Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-11
The Confessional.

The Confessional.
/ have said no hing of the scenes Of temptation.
that are necessarily associated with the confess
sional It lin the sphere ofevery mans experience
that If he has by any means discovered tho hidden
thing-the secret thing of woman's heart--if he
has discovered her great secret, perhaps a secret
that nestled in her own breast unknown to all be-
sides--a secret OF her Gin, of her ciimc her sim
full tendencies and her unboly thoughts--it is I
say in the sphere of every mans experience, that
that woman, whose secret he thus knows ia in his.
power. How he may be disposed to use his power
IS another question; but he knows that that wo-
man is in his power, and full often he NAV use
that power for the worst and basest of purposes.
II is also in the sphere of any womans experience
that If she has committed any crime against
the laws-any Sin against morality she trcs to
guard her secret in the depths of her own heart.
and she feels that ii she divulge il TO any man or
II any man has got possession of it, she Is in his
power. She is no longer her own mistress she
becomes bis slave Fear and suspicion of his be-
traying her. place her forever at his feet she can
not refuse him any demand And It is the same
between and man.
And this ia the confessional; IL places the secret
OF every woman in the breast Of the priest she Is
thus in his power for every purpose. 1t places
the .clet Of every man in the power Of the priest
He l., from that moment, his slave This IL an
objection to the confessional, TO which know Of
.
the priest and the pentent under circumstances
too trying for flesh and blood. Priests may be
priests, but still the experience OF mankind shows
that they are flesh and blood like others And
sure am that considering the nature OF the com.
munications that pass-considering their ind llcacy
and indecency-considering they 20 not 10 the ac-
tions, but TO the secret thoughts and concealed
desires, all the most private personal mysterious
feelings Of our heshly naturc-sure am, that that
God who desired US TO pray that we be not led
into temptation, never bmself required us to rush
into the worst of NIL scenes Of temptation--tlic
Roman confessional.
And then, finally have said nothing Of that
which interfercs with oil the most sacred sancttes
Of home, whore the husband and wife should live
and love in the most perfect and mutual confidence
There-therc amidst our homes, and beside our
hearths, sits the priest Of the confessional That
man, by means Of the confessional knows more Of
the wife's heart and Thoughts and feelings he has
more OF her confidence, and knows more OF her Sc
crets, than even her own husband Whatever
thought OF evil or Of good has place in her mind
whatever feeling of fondness, or Of alterations OF
love, or Of coldness has found home in her heart:
whatever desire of inhdelity to her vows, or Of
first love to her husband has laid hold OF her flesh
whatever il be, il Is known to the confessor All
may be kept secret and unknown from all otbers
cherished secret, and mystery within her
scarcely brcathed to herself and concealed even
from her husband--all IL revealed in the confes.
siona
All Is known, for IL has been whispered in the
ear Of that confident, of another sex-that most
dangerous Of all things, the unmarried confdant
Of another zex--the man Of the confessional There
he sits, between the husband and the wife. By
day and night he has more of the secret conf
dence, more Of the secrets, the heart secrets of
each, than is known 10 each other. There he sjts
sometimes the kindly adviser and sometimes the
ascivious tempter. There he sits, a mysterious
b'ing knowing the henrtsecrets Of both-know-
ing, perhaps, the secret inidehty Of both-and
thus having both in his power, able to WELD them
both TO bis personal purpose There he sits, the
living and continual representative of that scene,
when in the Garden Of Eden, the man and the
woman lived and loved together, and we're hoy
when alone; but one entered, and there was whs-
pering with the woman and insidious questions
were put to her, and she fell II was the type of
the confessional Evenings pifh the RomaHists.
RESUMPTION or NAviGArIoN.--The repairs hav-
ing been completed on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, water has again been let in, and navigation
resumed There have been several arrivals of
boats laden with coal from Cumberland, and VIC
may nov expect brisk business on the canal.
ANOTHER ViCToRY IN LouisIAsA-An election
was held few days ago for Judge Of the judicial
district composed Of the parishes Of Madison, Car
roll, and Tensas. Mr.. Farrar was the American
candidate, and was chosen by large majority, a.
the vote below shows:
Madison Carroll. Tensas Total
Farrar, 169 "a l5S 40l
Du Bose 10 l79 20 215