The New York herald., 1850-11-15

IsIAND-THE REcEsr OurRAsEs ON THE DEAD, AND
TiaE Mock INvEsn0ArI OF SPkcIAL COMMITTEES.
Two days ugo, we published some startling in
teliieenee about certain dongs on Wards Island
and Randall's Island, which has been the subject
Of conversation in every circle, and has somewhat
broken in upon the equanimity of the Commis-
sioners of Emigration. The publication of this in-
telligence aroused them to action; and for their
promptitude they would deserve some credit, If
there was anything sincere or genuine about the
investigation they proposed to hold That they
were not in earnest is pretty evident, from the fact
of their having refused admission TO the press. As
will be seen, by reference TO another column, one
of reporters applied for permission to be present
at the inquiry, and refused point blank by two
out Of the three constituting the Committee OF To-
vestigation From the shufilng manner 10 which
that application was met, who can believe that
there is honest desire to sift the truth to the
bottom, or to let the public know how affairs on
Wards Island are administered Eighteen hun
dred years ago, a high authority observed of some
Of the men of that generation, "They love the
darkness rather than the light because their deeds
evil, and they will not come to the light lest
they should be reproved" But the light will
come to them; and "murder will OUT despite of
every ATTEMPT to conceal it.
No doubt the Commissioners feel ashamed that
the Herald should be better informed than them
selves, of what takes place at the Emigrants' Re-
fuge; or, if they knew anything of these transac-
tons, that they were only driven to an inquiry by
an exposure in popular newspaper. But it would
be far more manly 10 confess their ignorance or in
activity, and to show a sincere desire to get at the
truth, and to punish the violators of the law. BY
following this course, they would give some pledge
of future amendment in their administration,
and the public would not be left to the alternative
of believing that they past grace, and hope, and
redemption.
Now, what are the charges l-what, in brief, are
the facts we have published! Why, that the me-
dical students, under the sanction of the visiting
doctors on Wards Island, seized the dead and cut
them up, against the will of the surviving relatives;
and they have even gone the length of raising bo-
dies from their graves, in order to set at defiance
every attempt to check them in their outrages.
They have, in this, manfestly violated the law of
the land, and committed State prison offence.
Neither the doctors nor their pupils have any
right whatever TO dissect single body on Wards
Island the law does not authorize it. Dissection
is penalty Of the greatest crime known to the
law, and the judge specially orders ii as part of his
sentence in the most aggravated cases of murder
The emigrants on Wards Island are, therefore,
treated as convicts and criminals; but We have
YET TO learn that poverty or sickness Is crime, or
that the medical board and medical students, with
out judge or jury, have right to dssect what
bodies they please on Wards Island. How would
a citizen OF New York feel and act If his house
was entered and the corpse Of a deceased relative
dragged away for dissection before his eyes The
Refuge on Wards Island is the house and the home
oil the emigrant, provided for him by the State at
his own expense and that OF his fellow-emgrants.
AS well might the medical students assert right
to cut up the bodies OF private citizens The emf
grants, we repeat, do not subsist by charity. On
the contrary, they are sustained by their own mo-
ney, and pay the officials fat salaries, who treat
their remains in this inhuman manner. There are
very few, indeed, who do not shudder at the idea
OF being subject 10 the dissecting knife when they
are dead; and to the ignorant and unsophistcated
appears 30 horrible, that the dread OF 1t, II they
snouid happen 10 be SICK, would be sufficient to
cause ther death. There Is no feeling 30 deeply
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