The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-27
The Know Nothinus Again.

Lue beWOcTUtJ give more ueunItenese auC
far more Importance to a rumor of revived
Know nottingham that has been floating
about the city for some months. The
movement itself can have no direct impor-
tance 30 long as confined to one locality
but it's exposure at juncture like this can
have an important indirect influence. The
Democratic party of this State has been
following too literally in the track made
by it's rascally predecessor, Radicalism. 1t
has religiously respected all the slaughter
house, lottery, fraudulent bond and other
monopolies and swindles, all the multipli-
cation of parishes and Offices and salaries,
| all the extortionate and iniquitous excesses
| of assessments and other plundering jobs
fastened on the State by Radical adven-
turers. People we're prepared to give it a
good rebuke at this election, even in favor
of decent Republicans if such should pre-
sent themselves, but when it comes to
Know Nothings
Therefore we say this new fit of Native
Amerieanism may have an important infiu
ence indirectly when in it's own right it is
entitled to contempt only.
AS often said before, this paper cannot
take sides between parties, bu Know
nottingham, even more than Carpet
baggery, is not a party, It is crime. 1t is
human nature revolted againet the laws of
rational civilization and given over to the
savage ferocity of its animal instincts.
This proposition can be easily proved
by simply quoting from it's own written
form ulas and doctrines as published by our
contemporary. That the fundamental
principle of the conspirators is stupid,
narrow minded blgotry Of race, is appa-
rent at first sight. No one but native
ought to have the rights of citizen, ac
cording to them. Then, intelligent, indus
trious, enterprising merchants, mechanics,
business men and professional men, men
whose busy brains apd steady courage are
building up the country, men who were
not born here but whose children are born
here, and who themselves intend to die
here-these men must stand aside as unfit,
and give way to native born negroes.
What a strange doctrine to evoke against
those thousands of gallant soldiers, for
eign born, who stood under the Coufeder-
ate flag from the day when it was frat
unfurled to the day when it's tattered rags
could no longer hold together! What an
epitaph on the monument of Cleburne and
Nolan and the rest, "Worthy to die but
not to be citizens :"
Now for it's ferocity.
At a meeting of January IN 1873, one
William II. Hunt offered the following
resolution which was unanimously adopted:
CLOSES THE SECRETS OF THIS ASSOCIATION
IN ANY WAY, OR WHO VIOLATES HIS OATH,
BE TAKEN IN CHANGE BY A COMMITTEE OF
FIVE, CONSISTING OF MEMBERS LIVING OUT
OF THE WARD WHERE THE OFFENDER RE
SIDES, WHICH COMMITTEE is TO HAVE FULL
POWER TO INFL1CT ANY PUNISHMENT
DEEMED NECESSARY.
Any Punishment deemed necessary
There is no criminal code in any civilized
country which gives such arbitrary power
as this to court or jury. The punishment
of being slupg shotted to death might be
selected for some tritling carelessness in
referring publicly to unimportant matters
of secret character. The accused might
be condemned unheard, for there is no
provision to the contrary, and, to add to
the terror of the example, his fate might be
A0PU uSSG oAS w AnhIlJ 1uO llAou0e' do
"shall be taken in charge by committee"
Whenf In day light 7 and marched along
the open streets to prison Not at all,
for the police would soon stop the process
sion. The committee would have no pris-
on and no courthouse and no courage to
face the day light. 1t would do its work
secretly, stealthily, in the dead of night,
along dark streets and byways, with gag
and knife, 30 far, at least, as any limitation
in it's authority might be concerned.
More Significance is given to this resolu-
tion by the proviso that the committee to
whom the offender is given in charge must
come from another ward than his. The
leniency that might spring from ties of
friendship or kindred must be guarded
against and a closer imitation of the Molly
Maguires secured. 1t will be remem bered
that these latter outlaws hand over the case
oF r,H d. T. h.