Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-05-22
1,)olititnl.
An Unfortunate Party.


The Know nothing has been the most
unfortunate of all political parties. In
deed, it has been more unfortunate than
any other organization, order, or faction
of which we have hitherto heard, 1t was
unfortunate in its conception, in its birth,
in its childhood, and, despite its precoc-
ty, in its premature manhood, and in its
unexpected decline it was unfortunate
in the selection of its principles, and
more unfortunate in the election of its
leaders; unfortunate in its triumphs, and
unconsolable in its defeats-thc one dis
organized and divided, the other dis
heartened and discouraged it; unfortu-
nate in all its enterprises, and in every
position it has assumed. Its evil star
has led it to take the wrong side of every
question with which it has had TO deal !;
and its attempts TO oxtricate itself from
tho false and unfortunate position in
which it has been placed, have been as
unfortunate in their effects as the evils
they were intended to rectify, 1t was
unfortunate in its opposition to Catholics;
in its assaults upon the foreigners; in its
fusion in the North with the abolition
lists; in its abandonment and repundia-
ton of the 10Th section of its first plat
form; in its opposition to tho repeal of
the Missouri Compromise; in its denun-
citation of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill =
it was unfortunate in its secret signs,
grips and passwords; in its obligations
and oaths; in its intolerance and pro-
scription; in the mobs and riots it in
cited and in the blood it shed and the
havoc it produced.
Unfortunate itself, it was curse where
ever it triumphed. Its success in Gin
cinnati, in Louisville, in Baltimore, and
in New Orleans, have been signalized by
deeds of blood and outrage--of havoc,
and ruin, and connagration and follow
ed by decay, decline and stagnation. A
single triumph in Cincinnati was attend
ed with such scenes of violence and out
rage, that the people rose in their might,
aud vindicatcd the fair fame of their city
by promptly ropudiating policy and a
party which promised nothing but to de-
stroy their interests and ruin their pros
poets. 1t has maintained its power and
perpctuated its triumphs in the other
cities referred to, and peace and prosper
ity have fed its presence, and mob law
: and insecurity of person and property
mark its reign.
, ACKNOWLEDGMENT has had fair trial
: in Louisville, IN New Orleans and in
) Baltimore. In each of these cities its
sway has been sndispated and undisturb-
edits power has been absolute. In
them we are to look for the legitimate
fruits of Know-nothing triumphs. What
are they? Their interests have been
injured, their prospects lightencd, their
artisans and mechanics driven from them.
their fair fame furnished, the peace of
their inhabitants disturbed, and their
safety endangered the purity of the bal
lot box violated, and mob law made the
order of the day. In these cities alone
has Know-nothingism had an opportuni-
ty of carrying out its principles, and ex-
hibiting the practical working of its or
ganization, and these examples, we i'm
agine, are sufficient 10 satisfy the people
that it is not safe to entrust them with
power on more extensive scale.
Yet many honest, patriotic men, and
good and useful citizens, have been in
duced, upon one pretcxt or another, to
become members of this unfortunate and
dangerous organization, and yet remain
in it. They were deceived by the spe-
cious pretcnces and plausible logic of the
leaders of the order, and joined it with
the belief that they were thereby taking
steps to avert a great danger which men
aesa III. .h sss7sss;ssss y, u; tas
"horrid old Pope" and the "bloody
furrincrs !" and they yet adhere to their
well-drawn theories, despite the practical
teachings of experience. All such must
sooner or later become convinced that
the practical working Of the order is de-
trimental 10 the best interests Of the coun-
try, and when 50 convinced, they cannot
hesitate TO abandon an organization, tho
defeat of which is necessary to promote
the best and dearest interests Of the
country.
We have no reason TO doubt the per-
feet honesty and sincerity Of those who
belong to and act with the Know moth
ing party, and have no disposition or in
tontion to assoil or impugn the purity Of
their motives. We are disposed to ac-
knowledge, because we believe it, that
those who differ with us are az honest
| .nt. Nn1 al IA, I,u. ,ak
we believe that the members Of that or
der are laboring under a dangerous delu-
sion; and their honesty, so far from les
scning the danger, only increases it, by
making them more determined 10 sue.
coed 1t is true, the magnitude Of the
danger is much less now than two years
since; that in this State, as in every
State Of the Union save one, it is n de-
feated and minority party; yet it is a
danger still, and must continue such,
while 50 many good and respectable men
adhere TO it, Such men are Withdraw
ing from it every day, and must continue
10 do 80 as experience teaches them its
dangerous and anti American tendencies.
1t was triumphant in this State in S55 ;
last fall it bad been so weakened by the
detection Of just such men as these, that
it was defeated after desperate struggle,
by over 900 majority; the detection is
still going on, and by August the major
ity against it will be double seven thou
sand The people are honest and pairi-
otto, no matter what party they belong
4 Il L Al l.. Igl aNrat