| Show i mim little band bandwagon wagon journeys by L T MERRILL ai Z 1328 1928 western llalon 14 the know nothings I 1 N LI FOUR was N the first presidential year since 1850 1836 hen a religious issue prowl promised sed to attract great attention in a nu lional campaign As one looks back to that contest ol of 71 74 7 1 bems yea is ago it must seem remarkable that the reli religious glouse issue for the mo inen t overshadowed the issue of biery I 1 liery li alery ery extension on opinion by thill that time lime bud become intensified mid lind crystallized in the formation of lie hie party the religious issue sprang out ol of lie hie fai million ol of the american party of the order of united whose members stood 1 for nathe ni the and professed hostility to the roman catli cath olic church ach the order was oath b bound 0 U und i i ii so let and its members be came popularly known as the know nothings belling of ignorance of even the exis existence lence of such an association professed by all its mem members berso i A at alie time ilal hen it was it at the height ot of its power horace greeley predicted it was ins destined to run its career rapidly and vanish as sudden ly as it appealed it may last through the next nest presidential canvass but bul hardly longer than that it would seem as devoid of the elements of persistence as an antl cholera or rot party would be old norace horace was right in its ills prophecy but while the american party lasted it wielded considerable inglus i ence it gained increments of strength from the hie dying whig party which was moribund after the election of 1852 the whig party was marked for dath d ath because it regarded the compromise of 1850 as definitely settling the slavery question that position was not satisfactory to a large group of whigs Abolition abolitionists iso and northern democrats nho iho united in the new republican party the whigs hoped that the issue ot of I 1 native americanism would for the time swallow up the issue of slavery but it v as a vain hope for both issues flourished side by side in the canvass canvas in isug the know nothing party carried forward its principles in a platform that demanded denial of public loftlee to any but native born americans de banded the requirement of an amer lean can residence of 21 years before nal could be granted and at tacked the democrats for removing from office members of the american party the new pirty party presented tor for the democrats craU a challenge clial lenge as definite as that flung into their midst four our years ago by the man klan with its somewhat similar tenets of faith but on the issue of condemning secret orders with religious and political objects there was no contest in the democrat na dional co conent mention lon of 1853 at cincin nail such as enlivened the party gath ering erang of 1024 at madison square gar den the platform of 1858 came out with a series of unopposed resolutions declaring that since an adverse political and religious test has been secretly organized by a party claiming to be exclusively american and it Is proper that the american democracy should clearly definite its relations thereto and declare its determined opposition to all secret political societies by whatever name they may be called resolved that the foundation of the union of states having been laid in and its prosperity expansion and preeminent pre eminent example of free government built upon entire freedom in i matters of religious and 1 no respect of persons la in regard to rank or place or birth no party can be justly deemed national constitutional or in accordance with american principles which bases its exclusive organization upon religious opinions and accidental birthplace and hence a political crusade in the nine century and in the united states of america against catholics and foreign born Is neither justified by the lie past history lil story or future prospects of the country nor in unison with the spirit of toleration and enlightened freedom which peculiarly distinguishes the american system of popular government ern ment this is the plink plank which senator oscar underwood of alabama sought in vain to have re included in the democratic platform of 1024 this temporary political hurry flurry three quarters quarter of a century ago over religion and native nathe americanism was destined to be swallowed luied up in the great greal anniel strom of the controversy over slaver slater 3 art and freedom that already was begin ning to present the threat of secession and civil war |
