The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-04
THE CANADIAN CONVENT ROMANCE

The Toronto Leader publishes the following let
ter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, in
reference to the recent story of Miss Starts deen-
ton IN Canadian nunnerv:
Sr. MICHAEL's, Toronto, July IS, 1859.
SIR: / thank you for having recommended to
the public, in your article of this day, (headed
The late Romance of the Convent, to suspend
their judgment. The following are my answers to
the calumnies concerning myself in Miss Starts
case:
1 declare first, that never sent for nor wrote
to, Miss Starr in my life; second that having met
her in my house, blamed her mprudence in com
ing; third, that being acquainted with her Desires
invariably insisted upon her making them known
to her parents; fourth, that she has been ad
United in our Church, nor to any sacrament in
Toronto; ffh, that never recommended her to any
person, nor wrote or spoke about her to any one
living in Montreal; srh, that have been altogether
stranger to her leaving that city; seventh, that
when she presented herself at my door, on her ar
rival from Montreal, l refused to see and receive
her; eighth, that she was not aided by me even dur
ing one hour in her concealment ninth, that have
not given any indication, false true, when she
was inquired after, because was not questioned
the matter; tenth, that she never received any direc
ton from me to 60 east west, north, south, nor
OF course, to Toledo; eleventh, that she never re-
ceived from me any pecuniary aid; any promise
thereof, for carrying her plans into execution;
treJfh, that have never received nor Intercepted
any letter intended for her relatives; thirteenth that
she has been heard, several times, complaining of
my GOODNESS, and of my not seconding her designs.
will give satisfaction to my calumniators, as they
are quite satisfactory to the conscience ofyour hum
BILE servant, ARMAND DE CHARBoNNEL,
Mgr of Toronto.
i. 81 trust that any honest Editor who will
have published or will publish the charges against
me, will publish also my answers thereto.
The Leader says:
"The public will not be unprepared to hear that
Mr.. Starr publicly exonerates the Bishop of Mon
treal from any connivance, direct indirect in the
recent fight of his silly daughter. All that we had
previously heard touching the character of the
eccesastic in question led us from the outset to
believe that it must have been under some miscon.
ception that he was charged with the grave often
ces which we republished yesterday And Mr..
STAIRS letter to Montreal paper which will be
found in another column, fully sustains the opinion
we had already formed of the Bishop. 1t will be
seen by the letter of the father of the young lady
that he is determined to appeal to Court of JUS
tice to decide the degree of guilt of all the par
ties implicated in this case of alleged abduction and
conspiracy. This resolution is the most sensible
that could be arrived at, and we trust no induce
ment will bring about any change in the present in
tention in that respect. Nothing less will satisfy
the public, whom, in its present stage the matter
most affects. The innocent have nothing to fear
from such an investigation, and the ends of justice
demand that rigorous example should be made of
victed."
The following is the letter of Mr. Starr, father of
the young lady. 1t will be seen that he proposes
to have the case before the Court:
To the Editor of The Montreal Com, Advertiser:
SIR: regret that publicity has so soon been
given to the circumstances of my daughters rescue
from the convent; for after consulting with emf
nent counsel had decided that the facts should be
elected before court of Justice and the conspira-
tors (there are four) published as their base con-
| duct merits
hasten, however, to correct one or two errors
| In your statement OF to-day. My daughter has
not renowned her wly-acquired Roman Catholic
| faith although she has been painfully convinced
that she is not destined for convent life and that
she can as well serve God in the world as within
| the walls of clustered nunnery.
Her parents have no desire that she should re-
nounce her new religion. She is now of age, and
capable ofjudgng for herself; and as she conscen-
tiousy believes her new yadopted faith is the true
one, we, her parents, can only pray that she may
live the life of devout and holy Catholic. | have
many dear and valued friends belonging to that
church, and it is not because have discovered vile
miscreants of that faith land they are to be found
in all religious sects) that | think the less of the
| Roman Catholic religion which | know tea ches
emphatically 20 children the duty of obedience to
| the commandment, "Honor thy father and thy
MOTHER
Indeed, in the course of these six long weeks of
mental agony and suspense, | have received as
much sincere and heartfelt sympathy from Roman
| Catholics as from PrOtestants, and among whom [
may name his Grace the Archbishop of New York
the Bishop and the Rev. Mr. Perry, of Montreal
and the Bishop of Quebec, and my old and valued
friend the Vicar-General, Mr.. Cazeau, besides nu-
merous ladies and gentlemen of that faith; and to
Mr.. Coursol (also a Roman Catholic) | owe much
gratitude for his honest sympathy and untirng eff
forts to aid me to discover the place of nv daugh-
! ter's retreat.
In your remarks this morning, there is an ndi-
rect hint that the Bishop of Montreal was among
those who deceived me- believe, on the contrary,
that his Lordship was most egregiousy deceived by
others; for he took great pains to discover where
my daughter was secreted, and at all hours was
ready to receive my visits and to aid me to the ex-
| tent of his power
/ When vented my long-pent-up anger on the
woman Blondin (who is the Superior of the con-
vent at Toledo, she replied: 'Dont blame me, sir;
why did not Bishop Charbonnel tell you where your
! daughter was? He knew all about it; your daugh-
ter will tell You acted only under the orders
| received" When asked her from whom those
"orders' emanated, she replied "My ecclesiastical
superior;" and when demanded who her ''ecclesi-
asical superior was, she replied, 81 will not tell
! you" But if had to go over the same ground
| again, would act differently. Now the question
is, Who IS the Ecclesiastical Superior of the Branch
| Of the Gray Nuns Of Montreal at Toledo?
One remark more. am finally and conscientious
| ly convinced that had another week elapsed
without finding my daughter and rescuing her, her
illness would have led her to the graves and that her
parents would have dragged out miserable exis-
| tence in all the agony of doubt and uncertainty
forever, of the fate of their beloved child Your
obedient servant, j. LEANDER STARR.
No. Is Great st. James street, July 20, 1859.