I know nothing but my Country, my whole Country, and nothing but my Country

From a Fillmore/Donelson campaign poster of 1856

This week's Maclean's suggests the Conservative Party is a modern "Know Nothing" and opposes expert opinion on principle.

This is rather misleading as the "Know Nothings", although nasty bigots, had no issue with scholarship and learning -- indeed, the name "Know Nothings" came from their rule of secrecy about Party structure and not out of any pride in ignorance.

If asked about the internal doings of the Party a member was to say "I know nothing". People today, not realising this, assume the "Know Nothings" were intentionally ignorant.

The Party was never formally called "Know Nothing". It originated in New York in 1843 as the American Republican Party. It spread to other states as the Native American Party and became a national party in 1845. In 1855 it renamed itself the American Party. The Party finally collapsed over slavery with most northern members joining the Republican Party.

The Party focussed on immigration -- especially Catholic immigration -- as undermining traditional American values. Accordingly, most of its policies dealt with citizenship and immigration.

Its Platform called for, among other things:

- Severe limits on immigration, especially from Catholic countries.

- Restricting political office to native-born Americans.

- Mandating a wait of 21 years before an immigrant could gain citizenship.

- Restricting the use of languages other than English.

Moral panic over "too many foreigners", especially ones with strange religions, remains with us to this day.