The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-04-13

for the nope that the vienna conferences VIII
lead to any immediate settlement of the diff
Guilty.
BURGLARIoUs PROCEEDINGS OF THE MAssA-
cHusETTs LEG1sLATURE.-The whole evidence
has been published and it now stands confessed
to the world that committee of the Legislature
OF Massachusetts have violated the highest
laws Of the land by forcing their way into
private seminary at Roxbury, and trampled
under foot the rules Of decency by insulting
the harmless defenceless females whom they
found there. The Legislature had no right to
appoint a committee to enter any private
dwelling house, whether used as school or
for any other purpose. Such an act was beyond
their powers; and if the owner of the semi
nary they entered had shot them dead on the
Threshold the law would have held him harm
less. There was no danger of anything Of the
kind, the house being occupied by ladies, and
the committee proceeded on their task fear
lessly.
Having entered the building, they proceeded
to acts Of blackguardism and indecency which
the worst mob could hardly have exceeded. Some
scattered and searched the private rooms of
the Institution, leaving but one linen closet
which happened to be locked unsearched.
Others followed the Superior, questioning her
in rude indelicate manner, and behaving as
they might have done had the building been
an asylum for penitents instead Of private
school. One brute forced himself into bed
room where poor sick girl lay in bed, and
approached her so closely that sh" felt
his breath on her face" Another ach lily
placed his hands on the person Of
female teacher. Several of the party thrust
themselves into the chapel and by their rude
irreverent language frightened away lady
who was in prayer at the time. And the men
who did these things are members of the Mas
sachusetts Legislature!
So far as these individuals themselves are con-
cerned, the bare statement of their conduct is
more crushing than any epithets however severe
or however merited. But the American party has
duty to perform, which cannot be neglected.
The Massachusetts, Know Nothings must purge
themselves of the society OF such men as these.
The members of the order in the other States
can have no communion with individuals who
break into houses, or insult defenceless females;
and If the Know Nothings in the Bay State do
not cleanse their ranks by expelling such
agents Of deflement, the order will cut itself
adrft from the councils of Massachusetts,.
Let there be no mistake as to the principles
on which the American party rests 1t has no
war with Catholicism as with a religion, or
with foreigners as foreigners. It is against
r~thnlicism as civil n0litv and "eainst for
eigners as usurpers of the rights of Americans
that it proposes to contend. When Archbishop
Hughes breaches on the Immaculate Concep-
ton of the Virgin in his own cathedral, the
Know NothiDgs have lot word of objection
to make. But when the same Archbishop
Hughes steps into Carroll Hall, and electioneers
for Seward, the Know Nothings cry
Hold Enough! just as they do when
three thousand Protestant clergymen invoke
the vengeance of Almighty God upon the
Senate of the United States because the Sc
nate don't legislate to please them. In like
manner the Know Nothings have no quarrel
with Irisbmen or Germans so long as they are
content to be Irisbmen and Germans; it is
when they try to be Americans as well, and to
vote at elections here under Irish flags, or in
German buDds, that the American party think
1t necessary to interfere.
There lie not sentence or line or word
in any profession or constitution of the Know
NothiDgs which could by any perversion or
misinterpretation be construed into an excuse
for so abominable an act as that for which the
Committee Of the Massachusetts, Legislature
have now to answer