The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-04-19
THE MASSACHUSETTS INVESTIGATING COM.
MITTEE

We have already alluded TO this subject but
it is not unworthy little further attention.
We regret that We are not yet in possession Of
the report of the committee appointed to invest
igate the affairs of the Investigating Commit
tee but we have evidence enough to know
that the proceedings of the latter-named body
were as Infamous as its appointment by the
Legislature was contemplate.
committee of seven was appointed to visit
we believe, all the boarding schools of the
State, but no one, and especially no one of the
committee, thought of the extension of their
duties to other institutions than those belong
ing to the Roman Catholic Church and, &C.
cordingly, we find the committee of seven, who
might possibly be in the performance of a re-
luctant duty, traversing the State, first in one
direction, and then in another, attended by
volunteer spies and terriers, in earnest search
of the iniquities their own impure imaginations
had conjured up as pertaining to the schools in
which the daughters of many of the most wOr
thy men in the land are placed, to receive their
intellectual, moral, and religious training.
We would doubt the existence Of the honest
suspicious of these committee men, respecting
the purity of the institutions they have visited
if they had not in their own practice fully
proved their sincerity by the exhibition of such
conduct as never could be manifested by men
of any sense or discretion, much less by those
protesting to be gentlemen, in the home and in
the presence of ladies entitled to respect. 1t is
charitable to suppose they were honest in their
suspicious, and TO suppose that ignorance, stu
pidIty, and blind prejudice, had such entire in
fuence over them, that they had come to re-
gard with indifference even the sembIance Of
decency and propriety they are wont TO assume
in other places and under other circumstances.
a committee of seven, with their nine or ten
congenial parasites, started off by railroad,
breakfasting, supping, dining, winning, and lodg.
ing, at the expense of the Commonwealth, and,
it is more than intimated, having even worse
company than themselves along, and reckoned
among their retinue
The climax of this committees labors and
follies was its visit to the school at Roxbury.
Let us quote few extracts from the testimo.
ny in relation to this affair:
Sister Mary Joseph was next called, and
.testifed-I was disturbed in my devotions in
the chapel, and as was about to leave in alarm,
a gentleman placed his hand on my shoulder
and stopped me; he asked me if did not wish
to leave the school, and go out into the world,
and if was contented to stay there / replied
that l was. declined further conversation
with him there, and went into the entry, whittier
the gentleman followed me; he then repeated
his questions, asking me if should not ike to
go to Montreal and stop a while. / told him
again that | did not wish to do so. He then
took hold of the rosary which wore, and asked
me what was the meaning of that. took 1t
and explained its use.
"On being asked il she could recognise the
gentleman, the witness replied that she could
Mr.. Hiss, of Boston, was called, when the wit
ness declared shat he was the gentleman refer
red to.
Miss Caroline Crabb was next called, ana
testified as follows: was sick in the scnooi
building when the committee visited 1t. Inc
Lady Superior came into my chamber, and toiu
me that the Legislative Committee had come 10
examine the school, and that / must keep quie'
Shortly after, some gentlemen came to my chan
ber saw two looking in at the door. turneIc
my face away toward the wall. Some one Oh
them came into the room and bent over my
bed felt his breath, and knew It was man,
because his breath smelt of cigars. Heard one
of the gentlemen say, 1t is only sick child