The weekly ledger., 1857-08-29
To the Voters of Amador:

their tactics The people decided emphatic
ally against the unjust prescription of adop-
ted citizens, and against the rule of Secret
Political Order; wherefore The Remnant, from
sheer necessity, now seek to avoid the odum
which attaches to the leading principles of
the party, and yet claim to be regular Old
Line Know Nothings
How is it. Mr.. Briggs and Mr.. Hinclzson7
Are you Know Nothings still, or are you
not? That is the question. Your friends
are trying to elect you by the No-Party and
Reform cry, and you yourselves claim, if we
are not misinformed, that party issues do not
enter into the contest; yet you are the regu-
larly nominated candidates of what you say
is the regular American or Know Nothing
party. There is q gross inconsistency here,
and we propose to investigate little You
would have the remnant of the order to ac-
cept you as smon-pure Know Nothings; and
yet you would have Democrats believe that
you are mot KnOio Nothing enough TO hurt"
Let us investigate and see.
Maj Bowie, your candidate for Governor,
said in his speech at Jackson last Wednes-
day night that the principles Of the American
Party tcere the same no,o that they aoere tloo
years ago. Your chosen champion ought to
be good authority. At your State conven-
ton in Sacramento, July Goth, 1851, you
passed the following:
"Resolred, That we CORDIALLY ENDORSE the
Platform of principles adopted by the Ma
tional American Council, at Louisville, KY,
on the 4th day Of June"
And Stick a Pin here, also
"Rcsolced That we have abiding fdiM
in the truth Of our political creed and that
,cc aoN struggle IN the future as Ue hare IN
the past, TO ENGRAFT THE POLITICS OF OUR PARTY
UPON THE LEGISLATION OF THE COUNTRY"
Mr.. Briggs was an active member Of the
Convention, and if we mistake not was on
the committee that reported the above reso-
lutions Do Mr.. Briggs and Mr. Hinckson
repudiate the resolutions or do they stand
by them? Come, gentlemen, don't try to
carry water on both shoulders il is better
for gentlemen who aspire to high position to
be frank and candid with the intelligent free
men from whom they are to receive their
support.
Now we would ask
What was Know Nothingism two years
ago-the Know Nothngism that Maj. Bowie
of course referred to, the Know Nothingism
that Mr.. Briggs and Others resolved to strug
gle to engraft upon the Legislation of the
countryl What ,oas Know Nothingism p
Let the facts answer One of the things
necessary to be done originally, in order to
become member of the party, was to take
the follo,oimg oah:
81, of my oaon free ,cM and accord, in the
presence of Almighty God and these wit
nesses, my left hand resting upon my right
breast, and my right hand extended to the
flag of my country, do solemniy and sincerely
s,oear, that / will achen appointed or elected to
any official station, comforting on me the
power to do it, REMOVE ALL FOR
ElGNERS, aliens, or Roman Catholic from
office or place, SO help me God and keep me
steadfast."
That was Know Nothingism
Or part of it, originally. Did Mr.. Hinck-
son and Mr.. Briggs take that obligation?
Do Mr.. Hinckson and Mr.. Briggs adhere to
it now, or do they ignore it Then again,
on the TWENTY-ONE YEARS CUES
TION. Know Nothingism ,cas very explicit
the Know Nothingism which Maj Bowie
says is the same now, and which Mr.. Briggs
and others resolved to struggle, as they had
struggled before, to engraft upon the legisla-
tion of the country. The following was a
part of Know Nothingism two years ago
it was the ninth plank in the platform:
"A change in the laws of naturalization,
DENCE OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS,
of all not heretofore provided for, AND
INDISPENSABLY REQUISITE FOR
CITIZENSHIP HEREAFTER, and ex-
cluding all paupers and persons convicted of
crime, from landing upon our shores; but no
interference with the vested rights of for
egners"
Now we hear that MIR. Briggs,
For himself and perhaps for Mr.. Hinckson
also, utterly repudiates this twenty-one years
test. Isit fact that you so repudiate, gen
tlemen, or is it slander upon your Ameri-