Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-09-07

of Al, the political campaigns that
have occurred in my day, the guoer- oer
nstorial' nsto campaign in Virginia in i0Oo'
n~s ,"as the most striking and picturesque
From = that day to this, it has p'en
Known in Virginia as the "know
nothing'' campaign.
The "know-nothings" called tnemr me M
las "the American party" Iheii
sI,oo sioo,ou was /" America for Americans. !
They we're opposed to forelgners, S,bom "mr
esnecially to Roman Cathollcs, ,,am';as mn
thew regarded as dangerous emu,0 n'are q
Of of American liberty. Ihey woiv and
oaorat VI oath bound organization, anu
%ad their passwords, grips ana 1I. sisno, .,
M Tpa nartv was composed most,y "
oId'line LA wings, though not a rev aei,,H ;,,t,
olu - we're somehow inveigleo INV,
ua;r cI";n LODGES. The party had sprunl
Tr9 wn Suddenly, and had become quiiT' IT,
up sa ;daiJa To the democrats. II
WoruIand' NJ, and in North Carolina, III III
nooantlv no elected governors were hmUT -
2 rots;,.9s. and Virginia was mus san
~ fged in between two know-ho'nii'
States, -. circumstance
that the democratic state conuI nate
met in Staunton, ana I;date nU q
Henry A. Wise as their cshu,uaov Onrnov -
nouarror. Thomas S. Flourhoy,
56onnlar old line whig, was tne oame ,,o
9ot 9ota Of the know-nothings, VINO W. We
o~tremelv o~t exultant, and boasteo tha .h,
- 90 the opening of the campaign, St, =,
hoS o n majority of the voters o. tha "
nad ntata actually registered on III, !,
- So So hooks. Wise, however, was = !,
S"nSnted lTuSv As a stump speaker ne i, u
uaunh .niv heen eoualled, and he kn' KIN
raleIJ Der He took the stump agar
ms tho pEnow-nothings, and his oraCo
Che A" thano out of their lodges
- thousands. r h;o oamnaign
came to Lexington, wheTe, sre,;tor~ mu' In, NJ
of a cadet in the Virginia Militia ona
tnte, AS my father hao Deen ,';n Tno a
!, tbe convention which had noiniI" he
Wise WI I felt a special interest III ~. ns
will irn a the speech of the demour, ,io
: lhS nhSsmn;on. and that speech Wa
revelation to me. 49,. dove of
Wise knew that, in the days VI
VS. ond Adams. Lexington was
ks, ieIson i,' "m Nth the federalists; tina
cloeny y0 of polk and Clay the l
&C !ne ton;ans o were mostly wings,
hat NY ny now they were know-notDl
by great majority, oa n The cry.
beat the democrats" was wawded. Un
The courthouse was cr9"oou oo1ter
, though the doctor hau ,o;na Inc
!. Wise's throat that morning.,
A. sneech was some four h0urs ,UHe'
. SP1d't SPoId the audience spellbound'
-E ne uerv fsrst sentence hurled ioui
L, at at his opponents: Fellow ci.rT~ oons
aor,o a. mao here today to discuss cons
no, co, nrinciples, and / ask the d
tion"' iOn of every whig, democrat
nwsn Slon nothing inthis audience.
0t @ know are utterly inadequate Z
OyPnrassion of the mingled scorh,
,,,t eMp and detestation whlcn
Il ntpr osnp threw into the utUera,, !,
that one word "knowanolld know called
The now-nothings calis' ns sc
'plles selyeya,y the fash name .Sam Sa
fur- and occasionally one OF Ileih ue
want interrupt @ the speaker py ~ ~
}. .sHurrah for Sam!" AS Uhls ui
;r ont from the lips of a KNOWN
IL otO ot NV elbow, old Christie al
IL foborer az turned upon him WI
alty. ,ao,nino. "And ye'd better DC
'ow for he will be elected gov
leu " and and when ye get into the peniVeii
an,I, anE niyer pardon ye out
Worruld." 5 hv som,
mo-
.housand majority, and that
practically closed tne ITru TrUe
- know-nothing party. atI", thev
next presidential elecViIm i,t II a,
mated Millard Fillmore, but II d, q
ed to nothing as he was now ot
an. the race After the eleo' a
'etAA% Wise, some smart democratic
'ronosed as a text for the
Inon poUr of the know -nothin
sSn ninth verse of the eighth
oHV tte nook of Job: "For we
and Of Of Yesterday, and know notnl IL
W oayse onr days upon earth
shadow" 4ho bron
We At the unveiling OF dt tNe WaSbin ohin
, of Houdon's statue OF w S.;tnt aGt
,rs and the Virginia Military lnstiLn. !,
ernor Wise delivered the aour' it
ne use If the very finest ever s. near
Us and line: Thus thus far bnt in nsS 1851 after
lte and ing Mr.. j JetfefSUhh in the Cont Dconfedera
+ 7 requested the secretary OF
= Walker, to assign q
wise Legion" and my req
eS. 'Stlv lso Granted. This 'legl