Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-07
THE KNOW NOTHTNGS.

We cut from the Georgia Federal Union the an
pexed article. The consideration which the Union
gives in the closing paragraph, as its reason for
continuing to call its opponents in that State Know
Notbin6s. are the same which influence us. We
are Americans by birth and principle, and we will
not by applying to our opponents the title of "he
American party" recognize their exclusive right to
the name They first called themselves "KnOw
Nothings;" and until they adopt some name other
than one common to us to them, as a birth-right
they will continue to be " Know Nothings" to US,
and nothing else:
THEY DoN'T LIKE THE NAME.-The Savannah Re-
,.bleaa makes an earnest appeal to the Democratic
party to quit calling their party he - KnoW Moth
fn0s" The Republican asks its opponents TO be more
liberal and just: and says that they, the g Ameri
cans" give the Democracy their name, and it is
only fair that Democrats should call them the
" American Party
Now. we are not disposed to be hard on our Know
Notbinc frieuds-we are in the best possible humor
with every body, and feel no disposition in the
contest before us to use harsh epithets betray
unkind spirit to our opponents. But We ask them,
in all candor is not the term hHo0 Nothing one the
so-called American party adopted themselves, by
which they were to be designated and known out
side of their Lodges. 1t is child of their own bap-
tizinp-and we contend they have no just grounds
70 charge the Democracy with unfairness or unknd-
ness in applying TO the infant the name given TO
it at the baptismal font, by its own chosen spon-
sors.
We are not surprised that the Know Nothings
should desire to get rid of bad name But it is
not the fault of Democracy that the ever at
taebed to the party We have not applied the term
by way of reproach or lnsut-We use it to give the
cearest idea of the political order to which it REFERS
and we get our authority for the of it, directly
from the Know NOthings.
But even if this was not good and sufficient rea-
son for the refusal Of the Democrats to comply with
the RepuBEeans request there is one that is
incontestible 1t is this: The Know NOthings have
given their party the cognomen of the " American
Notwithstanding name common to every citizen
of the United States. We are all Americans For
n political party, composed of very large minor
ity of the citizens of the country, 10 arrogate to
themselves an exclusive right TO the American
name and by inference to classify all outside their
marty as anti-Amercans, is the most bare-faced i'm
audience and presumption that ever Characterized
political party since the adoption Of the Federal
Constitution.
We will never acknowledge the right of any set
of politicians to appropriate a name common to
every American citizen, and by so doing to place
q brand upon all others who not within the
male of their peculiar tenets. If the Know Moth
ines will adopt some fit and proper name, will
grant their request and drop the term Know Moth
ing But so long as they use the word Amarican to
designate their un-American organization, We will
call them, as we have done, Know NOthings.