Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-03-11
s*1 MORNING MARCH H. 1870
Freedom of Conscience.

hHaa Freedom of Conscience. SD
D. In connection with school ques-i
tions we hear much of late in regard
to freedom and the rights, of con
science from Catholics and their
friends. If in any way these rights
of conscience are interfercd with
what they have to say should be
heard with profound attention, and
if their complaint be just, the wrong
should be promptly and cheerfu.ly
redresced, and all possibility OF its
repetition be guarded against. 1t
is we'll known that it has been
charged that persons are sometimes
kept immured in converts against
their will, virtually kept in what to
them is prison and 4 severe pun
ishment, though they are unconvic-
ted of crime. 1t is charged that
when nun has changed her views
Of religious duty, and is disposed to
repent of the vows she has taken,
and to recover her lost liberty, that
she is not permitted to assert her
rights of conscience in that case
A bill has been introduced. into the
Pennsylvania Legislature to pre-
vent any oppression of this sort by
the authorities in charge of these
converts. g The preamble Of this
bill sets forth that institutions exist
in the Church of Rome known as
nunneries or converts, where fe-
males are kept confined, etlmes
against their own will, having in
many instancei been placed there by
parents or guardians at an immature
age, Or when young children, and
whereas it is an unnatural cotditio n
or relation to society, and whereas
the State approves the greatest ex-
i tent of religious federation, allowing
all to worshipGod according to the
4 dictates of their own conscience,
/ nevertheless the State should inter
|. fere to protect the personal liberty
and rights of conscience of unpro-
tected females who are forced to
abide in such converts against their
will and consent Therefore the
bill requires the appointment by a
board of examination whose duty
it shall be to visit twice each yeal
all converts, nunneries and cathe-
drals in their district, and ask OF
each inmate, alone and singly:
whether she is content and satisfied
with her present mode of life. Ii
, yes, Of course nothing further need
f be said if ON the contrary the nun
represents her confinement to be
against her will, the committee are
d empowered to require the matron OF
the complainant at liberty and to re
, stor to her all property rightfully
belonging to her. 7 ziaH. -.s rs
We are not. disposed to believe
, that the number Of female devotees
in these institutions who wish t.
, come back to the world they have
formally and religiously renounce6
is very large, nor that many woult
= avail themselves of the liberty the
law would afford them. Neverthe
less as the first duty Of the State is
to protect the. liberty of its citizen:
and to prevent the illegal incarcer
alton of any person in jails, lunatit
asylums, reformatories,. or ecclesi
. asticle institutions of any sort Oh
Any false charge, or on any undue
assumption of o yer by any to ly
OF men whatever, we see no objec
| ton in the law taking such precau
ton as above prescribed. If the in
/, mates of these institutions are the
r voluntary exiles from worldly fasin
ations they are represented to be, nc
, injustice or injury could be done the
Church by the Investigations o.
such Board Then, too, such 6
semiannual examination would put
t to fight the terrible and we should
hope, the slanderous tales of forced
= seclusion, sequestration of private
property, and aggravated cases ot
oppression of individual members
of these orders. The vindicatior
of the Church from these imputa
tions and the cause of personal lib
erty and freedom of conscience
would seem to demand such a meas
ure.
We shall see whether the ecclesi
, astics of that powerful Church il
Pennsylvania will object to give Sc
curity to the rights of conscience
: to others, which they claim so large
ly for themselves. This measure
could certainly Cypress no one
: while a bare possibility exists thai
t here and there poor soul might be
rescued from a fate they deplore
as worse than death.-Toledc
. Blade.