The New York herald., 1870-05-04
NESS EDITH O'GG2MAy.
Lecture nj the Cooper Institute

Lecture nj the Cooper Institute.
There was u considerable audience at the Cooper
Institute last evening to hear the somewhat nOorous
Miss Edith O'Gorman, OF Jersey. Precautions wera
wisely taken by the police to prevent any disturb.
ance. About q dozen officers were scattcret
through ehal and as many more OUTSIDE the buld<
ing. There were evidently few Catholics present.
judging by the uuarinty Of applause that followed!
some very scandaous remarks made upon the dears
eat and most sacred doctrines Of the Catholic rell.
glon. The lecture proicssed to tell secrets knowl
,na1 the IN, on n,eag sae MSmSh confess
hash Of stale and exploded notions OF Catho.
liclty,. as much dcrided by intelligent people
n0,matsd the spirit Of P"Tpanm in Ss% SSSy Enga
two hundred years ago. Miss O'Gorman appeared
and wore long lace collar around her neck A few
gentlemen came with her on the platform,
Ssnce MISS s oGor%an is s' small 'he eesoa
about about twenty-five years o!d, with strong
verse OF 0ne's ideal OF what gentle nun should
look ike. Her voice by no means bellies her appears
ance. she speaks In loud voice, without trace
Of timidty or womanly modcsty. Her accent adS
dress and style OF eocution those OF hal.edu-
Gated school teacher reciing strong passage FROM
She opened by saying that her subject would be
the "Romsh Contest mel and the Romlsh Priest.
truth on ihese subjects III justice to God, herself and
her late fellow Ca n0lici. With Catholics she belI
confession was the great way to salvation. II ono
pivel OF ali the Other saeraments and cannot on his
deahbed get the conso atoms Of his religion. Il is .
dogma Of the Catholic Church that Christ
took the Virgin Mary up into heaven twelve
years after he escended there himself.
There is another dogma called the Immaculate
Conception, which Is celebrated on the Sth Of Dee
cemner. Other festivals were enumerated. anon
them being one on which candles were be ssei, and
each Catholic was supposed to lake one home tO
light his soul to glory. On Palm Sunday hs
was supposed to take home q piece OF
palm to keep the, devil a decent Dis.
tance away from tho house. Miss O'Gorman pro-.
ceeded to enumerate the penancas prac!ised bs
Cathollcs-weaiiug hair slrts and shirts made of
nails with the sharp points turned nwards; sleeps
ing on beds Of hOrs and literally lacerafng theirs
bodies with cartwhps and also Kissing the P0pes toe
to appease his wrath Here the audience applaudcdl
tho speaker, but the applause being mingled with,
hses the majority rose TO their feet ana called foN
the expulsion Of the Kissing element. Several pos
licemen approached the persons creating the disc
urbance, but touched no onc, merely warning those
who hissed not TO 90 20 again.
The speaker, undsturbed by the comm0tion and
without making any allusion to It, went with hCr
lecture when order was e,tored She alluded to the
priests Of Jersey and threatened to give some OF the
Its when she goes back there. Some Of her equi,
vocal and really blackguard illusions to what Catholic
ladies say and feel when they come into contact with
priest in the confessional stirred the prurien ancia
OF her listeners and created uproarious applause.
They are too indecent to mention here. The Iecs
ture ended without disturbance.