Already In Two Or More States
The Romanists Had Organised Themselves To Interfere With The Management Of
The Public Schools.
This alarm paved the way for the rapid extension of
the new party, which first made its appearance before men's eyes with a
secret organization and enormous political machinery.
Its success was
unprecedented. Favoured by the secresy of the ballot, it succeeded in
placing its nominees in all the responsible offices in several of the
States. Other parties appeared paralysed, and men yielded before a
mysterious power of whose real strength they were in complete ignorance.
The avowed objects of the Know-nothings were to establish new
naturalization laws, prohibiting any from acquiring the franchise without
a residence of twenty-one years in the States - to procure the exclusion of
Romanists from all public offices - to restore the working of the
constitution to its original purity - and to guarantee to the nation
religious freedom, a free Bible, and free schools; in fact, to secure to
Americans the right which they are in danger of ceasing to possess -
namely, that of governing themselves.
The objects avowed in the preliminary address were high and holy; they
stirred the patriotism of those who writhed under the tyranny of an
heterogeneous majority, while the mystery of nocturnal meetings, and a
secret organization, conciliated the support of the young and ardent. For
a time a hope was afforded of the revival of a pure form of republican
government, but unfortunately the Know-nothing party contained the
elements of dissolution within itself.
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