The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-01

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said Amercansm was the main issue, and almost
the exclusive issue lin 1850; for 1 had perfect
recollection that the canvass opened on the part
of the Am orleans (Know-nothngs) with the most as
sured and confident feeling that they would carry
our State officers by overwhelming vote So CON
hdent were they that they asked aid from nobody,
believe, q general proposition, who did not be-
long to the order and had not been regularly initi
ated.
The Know-nothing movement assumed form
as dangerous political power in 1854 or short
time before the North began to unite for the
purpose of opposing Southern aggression in the
interest of slavery. Though it is said to have
originated in New York, it nevertheless attained
its chief power and most sinister influence in
the South In the North it confessed to hardly
any specific declaration of principles, and many
of its most enthusiastic adherents were the sons
of foreigners. They wanted to discourage immi-
grafton, and they based their opposition to immi-
grafton upon the ground that foreigners were
entering into all avenues of employment and
| causing reduction of wages by their compet-
| tion with American workingmen. In the South
were comparatively few Catholics and foreign
ers and there the Know nothing movement be-
came firmly fixed and particularly powerful
| Emigrants from Europe came almost exclusively
to the North, and here settled. They added
largely to the population, and increased in like
ratio the representation of the North
| in Congress. Besides, they were a
growing menace to slave labor and
slavery. The famine of 184S in Ireland
and the revolution of the same year in Germany
| They came in multitudes, and for years they
| continued so to come. They helped to increase
the material and political power of the North,
and leading men of the South plainly saw that
| this power was rapidly becoming an element of
danger to Southern interests. They perceived
that though they had long and persistenty
sought to extend the territorial area of slavery,
yet their sectional supremacy was fast disap-
pearing, and the North swiftly acquiring po-
litical ascendency In view of such facts, the
popularity, strength and vitality of Know moth
ingism in the South find easy explanation.
In the Thirty fourth Congress the Know-noth
! ings had representation of about forty mem
| bers and but very few of the number were
| from the North. New York, New Jersey and
| Pennsylvania the only Northern States
that ever sent avowed Know nothings to Con
| gresS.
The Thirty-ff Congress, which was organ
| lied in 1857. the members having been elected
in the spirited campaign of 1856, comprised five
Senators and fourteen representatives who were
| identified with the Know-nothng party. All of
them were from Southern slave holding States
The names of all the Know-nothings then in the
Senate and House of Representatives, as taken
from the official %list published in the Con-
| gressional Globe, are as follows:
Senate-Anthony Kennedy Maryland: John B.
Thompson, John J. Crittenden, Kentucky; John Bell
Tennessee Sam Houston Texas.
| House-James B. Ricand, j. Morrison Harris. H.
| Winter Davis, Maryand John A. Gilmer North Car
olina; Robert P Trippe, Joshua Hill Georgia; George
Eustis, jr, Louisianai Warner L. Underwood. Hum
/
Ready, Felix K Zollcoher Tennessee; Thos. L. An
derson Samuel Fl. Woodson, Missouri
The Thirty-sixth Congress- which began its
work in 1859, had two senators and thirty-six
| representatives who were elected as Know-noth
ings. Twenty four of them were Southerners,
while the others were from New York and New
Jersey, as the following official list indicates:
Senate-Anthony Kennedy, Maryland; John J..
Crittenden, Kentucky.
Householder G. Carter, George Briggs New
| York; John T. Nixon. L. N. Stratton. New Jersey;
=. H. Webster j. Morrison Harris, Ii. Winter Davis
Maryand Alexander I. Boteler, Virginia VIM. n. H
Smith, John A. Gilmer, Jas. M. Leach Zebulon B.
Vance, North Carolina; Thos. Hardeman, IT,, Joshua
Hill Georgia; Edward Bouligny, Louisiana; Francis
Mallory, Laban T. Moore, Kentucky I. A. r. Nelson,
Horace Maynard Reese B. Brabson, VIM B. Stokes,
Robert Hatton, James M. Quarles, Tennessee.
Eleven Southern States have been represented
by avowed Know-nothings in Congress. These
States are Delaware Maryland, Virginia, North
| Carolina, Georgia. Alabama, Louisiana, Texas
Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. The Know
nothing party was most powerful, defiant, auda-
cous and dangerous during the administration
of Franklin Pierce, when the Democrats had
complete control of the government and held all
the federal offices. Then, too were perpetrated
| many of the disgraceful excuses attendant upon
the growth and unrestrained license of the
Know nothing organization. The lives, property
and churches of foreigners and Catholics were
subjected to all kinds of violence-to the deadly
weapon of thugs and the fire of midnight in
cendiaries
ORIGIN OF THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
When that political chaos was at its height the
anti-slavery sentiment of the North became
crystallized. Greeley Weed. Seward, Webb
! Phillips, Sumner Giddings, Wade, Chase, ETC..
determined TO organize a party-a party
opposed to the extension of slavery and to the
enforcement of the fugitive slave law. They
met, organized that party and christened it
Republican" taking the name of the ola anti
| federalist party of revolutionary times. AS was
/ ai6 hxJ OhT nf MAR in fhn
of Representatives, on May l, 1856:
As the principles of that party but the revival
of the doctrines of the immortal Jefferson nd the Re-
publican fathers it is perfectly natural and proper
for it to the time honored name Republican
To the same effect spoke Joshua r. Giddings,
of Ohio, in the course of ardebate between him
and Representative William Smith, of Virginia
in the House, Dec. 49, 1855. Said Mr.. Giddings
Now let me say 10 those gentlemen who speak
sneerngly of Repubcanism that find its definition
in the Declaration of independence The provisions
of that great nstrum ent embody the aims of the Re-
publican party. Upon this rock the Republican
church is built and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.
Mr.. Smith asked:
Why is it that your party has assumed the name
| Republicans
In answer, Mr. Giddings said:
For the reason that we advocate the principles
| stand upon the doctrines and advocate the policy of
the Republicans of 1776-the founders of our govern
ment They consecrated this Republic to the support
of liberty; do the They excluded slavery
from the Territories do the They left the
States to guide their governments within their
own jurisdiction; we do the same. Their doctrines
doctrines; their name is name; their God
| is God
Then Mr.. Smith put this questions
Why did you not take the name beforel
| And the answer was:
Our party has just been formed. It yet stands at
the baptismal font; christened Republican, and
secraed to the support of liberty by the most solemn
obligations resting men, Christians, states
men.
day were almost exclusively Democrats, Free
soilers and Wings. The anti-slavery Demo
Gratis of the North joined in great numbers.
According to Henry Winter Davis a leading
| of the Democrats of the North abandoned their