOned
honesty.
To those who, from honest motives, were, in an
evil hour entrapped into the support of this most
odiOus of all parties and who still have rever
ence for their cherished democratic principles
we appeal to abandon this political monstrosity
and, shaking the very dust of its council rooms
from their feet, to moro with works meet
to repentance and tabernacle with the democracy
You must feel that you have been shamefully de-
ceived slavishly dealt with and basey betrayed
No one of the deceitful promises that first infu-
enced you has been complied with. No one of their
prOfessed purposes has been adhered to- No good
aim pursued, and no good end accomplished You
must feel that all the anathemas that have been
hesped upon this organization were deserved, and
that all the charges that have been preferred against
it were but just. You must know that it is a hum
bug, a cheat, swindle and that those who fail to
repudiae it will be dOubly ansWerable hereafter for
its guilt.
Why, then, from any false pride of consistency,
win you continue longer with it? Why make a
complete surrender of principle, and become ire
rievably involved in the odum of this udefensable
party, merely from the spite and prejudice unjustly
incurred against your old associates account Of
their unmeasured denunciation of the evil into
which you had fallen? Let Know Nothing Demo-
Gratis if they honest, be sensible, and take an
open stand at against this grandest of all po
ltical swindles. If they do not thus act their
sponsibility will be fixed henceforth and forever
and the consequences of it will stick to them closer
than the shirt of Nessus.
GEN. G. P. SMITH.