Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-12-12
The RAF TsMAnss 2ounnAl.

| CoNyENTs.-In former article We inciden-
tally alluded to the anomalous condition Of
the female inmates of these places Of oStensi-
| bly, religious seclusion. The matter is of such
very serious Importance that we think proper
formally to call the attention of our readers to
it. In so doing we well aware that we are
venturing upon ground commonly considered
| dangerous; but we have been walking over
dangerous ground all our lives, and are now
not very susceptible to fear, unless the threat
ening evil present itselfin the form of sin. OF
! that we are afraid. Our acquaintance and OBJ
seryation Of it have only increased our dread
| OF it; but Of all other things considered for
midable, experience has lessened appehen-
| sion. We feel that we owe duty to the un-
| happy women confined III the SO called religi-
Gus houses of Roinish priests. The proyerb
'Fout of sight out Of mind, y has been too true
/ in application to them. Buried alive We see
bat their tombs. and feel only that kind Of in
/ operative pity which we give to the dead. We
! feel sad and do nothing The time has come
/ when we may do much. Our pity should
| swell into indignation now that action is possi-
/ bic.
! The recent elections have placed in the
| legislatures OF several of our States majority
! Of men who have been elected in defiance of
| Catholic opposition. They are therefore
free to act according to their judgment, with
out reference to the will of the Romish priests.
| Heretofore ii was useless to attempt any legis
lative protection of the conventual inmates.
Both of the great parties of the country were
courting Romanist votes, and these were well
known to be cast by the Hierarchy whenever
occasion excited them to use their authority.
The pitial lie selfshneS which so tyrannizes
over manly character, restrained the legis
lttorS of the country from considering this
subject. Happily many OF the recently elect
ed legiStors, having nothing to hope from the
| Catholics, have nothing to fear, and they may
. l.
be seen whether they win prove SO. We have
our fears.
The people of this country are well satisfied
that young females induced to enter converts
at time of life when their Judgment is feeble
and their Imagination strong, are compelled 10
remain in those strongly built places against
their will. That few Of them would remain II
permitted to exercise free yOlition, is certain
~ founded on all we know of human nature.
1t is useless to argue about it. The situation
Of these women is utterly unnatural, and must
be intolerably irksomc until the cnfeebled
mind loses its power to struggle against mise
~. moreover a number OF nuns have from
time to time escaped. @ Alas that this
word should in this country be the only one
applicable to the departure Of woman from a
house where she has been kept without legal
authority. The story told by these is invaria-
bly, the same. They ali have become disgust
ed with convent life they all have been ca
geriy dcsir0us ofdeparturc; they all have been
carefully watched by their keepers and they
all declare that many, unable TO escape, are
pining miserably in their cloisters. Supposing
that the real purpose of these houses is reli-
giOus-admitting all that the priests would
have US believe Of their own superhuman pu-
rity, yet it is horrible that women should be
kept in these places, after they have found
their mistake in going into them. Why should
young woman be compelled to be religious
after this unwomanly fashion? What ground
can the priests have for retaining them when
they are no longer nuns in heart Why keep
hypocrites in these chambers of the saints f? Is
it not apparent that if all right in glese
places the priests would eXpel every woman
whom they found apostate in soul Is it rea-
sonable to suppose that they wOuld detain by
force as a bride of the Deity, Il young Wcgaan
whose heart was utterly unfaithful to her VOWS?
1t is plain enough that the priests have other
than religious views and maXims in relation to
converts.
But again: Much has been revealed Of the
denominations practiced in these places. 1t has
been proclaimed to the world, upon the autho-
rity Of Catholics themselves, that houses Of re-
ligion where young women are under the con-
troll Of Catholic priests are liable to be pervert-
cd into places Of shocking iccntiouSnesS and
most unmittigated dcspOtism over the hearts.
minds and persons Of the nuns. In Catholic
countries again and again ecclesiastical autho-
.
proclaimed the horrible wiciledness Of nunne-
ries. In our own country no authority has
yentuaed to search the secrets OF these placcs;
but now and then wretchcd woman has con-
trived to make known to the American peo-
pie the fact that in the streets of their Cities
and in the prominent places of their beautiful
country, foreign ecclesiastics arc repeating
in the converts the conduct charged upon
them in Europe. An American, clergyman
Of the Episcopal Church, who recently went
over to Rome, and became priest. while his
wife went into a convent, was so shocked bv
the denominations which he Witnessed and by
the attempts made upon the virtue of his wife,
that he Withdrew from the church, and has
published an appeal to the world against its
wickedness 1t is not at all necessary to adj
duce facts to confirm our readers in their sus-
pIcions OF the wrong done to American women
in converts. No body Of men could have un-
restrained power over women without abnsing
it; and OF all men, the Catholic priests from
the nature of their relation to society are the
least likely to be blameless under these cir
cumstances. ''Opportunity is the most pow
erfuls Temptation" When opportunity is con
tinuai, restraint unfeit, Secrcsy secured. expo
sure fully guarded against, it needs no record
to inform us of the consequence.
When our legislatures meet they will ind
great number of houses large and commodi-
Gus, walled and barred, where a large number
oi Motnch arc known 10 be conHned, N the
charge ofa priesthood of unmarried men. These
women are not under the protection of the
law. The law has no knowledge Of them =
they have no access to it, except at the will of
those who keep the keys of their prisons. The
law provides that a wife shall have protection
against her husband. Close as is the relation
ship by law established, it is not as close as
the relationship of the woman to the law She
may at any time go before magistrate and
make complaint against her husband and the !
magistrate will do her justice, even though he |
should send the husband to prison. The IA |