Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-18

Democracy the resi- spors The trzlh and stand 5yit
Col NETHERLAND is one Of ths individuals embraced
in the last clause Of this sentence. 1t becomes
important therefore, for the people of Tennessee in
determining Col NETHERLANDS fitness for the
Office Of Governor, to enquire what it is he svOre to
and viii stand by" if elected. Here is one Of
the oaths which he took:
81, JOIN NETHERLAND, Of my own free viii
and accord, In the preser CO Of Almighty God and
these witnesses, my right hand rest ng on this holy
Bible and Cross, and my left hand raised towards
Heaven, in token of my sincerity, do solepniy
promise aud swear, that will not make known 10
any person or persons any Of the SIGNS, AISIE-
RES or OBJECTS Of this Organization, unless it
be those whom, after due examination or lawful
information, / shall find to be members Of THIS
Organization in good standing; that viii not cut,
carve print, paint, stamp, stain, or IN any way
directly or indirectly ezpose any Of the SECRETS or
OBJECTS of this Order, nor suffer il to be dens BY
others If in my power to prevent it, unless 1t be Tor
official instruction; that so long as ara connected
With this Organization, If not regularly dismissed
| from it, I wiH in all things, POLITICALLY or So
CIAL 60 far asthis Order is concerned, comply 7tth
the rM of the majority, when expressed IN lawful
| manner though IL may cORfiet Nth my P'TsohGt pre-
ference 80 long does net conflict with the Grand
Stats or Subordinate Councils, the CcnstitufIth Of
the United States of America. or that OF the state
| in which reside; end that will MT, under any
| circumstances whatever, knowingly recommend an
unworthy person for initiation nor suffer il 10 be
done, if in my power ID prevent it. further
more promise and declare that will not vote nor
give my influence for sRy man for any ofce IN the
gift Of the people, GRless he be an American born
cidzsn, IN FAVOR OF American RoRE Know
Nothingsl RULING AMERICA; NOR IF HE BE 4
| ROMAN CATHOLIC, uni that l will not under
any circumstances expose the name of any member
of this Order reveal the existence Of such an Or
gaR7qioR To all the foregoing bind myself UNI
der the no less penalty than that Of being expelled
from this Order and of having my name posted and
circulated throughout the different Councils OF the
United States as q traitor to God and my country,
as being unfit to be employed and trusted, coun-
tenanced or supported in any business transaction;
as a person totally unworthy the confidence Of all
good men and as one at whom the niger OF scoTn
should ever be pointed. So help me GOd!"
This is one of the oaths which We understand Col.
EETHERLANp 10 have taken. There are others
equally obnoxious, but We have not room for them
to-day We suppose that none Of Col NETHERLANDS
friends will deny that he did take the oath as sta
ted IT, however, 1t lie in any respect different from
the original copy let them send uG their copy of the
blue book and if it differs from ours, we will take
theirs as the correct one. We say this that there
may be no charge of unfairness in the matter.
Now, we have no disposition to treat this subject
in spirit of levity. 1t deserves very different
treatment 1t cannot be said that it has nothing
to do with this canvass The political creeds Of the
respective candidates for Governor, have more than
every thing else to do with this canvass. Know
Nothingism, in its very Wantonness, may have be-
come ridiculous; and yet it is no fault Of Colonel
NETHERLANDS that it is not q serious subject to-
day. If he could have had his way, he would have
fixed its Jacobinicsl heel as firmly upon the neeks
of the people, as is the POpish sway in Rome. We
would have been as much under their cruel tyranny
in Tennessee as have been the cities of Louisville
and Baltimore. As KnoW.NothiugIsu succeeded in
those cities it inaugurated q tragedy. But as it
failed in Tennessee, it became a farce. Colonel
NETHERLAND and his friends cannot escape its
odium under shelter of the fact that as We crushed
out the political monster in Tennessee it did com
psratively little harm. Thy did nothing to crush
it out. They built it up; and such men as JonN
NETHERLAND were its very SOUL This Know
Nothing oath constitutes part of Col. NEITHER
LANDS political creed to-day. He has spOra it,
and we are informed by their papers that none but
such as have abandoned the Order and joined the
Democracy have perjured themselves; sthe rest
sWors the truth and stand 6yh"
We know there were hundreds who, without
thought or due consideration, were duped into this
organization. Many from the most honest motives.
1t is Of the infrmiies of human nature to pre-
fer continuing in the wrong than to confess an
error and under the operation of kis feeling many
Well-mesning citizens continued connected with
that Order much longer than their own self-respect
justified But among this class of individuals there
were no lifelong politicians like Col NETHERLAxD
lie was not fooled. He was not one of the foxes
with their tails cut off He, and such as he, went
into 1t with their eyes wide open It mattered Ii tic
with them what principle was invOlved-ofes was
the thing sought We have never believed that the
getters-up of Know-Nothingism cared fig more |
for PrOtestanism than Catholicism; or for Natives
than Aliens Il was power and office that they |
wanted, and these were the supposed means to the
end. Col NETHERLAND would to-day prefer the |
votes of fOreign-born citizens, to the votes of ma
tive>born citizens, if he knew the former would |
elect him and the latter would not The whole aim
and end of Col. NETHERLANDS party was truth
fully portrayed in the reply JOHN NJ BORIS in
his Richmond speech, represents himself as having
made TO Democrat who approached him to know
if he was not in favor of coalition with the Black
Republican party in the election of 1860. 'My
good friend, said Mr.. Boris, 81 don't wish you to
me- wish TO say that if there was
State in the Union composed Of free negroes, and
the Constitution gave them lherght to vote should
be much obliged to them to help me to elect our
party"
But, awarding to Col. NETHERLASD all the SINGER
y he claims for the professions that he makes, and
what is the creed to which he stands pledged as g
member of the Know Nothing partyH For, as, &C
,Ordng to his own recent declaration he carried his
Wing principles with him into the Know Nothing
order SO we must infer he carried his Know Nothing
principles with him when he took shelter under the
new name of Opposition. He stands pledged to the
doctrine that it is right, in free government, to
seek political power through the agency of secret
,lubs, whose conduct is not open to public scrutiny
but is tampering with the liberties of the people
without their knowledge or supervision He stands
pledged to the doctrine that it is right in free
country to bind its citizens by oaths authorized
BY Law, and to enforce their obedience by penalties
If the heaviest and most revolving character He
tands committed to the policy Of subjecting free
tizens to the will, not of majority of the people,
Tut Of a majority of a political club or junlo,
whose proceedings sworn to be kept q secret
rom all the world. He is committed to the doc