Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-06-26
1)oliti1al.
From the Washington Union
KNOW-NOTHINGISM, ITS ORIGIN,
RISE, AND FALL.

RISE, AND FALL.
Disappointment is ever fruitful of
schemes to revive hopes and secure long
sought but unattained objects. The
democratic and whig parties contained
ambitious men whose merits had not been
estimated by their party friends accor-
ding to their standards, and, consequent
ly, had met with political disappoirt-
ments which they could not bear with
patient resignation. Know-nothingsm
originated in these disappointments, and
was nursad into activity by ncwly-in-
spircd hopes. The originators sought
to organize new party, of which they
should become the profting leaders,
which should appeal to the pride of birth
place; and to prciudices supposed to be
easily excited against religion not well
understood and professcd by few born
within the Union and to secure the adj
vantages of a popular name, the new
party was christened American" al
though based upon an illiberality and
bigoted prejudice foreign to the princi-
Piles and instincts which secured liberty
in America.
Conscious that the principles upon
which the scheme was based could not
bear the test of open public scrutiny,
they were yelled in secresy, and all its
arrangements, views, and objects were
sealed with an oath. TO guard those
whose discretion could not be trusted
from the danger of revelations, all were
charged, upon leaving their secret polit-
zeal lodges, to make one uniform reply to
every possible question, and to say |
"know nothing" which conferred the
name by which the party mas been dis
tinguished. This scheme of closing the
mouth with a falsehood avoided an avow-
al of indelensible principles and precludod
discussion which would have proved
their fallacy and their hostility to real
American principles Before the public
was aware of the existence Of an organi-
cation, disappointed democrats and wings
often drew into and subjected to the in
Gucnce Of those midnight political CON
clayos sufficient numbers to secure
triumph at the polls, and especially in
cities where secret combinations are most
easily managed. Many were duped I;
the managers assuring unsuspecting dem
ocrats that, in the end, the democracy
would be benefited, while the like I'M
blushing assumption that whigism would
alone be benefited was made 20 uHsGs-
pecting wings. A few leading spirits
controlled everything in every part of the
United States, and the masses were
sworn to obey, and vote as they directed
exercising neither independence nor
Judgment for themselves, thus submit
ting to political slavery unoqualled
within our limits. The leaders ordered
their subordinatos when and how to vote,
and whom to expcl from the polls, and
directed the application of force when
deemed necessary and safe to prevent
their adversaries from exercising the pri-
yileges of freemen. In the execution Of
these lodge edicts blood has been freely
shed in this city, Baltimore, New Orleans,
and other cities, including Louisville,
where the torch, as well as the musket
and bludgoon, wreakcd vengeance even
upon innocent women and children. Sue
cesscs thus acquired were naturally tenn
porary. The secret oaths and contriyan-
ccs for controlling the well-meaning and
ignorant were revealed by those whose
conscientiousness could not be longer re-
concled to them. The denunciations
which honest Indignation and patriotic
wicked contriyances carried conviction to
thousands that such oaths and contriv-
ances constituted treason to morals, re-
ligion, and liberty, and thcrcupon they
commenced the work Of rcnOuncing them.
The leaders were compelled, at least in
form and pretence, TO abandon their Sc
cret operations, including their oaths
tending TO screen guilty brethren, even
in courts of justice, and come before the
people with public declaration Of po-
iitical principles upon which they pro-
fcsscd to stand. From that day the
doom of know-nothingism was sealed. -
Thirty States last fall ignored and ropu-
dated the illiberal and narrow principles
of the order To Maryland alone was
reserved the distinction Of an apparent
approval of what her thirty sisters had
emphaticaly condemned. IL is due to
her to add that the recorded vote was
not the will or voice Of a majority Of her
voters. The war upon all not ma
tive-born deferred hundreds, and proba-
bly, thousands of good, worthy natural
lied citizens, aud probably some others,
from attempting TO vote, while large
numbers of peaccable, quiet-loying Cath
olics voluntarily siaid from the polls. II
is now history that very large numbers
Of both were driven from the polls by
violence and prevented from voting, I
while the know-nothing mayor and city
authorities used no suitable cxertions 70
protect the voter, or 10 restrain. or ar
rest or punish The aggressors. Had the
vote in Maryland been full and fair
one she would have marked her condem-
nation Of the illiberal and iutolerant
principles Of the know-nothings. Al
though they may achieve an occasional
local success through the means success
fully used In Baltimore, and attempted,
but falling, here, the party has fallen TO
rise no more. When its secret opera
tons were abandoned It's power was an
initiated, and it fell, and the hand Of
will never come 10 its rescue.
There is too much liberality Of principle