New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-26
CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENCE
THE KNOW NOTHING CANDIDATE FOR THE
VICE-PRESIDENCY.
A CARD PROM ALBERr PIKE

SIR: "Was Henry Wilson Know-Nothlng4
You say that you are constantly receiving
letters asking an answer to this question
will answer it, / was delegate TO ana
member of the National Council of the Know
Nothing Party, in the Summer of 1855, at Phii-
adelphia. and one of the seven delegates
from a Southern State. found the present
Senator Henry Wilson in that body when l
entered il. and he sat in it during the whole
session. and helped settle the platform-oelng
enc Of the seven delegates of Massachusetts.
To be there, he had to have the sign, word
and grip; and necessarily had taken the same
cath which we all had taken on entering the
order. i. e., not to assist in any way IN eleVat-
ing to any Office of trust or profit any person
of foreign BIRTH or any Roman Catholic. The
oath is as binding on him now as 1t was
then.
Nv name will assure you that | know that
of which speak. l object to Mr.. wilson's
sneaking out of the scrape, by both the sup
pressio peri and Su0geStiO falSi.
ALBERT PIKE.
Washington CITY, Aug. D. 1872.
mo intelligent citizen Of any part of the United States
needs 10 be told who Albert Pike is and no one DOUBTS
MS absolnte yeracty. We append TO his statement
above eopy Of the KnowNohing oath as administered
an the Massachusetts, lodges and forwarded TO us by
reputabe and responsible Massachusetts, Know-Noth-
ing Mr. Pike has this and youches Tor u as tne
same obligation which he took himself.
If Senator Wilson should become President
he would thus be kept, by cath under whose ooga-
tion he st rests from appointing TO office the repre-
sentatves OF over third Of the population and bound
10 use all his influence prevent their obtaining once
Perhaps he might prove true to his obhgauons as
did President Grant TO those he took with Baez through
"A, with n N IL
ate on the question of SantO Domingo.-EdJ
TFxr OF OATH TAKEN BY HENRY WILSON IN 1854.
In the presence of the true and everything Cod
and ON these sacred Scriptures, His Holy Word do
declare that will truly fulfill all my obligations to-
ward nv brethren of the Order Of Know NOthings,
and that will keep sacred all the signs, tokens,
pass and degree words emblems and proceedings of
said Order. And /
further declare and solemnly swear that l will not
knowingly vote for appoint or elect any person of
foreign birth OF a Roman Catholic, to any Office in
the local or general administration of the American
Government; and further declare and swear that
will use all the means in my power to counterfeit
and destroy the influence of foreigners and Roman
Ca lolcs in the administration of the Government
of the United States and in any aud all parts thereof
both local and general To ali this, a free and vol
untary obligation on my part without reservation
pray Indl may bNoI NC doiO " 1Ohhaih uuO anu
steadfast, so help me God.
Though this oath seems comprehensive enough, IL
was explicitly understood to comprise more; because
on the occasion taking it the formula that the
President of the LODGE will address the brethren
follows -
"As a member of this patriotic Lodge, it will
become Your duty TO disregard all personal inter
sss and predictions in the service of your country
in order that the corrupt and evil influence of
a1aafo and do
stroyed aud here it will be understood, sons Of
foreigners and of Roman Catholics are included"
HOW SENATOR WILSON TRIED TO SNEAK OUT OF
90 m s,,. , XATIGK MAS Mass, Jq5y 20 1872.
Nh DEAR SIR: The mail has just brought me your note
and extracts clipped from newspapers purporng TO be
have to say that they and all thought words of like
character which have appeared in the papers pure
Inventions wicked fOrgeres absolute falsehOOds Never
have thought spoken, written those words,
thing resembling those words, nor anything that the
most malignant sophsry could torture into those words
could not have for they abhorent to every
conviction of my Judgment every throb Of my heart
having endured the hard lot the poverty too
often forced 20 endure came TO manhood passOnatey
devoted to the creed Of human equality All my life
have cherished as bright hope and held and aYowed as
living faith, e doctrine that all men, Without dstnc
zion Of color race nationality, should hare complete
liberty and erdet eQdiy-dH ne rights asked for my
been for more than Sc wears TO human rie6ts
In the Constitutional Convention Of Massachusetts, I'm
II years service in the Senate OF the United states
in 800 public addresses in the press speeches and
sand Of Sges have iterateG and reiterated ne doe
tiae Of equal rights for all conditions Of 1t not
my SIR, passing strange that parsansEip should
blind 10 Of truth, justice, and fair play that
they should forge and print abhorrent sentments-sent
ments insulting 10 God aud man-and charge them upon
whose life has been given TO the cause OF equal rights
at home and whose profound sympathes
g,ss he friends Of tjerS Of all and nationGii-
ties abroadf HENRY WILSON.
MORE CONTEMPORARY TESTIMONY TO THE FACT.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR Mr. Frank Birds incOntr0Vertible dOcu-
mentary expose of Gen. Wilson, former aiation with the
X n party emboldens TO submit the further attesta
tjOn Of THE TRIBUNE ALMANAC for 1855 the faet-whch
the writer had previously intended suggest for pub
cation had not the thought interpOsed that through
IL the Administration press might be enabled to
add to their stock OF equally grave thoughtful accu
sations against Mr. Greeley that Of eliminating his RI
vals by prophecy. However that Mr. Bird relieves
Mr. Greeley from the suspicion OF having untruthfuy
interpoated KnowNothing IN Mr.. Wilson's Senatorial
record with view TO damage his YicePresidental pros
poets seventeen years before his nomination, may not
be amiss 70 state that Henry Wilson'S appears In
TRIBUNE list Of u. g. Senators for 1855
Know-NOthng. This little political manual has always
preserved the confidence Of politicians Of all parties
for the reliability Of its statements Of political facts.
BerOusly the fact is neontestsble and has remained
uncOntested until Gen. Wilson's political fortunes placed
him IN position where policy made IL eXpedent
20 him. that he should assume not 10 have been what he
was And II 10 painfully humiating 20 Americans
serespeot witness candidate for the second place
of dignity In the republic going about the country deny
ing facts respecting himself that matters Of com
notoriey. and which wellnfOrIned person can
be made 70 doubt by columns Of contradictory
opinions he entertained, and desires 10 repudate
Them now, let him come out like man, an honest man,
with denals Of transparent facts is infinitely degrading
to his ehs1acter and s twenty times more damaging %
fact that his principles are different from those he