Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-04-19
The Oath Bound Candidate.

John Pool, Esq, the Opposition candidate for Gov
ernOr, is first, second, and third degree Know
n othng, and will if elected Governor, be solemnly
bound to observe and carry out his oaths Startling
this may appear it nevertheless true He is sworn
to prescribe all persons who not natives and all per
sons who profess the Catholic religion. He is sworn to
besow all the offices which he may have to fill on Know
Nothngs like himself; and he is to support only
Know Nothings for office. He is committed by as
solemn obligations rested upon man, to fOment
strife between and between sects ia religion and
these obligations in the oath which be took shall ever
be kept sacred and nUiolqte" If there be power to
absolve him from these obligations have evidence
that Mr. Pool has been absolve. On the contrary
the inference is that his obligations are still upon him.
and that he is bound whether he wishes do not
to carry them out.
All this and much more, felIow-ctizens qcas done in
secret. With doors closed, at midnight away from the
thoroughfares of men, while honest people slept Mr. Pool
took these Oaths. With his hand resting the flag
staff of his country, or the Holy Word of God, he
pronounced these obligations, not against the enemies of
the State, but against portions of his feow-ct
zens By the light of lamps dimly burning, with hush
ed tread of footsteps and with the silence of skuking
fear, the passwords 1hlSpered and the grip
was given.
Such is faint outline of Know Nothingism. 1t
commenced in the North in the hotbeds of abotionism
1t destroyed the old Wing party, which national
and built up the black Republican party which
tona 1t tramped under foot the teachings of Henry
low, Winter Davis Banks, and Tom Ford 1t put the
North against the South the South against the North
the native against the foreigner and the Protestant
against the Catholic 1t sharpened the knife and lit
the torch OF hand-tohand conflict in Baltimore New
Orleans, and Louisville, between citizens of the
same country until blood flowed like water, and
Iselfgovernment became a byword and reproach in
those Cities. 1t hunted down who proudly claimed
the American flag their flag, because they worship
ped God IN their own way and because they had foreign
in fhoIrv hoI Eunl;
day and had been proposed for Office, it would have
voted sganst him for refusing to subscribe to its oatbs
life they did in the old war; for liberation in religion
and for the rights of naurazed citizens 1t made
ty, and that by the most binding oaths, para
mount to country and paramount to individual
character and personal independence It made tools of
eemen for the benefit of thrddegree leaders in the Or
der like John A. Gilmer and Pool 1t so outraged JUS
tice it SO tramped individual rights it so strength
ened aboltionism, it so deied and condemned law in
large cities it arrayed neghbor against neghbor and
friend against friend that the whole Southern country
Disguised with its mummeres and indignant its course
rose almost as One man and consigned it to defeat
But Black Republicanism had meanwhile risen on
its ruins" and now threatens the very existence OF
the Government. In the South the members of
this oath bound faction again changed their name de-
clared themselves Wings and attempted to rid them
selves of the odum of Know N othngism. But in vain
1t will stick to them long their oaths stick in their
conscienceS We intend to hold them to it. We intend
to hold John Pool to it. In our next we will refresh the
minds OF our readers fully with the obligations
which Mr.. Pool assumed as K cow Nothing so that
every one may what sort of Governor he would be-
if by possibility he should be elected.
Raleigh Standard