Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-09-28
PoMFRET IN 1855
Somewhat Panicky Political
Conditions 81 Years Ago.

no more confused and feelings no
more exasperated than they have
been in the past, says the Burlington
Free Press, a friend sends us a
curious pamphlet entitled Pro
ceedings of the Citizens Convention
Held at Pomfret, VT, March l8,
1855"
The proceedings" disclose con-
ditions of alarm and mutual tlistrust
among citizens. which have no paral-
lei today. At the time this hooklet
was published by the direction of
the convention y. the party of the
Know Notlings was creeping over
the country with a swiftness and
power which terrified the sober mem
bers Of other parties. 1t was all the
more sinister to them because the
foundation of it's power was secret
society, reputed to be much more
terrible than in all probability it
was Shortly before the conven
ton the Know Nothing party had
begun to show its strength in Pom.
fret, with the result that the inhab-
ltants came together, responsive to
the call of 1873 of their citizens, in
this Indignation meeting, organized,
passed resolutions, and directed that
their proceedings be made public.
The call is in part as follows:
" All who are in favor of free and
open discussion of all political prin-
ciples and actions all who prefer
light to darkness all who prefer
frank and open truth to low trickery,
deception and falsehood all who
have not sworn to obey the dictates
of a secret cabal and all that have
been deceived and drawn into their
coils and would he glad to break the
chains that bind them, are cordially
and earnestly invited to attend the
meeting, and aid by their counsel
and advice"
This language is nothing if not
excited, and the book let makes it
evident in n hundred ways that the
citizens of Pomfret who came to-
gether in the Methods. church to
vote and pass resolutions were thor
oughly agiiated, angered, and alittle
panicky.
In the cold after-lightsof history
we should say that Know-N Nothing
ism was somewhat amusing first
outbreak OF spleen against the for
eigner who was coming into this
country and taking possession ex-
acily as if it belonged to h.m. 1t was
the idea Of America for Americans,
the desire of those who were to put
up the bars against those who were
out So natural was it and 80
humanity selfish that now we can
hardly keep from laughing at it.
But it was clearly no laughing mat
ter to the protesting citizens of Pom
fret, who thought qnite rightly that
to discriminate against any class of
citizens, even against citizens OF
on-American birth, was contrary to
the spirit of our constitution, and
were indignant at the secret means
used to advance the propaganda
They also appear to have had their
doubts as to the sincerity of the fol-
lowers of the cause. Fo. one of their
enactments reads:
Resolved, That from the most
critical observation and investipa-l
ton. we have been able to make in
relation to what gives life, energy,
action, and union to Know Nothing
ism, we have come to the following
unavoidable conclusions, viz That
love OF Office was what caused the
party TO be born, and to be nursed
into maturity by the agency Of self
ishness and darkness that love Of
Office is what causes the organism to
stand the assaults Of light and truth
and that love Of office is the begin
ming, middle, and end Of the pro-
gram"
The reassuring thing about all
this is that despite the serious crisis
which disturbed the calm of Pomfret
SO many years ago, free government
still exists and Pomfret is still on the
map And it is likely that the same
can be said as many years from now.