, 1857-06-05
The Rise and Fall Of KnOw NOll,ingism

The triumph Of the National Democratic
party in the last general election has prob.
ably setted'forever the policy Of oar gov
crnment in regard to the qualifications Of
citizenship. That natural Mpulsyeness
aud caprice, which are thotght by some
wrong headed political economists TO dis.
qualify the French populace for selEgororn
mcut, have been occasionally Illustrated in
the political vogarics of "the universal
Yankee nation Bat these popular whims
have always been as shortlivcd in duration
as they were destitute of correct political
data and sound moral basis. The organ
izations to which they have given birth
have always self-contained the germ of
speedy dissolution Hence, We may safely
conelnde that no policy will ever be perma-
nently engrafted upon our institutions, the
principles Of which are not strictly in ac-
cordance with the original theory of uni
versal liberation and equality upon which
our system of government is based.
Subsequent to the election of 1862 n
party suddenly sprang up, which, under
various absurd pretexts, proposed to change
in very essential manner, those conditions
which constitute the important franchise of
citizenship of the United States and undcr
which. their population has been steadily
advancing in enterprise, general intelligence
and productive industry. No actually ex-
istng evils were pointed out in justification
of this change, but all the reasons advanced
for it were events anticipated, fanciful, and
prospective in their operation Yet such
was the popular frenzy excited by the des-
cription and contemplation of these imagi-
nary political calamities, which, contrary
10 precedent, common sense and analogy,
were TO spring from the liberation, as
American citizens, of foreign-born subjects,
that the question for time overshadowed
all other political issues and old party
distinctions, based upon vital and practical
principles, were, to considerable extent,
lost sight of and obliterated The COM
bincd opposition to the Democracy, and
even a bewildered portion of the Demoera-
cy itself, at once rallied under this ianatcal
standard, and the uncompromisng adher-
ents of The Constitution were prostrated
again and again in the State elections which
succeeded the advent of the present Ma
tional Administration. But wherever the
new party triumphcd, it invoked the most
anti-republican means for the attainment of
its questionable ends it substituted the
machinery of secret organization and mid
night conclaves for the honorable code Of
open party warfare it appealed TO the
passions, the national prejudices and rcl-
gous bigotry of its partisans; and its sue.
cessful career in most of our large cities
was marked by frauds upon the ballot, com
puIsiye or mercenary suffrage, personal yio-
ieuce, riots and boodshed.
The present administration with unJend-
ing integrity ard fidelity to principle set
its face like flint againt the pernicous
doctrines which threatened to destroy the
superstructure of republican society, and
substitute in its place an aristocraey Of
birth and religion. The Democracy sig
nalizcd its opposition to them as funda-
mental article of its party creed its cham
pions took issue with them before the peo-
pie. and exposed the rottenness and uncon-
stitutionality of the whole scheme. At
length the honest portion Of the Know
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