Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-12
THE KN0W-NoTHING LEGISLATIVE OUTRAGE IN
MASSACHUSETTS,

We yesterday published the comments Of the
New York Herald on the Legislative outrage in
Massachusetts, To-day we copy, from the Boston
Dailg Adp~tissr, a hiA -toned wing newspaper, an
account Of The ssfair in detail Tie account is i'm
por'ant as showing the indecences and outraees
into which know nothiDgism runs. The Charleston
Mercury appropriately denounces the conduct Of
the know nothings as most brutal outrage upon
the rights Of the bearthstone and the decences of
CIVILIZED society. We have scarcely ever read
anything more 50. The home which, whether
palace or ''the humblest cottage" is as Lord CHAT
Ram granjy remarked, "a tower of strength an IL
violable sanctuary, which the winds and rains of
Heaven may enter, but the King OF England can
not'-seenls now in Massachusetts to have lost all
lis sanctity, and the apartments of helpless women
to haze become place which blackgusrds, under
the cloak of legislative sanction, and in the nso-
lence Of religious intolerance, can invade and pol
lutte, with their rbaldry, aud coarse curiosity
Verify we are fallen upon strange times when such
things happen, in this boosted land of freedom,
and in Massachusetts, the boosted State of inteli.
gence, religion and refinement. What must be the
end Of ell this? Iuto what unheard of paths of in
decency and violence, are we to be dragged by
party which begins its promised reforms in this
way2 Are we TO have, in America, Protestant
Inquisition Is the right of violating the home of
the Catholic TO be one of the principles of the Ma
tionai organization in 1862 The following is the
account OF the Adugtiser
On the Dedham Turnpike, in Roxbury, just be-
You'd Oak street, there is an ordinary house in
which school is kept by seven ladies, Catholic
Sisters OF Charity, members of the order of No
ire Dame. They have twelve pupils young ladies'.
between the ages of ten and fifteen, all Americans
by birth. These nineteen ladies form the whole
household with the exception of an Irisbman who
is employed about the premises as a servant. The
house is located upon thoroughiare much travelled
1t Is not secluded IN any way from public gaze, the
grounds are not surrounded by any barriers nor
does 1t have any of the characteristics of monas
tic institution. The ladies who reside there as
teachers are highly cultivated and ACCOMPLISHED
and as much edt!ed e respeetand eenrseSv q INV
sr5 - Their pupils are likewise respectable,
is not the least evidence that their atten-
st school is forced, that they are subjected to
any rigorons discipline or obliged to undergo any
sort of i'll treatment.
Such being the character of this establishment
the seven ladies' residing therein were surprised on
last Monday afternoon to see two onubuses drive
up TO the doors, crowded with passengers, who
aight and inquire for the flady superior and being
man OF the party informs her that the crowd is a
committee appointed by the legislature to examine
The house. No notification Of the visit TO be ex-
pected has been served upon the ladies' and they are
obliged 10 take the statement ofthe members Of the
party on tbeir own authority We have already
seen that the committee actually appointed by the
legislature consists Of but seven members We ave
unable 70 state the number Of the party protesting
to act This committee on this occasion but from
the fact that two tweve-se omnibuses, which ap-
peaTed to be full were required for their transport
wecan only estimate their number at twenty four.
There may have been few more OF less.
Nineteen ladies' twelve Of them less than fifteen
years of age, copd not Of course oppose any efec-
tDal obstacle 70 the entrance of twenty four full
grown Inea into common house, even had the Ia
dies known tie rights guaranteed them by the con-
stitution aud laws Of Massachusetts, and had they
been disposed TO maintain those rights by force
The gentlemen we presume we must call men,
bers OF the legislature by this title-roamed over
the whole house from attic to cellar. No chamber
no passage no closet, no cupboard escaped their
vigilsnt search No part OF the house was enough
sacred or enough protected by the respect for com.
mon eourte,ies of civilized life to be spared in the
examination The ladies' dresses hanging in the
wardrohes were tossed over. The party invaded
The chapel, and showed their respect--as Protest
ants, We presume--for the One God whom all
Christians worship by talking loudly with their
hats on, while the ladies shrank il terror at the
desecration Of spot which they believe halloHed
While IL the chapel the ladies declined holding
any conversation with their prosecutors but in an
other part Cf The house the principal expressed her
perfect willingness to answer any question pro- |
pounded by '-the committee One of ''the gentle |
men accordingly pats her ctonately on the back
with one hand, tnrns over the rosary suspended |
round her neck with the other, and asks her if she
is content with Der situation whether she can leave
when she p-Gses The young ladies were of course,
IN aNpn MOI hcfl..
there are any boys boarding in the establishment
what pGnishmcnts they suffer for misdemeanors
&c 1t is scarcely necessary TO describe such con-
versation in detail; the reader can readily imagine
what the scene must have been.
The examining party, of course, had everything |
their own way, and when their searches and their
insults had been protrac,ed to the extent OF their
pleasure they took their leave. 1t is scarcely neces-
sary to say that they found-uo matter what; it !
was not that they sought unless the object Of the
visit wassimpy clark" at the expense OF the State
in which case the object was doubtless attained
There were nuns immured alive in contracted
cells, nor aay evidences Of abuse Of any sort call
ing for legislative Interference or even inquiry.
Now, we ask the rejecting aud women of
MassaGhuseHs-We even appeal to the candor of
the eighty thousand voters who put the present adj
ministrauen IN power-is such record as the above
Git 10 form page 10 The history OF the free and en-
hghtened commonwealth Of Massachusetts in the
nineteenth cn;uryY Make any allowance You
please for ezaggerations in the story which may
have been caused by the natural fears Of the terri
fed witnesses, and does tie record stand fair and
clear? Is such the treatment that deieDceless wo-
men ought to receive? Is such the behavior of
gentlemen in the legislature? 1t is only paraleled
by the stories that have come down Of the insults
and excuses of unlicensed soldiers in time Of war.
Cur Legislators ought to have more intimate
practical acquaintance with the fundamental princi-
pies of our government The bill of rights which
is the first part the constitution of Massachusetts,,
contains this article:
'Every subject has right TO be secure from all
seizures Of his person. his houses, his
papers, AMI el MS possessions. All warrants there
FORE arsrtrary to This right if the cause of foun-
datou fs<m be net previously supported by oath /
or aflrmatfS5 and il the order in the warrant to
civil officer to make searchin suspected places or to
arrest one or more suspected persons, or TO seize
their property, be not accompanied with special t
Of the persons or objects OF search, ar
rest or seizure and warrant ought TO be issued
but in cases and with the formsities prescribed by
the laws"
1t would he Supeltiuous to point out how this ar 4
icie was violated in every clause by the action we
have recorded. What was the warrant Of this COM n
nittee Of seven, swelling its own numbers by its !,
1wn act2 Nothing but a vote of the legislature | y