In 1855 John Forney returned to his hometown of Lancaster to deliver this powerful speech in support of cultural diversity and religious tolerance.
In this highly-emotional speech, John commands his fellow Lancastrians to remember the ideals that created Pennsylvania and Lancaster County: ideals that transformed this region into a powerhouse of diverse nationalities, religions, and creeds.
During this time, John was chairman of Pennsylvania's Democratic party, and was campaigning to place his fellow Lancastrian James Buchanan in the White House. (James Buchanan won, and was U.S. president the following year.)
In this speech John lashes out at the bigotry of the "Know Nothing" political party, a xenophobic, nativist party that was anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, and anti-immigrant.
John demands his fellow Lancastrians remember the Quaker ideals of William Penn, who created Pennsylvania to be a haven for all, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
John Forney (a Protestant) demands civil rights for Catholics, and for all religions in America, even though that same Catholic Church and State fought his French Huguenot ancestors in Europe. John turns the other cheek. William Penn and Amish historians would approve.
Of course, the big Jeffersonian paradox in all this, is that in this same speech, John reminds us that he supports slavery in the South; his Democratic party insisted the Southern states be allowed to keep slavery, rather than risk the destruction of the Union. These were complicated times.
This speech was published at the request of George Michael Steinman, one of Lancaster's most prominent businessmen. He operated Steinman Hardware, at the site of today's Pressroom Restaurant, my favorite newspaper-themed restaurant. The restaurant is Here and Here.
George Steinman was half-brother of Andrew Jackson Steinman. Eleven years later, this Andrew Jackson Steinman would be the first Steinman to enter the newspaper business, when in 1866 he became co-publisher of the Lancaster Intelligencer with Henry Smith.