Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-24
TEE Know NOTHING CANDIDATE FOR GOV
FRNoR.

gests ITSELF how came be ever to be thought Of In
this oonnectiou3 No oae, We suppose, will contend
for moment that it vas from any particular ft7es'
that marked and distinguished him above all others
Of his party, many Of whom would have been proud
Of such an honor. No one, We suppose, viii con-
tsnd that bis selection resultedfOm any past sTriSs
70 the public. that gave him peculiar claims TO the
bonor and confidence Of the people No one, we
rnnoss would 60 even 90 far IS 10 contend that In
the mast oanvassss be had made snysuPerior display
az populsr Orstory, that suggested him as better
AIRED for such duty than Gentry, Henry, Brown,
Estbsrland, Nelson, and 3 host of Others, who
,-ould Be PROUD 10 be Governor. No one viii con-
tend that the popular voice Of his party had pointed
him outfn advance and Indicated him IS It's choice.
It cannot even be said that be selected to har-
monte the conflicting claims Of rival asPirants -
Whv. then, was Mr.. Hatton, to the establishment Of
large majority Of his own party, who were almost
ignorant Of the existence Of such man, nominated
as candidate for Governors For reason as sig
niAesnt as It is plsin-it Wss hopeless contest,
labor Of love, for which Of ability position
would not make willing sacrifices Of themselves,
and because the maDUu7ers Of the Order desired
candidate whose brief record did not extend beyond
the limits Of single session ofour State Legislature
Mr. Hatton vas admirably fitted to their purpose
Whipt out in his own district for the race for Con-
Eress-an sdventurer in politics, with nothing to
lose and every thing to gain--sufHciently hOnored
in the nomination to compensate him FOR defeat
with but brief political past to expose his shallow
nesg to the word-hisname and fame we're suited toa
time that TO the men Of mark and position party was
exceedingly unpropitious. He is an ,eIigency can
didats, and in his nomination we have clear &C
Acknowledgement Of the hopelessness Of his party,
and see the dernier resort of such man as Mr..
Bell in playing his last card to secure Legislature
that may re-eleot him to the Senate of the United
ststes.
Mr.. Hstton's history IS q legislator covers the
period Of five months commencing October 1856, and
ending first of March, 1858. If his record upon
the journals during this short period is a fair
index to what he would have done If thrown upon
wider theatre his friends certainly have cause of
oongratuatiou that his term of service brief
and have only regret that it was not I've months
less
We said when the nomination was first made, that,
on an examination Of his record, 1t would be found
that be voted on the wrong side of nearly every
question that came up during the session Of which
he was member. OF such may be inclined to
attribute our remark to the hostility Of pO-
litical opponent we have only to request that they
will examine for themselves. They will there see
the embryo statesman % in his true proportions -
Mr. Harton cannot object to such test, and the
people, before whom be is presented in the attitude
Of a candidate for Governor, should not neglect to
make it, The mere yrotessiOas Of all public men are
favorable TO themselves and it is only by their &C.
toast hat they can be imparisy judged of and their
true sentiments in regard to government proper
ly sscertainsd.
Those who will take the pains to make the eIami-
nstion will find Mr.. Hatlon mere Parti1an, whose
mind has never expanded sufficiently to grasp a
prin .iple-uncontrolled by any fixed views of the
proper scope and purposes of governments mere
reflex Of all the grosser shades Of partzan adyen-
turer-wid, reckless and dangerous as a legislator.
These facts we shall attempt to s1emPly in this
and succeeding numbers Of our paper.
Mr.. HArToS As A KNOW NOTHING.
Mr.. Hatton believes 6rst that our Government
should be controlled by secret political clubs or jun
toes after the fashion of the Jacobn clubs Of France
80 much in vogue during the bloody revolution in
that country generally characterized as the "reigH
Of terror" he believes that these secret clubs
organised to rule and govern the country, should
swear its members upon the Bible and Cross, never
TO reveal the srsgeos Of such order or the object
which il has in view. He believes that this secret
order, so sworn should have signs. and grips, anc
passwords BY which they may be able to distinguish
and communicate with each other, under any and al
circumstances that may require it. He believes
that, so organized It's members should be required
70 swear, also that so long they remain connect
rlo in linz Or
50 far as the order is concerned comply with tht
will of the majority, though it may conflict will
their Judgment and personal preference. He be
lieves that it is just and proper to organize eOunc
or clubs Of this character throughout the country
for the purpose Of electing the officers Of the Gov
ernment, State and Federal, and that these Oficer
should be sworn never to appoint any man to Office
who processes the Catholic religion, who may have
been born beyond the limits of the United States
and that they will turn out ofofhce such they may
ind in Mr. Hatton believes that every member o
these secret juntoes should swear upon the Bible ant
Cross not to vote for any protesting the Catho
lie religion nor for any citizen Of foreign birth, fol
any Office To the srtict observance Of all this and
more he believes they should be bound not only by
their oaths, but under the heavy penalty Of having
their psmes posted and circulated throughout the
different Councils Of the United States as traitor
TO God and their country being unfit to be en-
ployed and trusted, cOuntenancod or supported il
apv business transaction; totally unworthy the con-
Sdsucs Of all good men, and at whom the finger Of
soorn should ever be pointed.
This is, in part, the substance Of the Know Moth
ing Osths, which Mr.. Hstton has pledged himself to
upon the Bible sud Cross. Mr.. Hatton, We have
every reason to believe has not only reCs vsd but
has administered these oaths to hundreds Of others
and when exposed, he has adhered to and defended
them. he hiss never claimed to have been absolved
from them By any political priest to have changed
his opinion as to their prOpriety as means Of en-
forcing his political views upon the country. Mr..
Hs,ton regarded these Oaths binding when he re-
os;vsd and administered them. They az bind
ing to day as they we're then. There is as much
reason why they should be administered now as then
The failure in the effort to bring the country under
their control-to have 8 fore-swOrn Know Nothing
President, Cabinet and Congress, governing US, not
IN the way provided by the Constitution, but in theiI
secrst lodges, controlled by their Grand, National
s,ats and Subordinate Counoilh-is no fault Of Mr.,
Hattons or those who are striving to have him elect