The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-04-25
A PROTESTANT CHAMPION
of the KnoHE NofhinGs

The massachusetts state Marshal
OF the Know NOthings.
The Boston Correspondent of the
New York Evening Post, thrs embalms
a modern Joseph.'h
The Nunnery investigation has bro It
out some curious developments. One
Joseph Hiss, of this city, a member of
the House of Representatives, is a mem
Der of the committee that visited nunner-
les and Catholics schools, and has been
very active in the performance of his
duties. He distinguished himself on
the Roxbury visit by slapping the nuns
on the back, taking hold of their rosa
ries, and by his pleasant and familiar
ways generally. He told the lady Su-
perior that his name was Evans that he
had been a Catholic, and that he had
some thoughts of returning to his an
Gent faith, on which subject he Would
like hereafter to see her and have some
agreeable and profitable private CONVEX
sation.
The Lady Superior declined to re-
ceive his visits and has testified under
oath, before the investigation commit
tee. that she was exceedingly annoyed
and disgustod by his conduct-that in
short, she considered herself iusulted by
the charming Mr.. Hiss, who seems to
have thought all the time, poor fellow.
that he was making a decided impress
sion on her vestal heart.
But Mr.. Hiss achievements at Rox-
bury were nothing in comparison to his
performances at Lowell, where he went
with the committee to examine another
" %nunnery," os the Know Notings per-
sist in styling the Catholic boarding
schools for young ladies.
1t appears from the tetemony yester
day, before the investigating committee,
that Joseph took with him, on this ex-
petition, a fair lady from the streets Of
Boston, of not doubtful, but very de-
cided reputation, whom lie took to the
hotel at which the committee stopped,
and entered on the hotel register as
Z" Mrs. Patterson" The next morning,
at the special request of Joseph,
" Mrs. Patterson's" bill, for lodging,
&c., was added to the committees
bill, and charged to tho M m
wealth of Massachusetts.
[ am privately informed that on a pre-
vious excursion of one of our legislative
committees which visited Hartford for
some reason or other Mr.. Hiss took
with him as a companion q fair but frail
damsel, whether Mrs. Patterson or not
1 cannot say,) whom he introduced to
the dignitaries of the State of Connect
cut, by whom the committee was received
and escorted. But as this little adven-
turc does not rest upon the authority of
official testimony, like the Lowell one,
it cannot be considered as conclusivly es-
tablished.
This worthy champion of protestant
ism, whose zeal and activity against the
harlotries of Rome is so conspicuous, is
a tailor, a journeyman tailor, who, when
not employed in legislating for Massa-
chusetts, or in reforming nunneries, &C.
cupies himself in cutting OF! garments,
to which particular branch of the art of
tailoring he is devoted. He formerly
lived in Barre, in this State, which place
he left suddenly to the grief of lsrg ar
ray of creditors. He is a great man
among the Know N~othings, and their
CONSERVATION at his improper conduct
is inexpresible. He was Secretary of
their great State Convention last fall, at
which Goyenor Gardner was nominated.
He is also Judge Advocate of the illus
trious order for Massachusetts,, or as, l
believe, they now call the ofice-he is
State Marshal of the Supreme Order of
the Star Spangled Banner. His duty
is to preside at the formation of lodges
or councils aud to formally inagurate
them.
The detection of the true character of
such a dignitary is, of %cource, making a
great row in the Protestant rank, and
s~tartles not a little the weaker brother
en- among the pious deacons and clerge-
men who have headed and stimulated
the crusade against the Catholics.-
They begin to see that, after all, a man
is not necessarily a good Christian be-
cause he is loud in denouncing Papists,
or active in organizing the Protestant
movements. The shrewder members of
the party seems to have made up their
minds that, Joseph has been caught, LIE
may be used as a scape goat. In the
House, this morning a resolution was
adopted authorizing a formal inquiry into
Mr.. Hiss doings at Lowell, aud there
is much talk of expelling him from the
legislature.