Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-05
Grave Charge against the sdministra-
observation-disclosures OF KnOw-NOth-
ings TO Office.

1ngs TO Ofnce.
st- The Richmond Enquirer publishes letter
=. from Washington in which the writer under
- takes to show that Senator IvERsoN. of Geor-
- gia, in his late speech on the Pacific Railroad
= bill, erred, to great extent in setting down
the disastrous results to the Democratic party
81 of the elections last year in the Free States,
- @to the account Of the onward march OF
Aholitionism."
.,s After belaboring the Know-Nothng party
at terrible rate, and in the manner usual
with the Democratic writer's and speakers,
the author Of the letter referring to the sue
cessful campaign by Governor WISE against
the KnowNothing party in Virginia, in
= 1856, says:
vi-r ."Tbus your Governor became the precursor
= to the coming into power of James Buchanan
and the Democratic party who pledged
to every section of il to carry out its general
principles OF public policy in good faith
t0wards all, and refrain from doing any act
- that might have tendency to cast doubt on
the intentions Of those whom the people had
clothed with Executive power. that which
would be calculated to weaken its efforts for
,- the perpetuation of sound principles, so
f.s anspicously insugurated after the fall of the
isE Wing party in 52. by the Pierce Administra-
ton. Alas, for the mutations of subunary
.ss- affairs The echo of the inaugural oath had
scarcely dei upon the of the pOpulace
at the Capitol of the nation, when the hopes
OF the naturalized citizens, in the flelity to
principles on the pert of the President and
Cabinet, were disturbed; for the first appoint
ment made to position, second only in
Il grade TO the head of Department. hut far
more important, it relates to the distribn-
ton or patronage was the beginning of the
end OF the policy which has since then
characterized the Administration in nearly
all OF its Departments Philip Clayton, a
rig, and one who openly voted for John L.
Towers, the first and last Know--Nothng
Mayor of this city, superseded Peter c..
Washington. as assistant Secretary OF the
Treasury; and in his train, there followed as
sequence, a long list of subordinate appoint
ments OF the worst elements of the Know
Nothing party-men who were connected
with the Office of the american Organ"
here, and officers of the Know Nothing
Washington Monument Association, and
Board of Aldermen, under the Know-Noth-
ing reign of terror of that time"
Why, I" this offence is rank-it smells to
heaven ~ I" Had it even been suspected
says the writer, that Mr.. Buchanan would
have retained in, much less appointed soli
tary member of the Dark-Lantern party to
Office, he never would have had the pleasure
of calling himself President of the United
States"
"Thc Interior Department" confines the
writer, is even in worse condition in this
respect than the Treasury and yet although
the subject is daily brought to the attention
of the President and heads of the Treasury
and Interior Departments, it only goes on
from bad to worse"
"Under such state of things" asks the
- writer, is it within the compass of the most
verdant credulity to suppose that the 4" for
eign vote " will unite with any party that, in
this manner, heaps insult upon injury?'
Ofcourse not. The writer aliirms that
of the half million of Irish votes cast at the
last Presidential election, half dozen have
not been rendered the poor compliment of SO
b - many subordinate clerkships. while the Know
Nothings can count ten times that number
among the best at lis disposal, within the past
two years"
Finally, the writer says. " that unless n
90 change of policy takes place very soon in this
respect, the :. foreign vote " will be beyond
the hearing of the heralds of Democracy when
:. they call them next TO the of the rights
of the South.''
The foregoing grave charges against the
Administration are made in letter, publish
.1e.. Nlthout Couitn'ht III thc lNlShhlohu In
g,airer the leading Democratic organ OF Vir-
GINA, which letter was written by one who
says be is :" a member of an Irish family of
forty years in the Old dominion, aud one, too,
whose feelings and interests are bound up
with the South"
Is it not then, high time that the Demo
cratic papers should cease their abuse OF
KnowNothings? Surely they will do so, il
they have any respect for the feelings of Mr..
Buchanan and the Secretaries Of the Treasury
and Interior Departments