The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-17
WASHINGTON CITY.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JUNE II. 1867.
KNOW NoTHINGIsM, IT'S ORIGIN, RISE, AND
FALL


Disappointment is ever fruitful of schemes TO revive
hopes and long sought but attained objects
The democratic and wing parties contained ambitious
men whose merits had not been estimated by their
party friends according to their standards and
sequently, had met with political disappointments
which they could not bear with patient resignation.
Know -nothingism originated in these disappoint
ments and was nursed into activity by newly-in-
spred hopes. The originators sought to organize
new party, of which they should become the profit
ing leaders, which should appeal to the pride of
birth pace, and to prejudces supposed to be easily
excited against religion not well understood and
protested by few born within the Union and to Sc
cure the advantages of popular name, the new
party was christened American although based
upon an illiberality and bigoted prejudice foreign
to the principles 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 secrecy, and all
its arrangements views and objects We're 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 political
lodges, to make one uniform reply to every possible
question, and to say " know nothing" which con-
ferred the by which the party has been dstin-
guishcd. This scheme of closing the mouth with
falsehood avoided avowal of indefensible princi-
Piles and precluded discussion which would have
proved their faacy and their hostility to real Amer
lean principles. Before the public aware Of the
existence of organization disappointed democrats
| = - 2 -. a H..
encc Of those midnight political conclaves sufficient
numbers to triumph at the polls, and
especially in cities where secret combinations
most easily managed. Many were duped the man
ayers assuring unsnspecting democrats that, in
the end the democracy would be benefited, while
the like unblushing assumption that whigism would
alone be benefited was made to ,insuspectng wings.
A few leading spirits controlled everything in
every part of the United States, and the masses
were sworn to obey, and vote they directed ex-
ercsing neither independence Judgment for them
selves, thus submitting to political slavery une-
qualled within our limits The leaders ordered their
subordinates when and how to vote, and whom to
expel from the polls and directed the application of
force when deemed necessary and safe to prevent
their adversaries from exercising the privileges Of
freernen 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 bludgeon
wreaked vengeance even upon innocent women and
children. Successes thus acquired were naturally
temporary. The secret oaths and contrivances for
controlling the wemeaning and ignorant We're re-
vcaled by those whose conscientiousness could not
be longer rcconcied to them The denunciations
which honest indignation and patriotic feeling heaped
upon these wretched and wicked contrivances car
| red conviction to thousands that such oaths and
contrvances constituted to morals religion,
and liberty and thercupon they commenced the
work Of rcnouncing them. The leaders were com
| PEELED, at least in form and pretence to abandon
their secret operations including their oaths tending
to screen guilty brethren, even in courts Of justice
and come before the people with apublic declaration
Of political principles upon which they protested to
stand From that day the doom of know-nothingsm
was sealed Thirty States last fall ignored and re-
| pudiated the iberal and narrow principles of the
order To Maryland alone reserved the distinc-
| ton of an apparent approval of what her thirty
sisters had emphatcay condemned. It is due to her
voice of q majority of her voters The war upon all
not native-bom deferred hundreds, and probably
thousands of good worthy naturalized citizens and
| probably some Others from attempting to vote,
while large numbers of peaceable quiet-lovng Cath
olics voluntarily staid from the polls. II is now
history that very large numbers Of both driven
| from the polls by violence and prevented from
voting, while the knownothing mayor and city au-
hortes used no suitable exertons to protect the
ter or to restrain, or arrest punish the aggressors.
| Had the vote in Maryland been full and fair one
| she would have marked her condemnation of the
llibera and intoerant principles of the know-noth-
| ings. Although they may achieve occasional local
success through the successfully used in Bal
tnorc and attempted, but failing, here the party has
fallen to rise no more When its secret operations
were abandoned its power annhilated, and il
! fell and the hand of resurrection will never come to
| it's rescue There is too much libcraty of principle
and Christian sympathy and religious charity in the
breasts Of people to the stability
of party whose sole claim to merit rests upon birth
place and intolerance towards single sect entertain
ing different encts and practising different forms OF
worship. This party is substantially disbanded and
at an end. The democrats who have unwttingly
been seduced into its ranks viii to the stand