The Irish standard., 1894-08-11

ship OF state, allowed himself to be
deluded into believing the represents
tions of these priests. and he wrote to
the Holy See about the matter. The
answer which he received convinced
him, however, that the government had
no cause, and was not warranted in any
interference in the matter, and the up
shot Of the whole affair was that the two
Philadelphia clereymen, who must have
known how hopeless was their attitude,
went to Cincinnati and complied with
the orders that had been given them by
their spiritual superlors. The infamous
smelling committee of this state was an
other attempted invasion OF the religious
liberty the constitution of the country
guarantees to all citizens, but it came to
naught, and it's only effect was to affix
and indelllible stigma on the Legislature
which authorized it's action.
The Ursulines of New Orleans, shortly
after they had been assured by President
Jefferson that their civil and religious
rights would always be held sacred and
inviolate under the American govern
ment, gave an edifying evidence of their
devotion to the country. When General
Jackson and his army, in 1915, gave bat.
tie to the British invaders, under Pack
enham, who had come for the capture OF
New Orleans, the inmates of the old con-
vent passed the night in the chapel
praying that the God of armies would
give victory on the morrow to their
American countrymen, and on the day OF
battle itself, as one writer puts it, "while
Old Hickory swore and fought hard, the
daughters Of st. Angela knelt before the
statue OF Notre Dame, and behind them
knelt the women + the city, lady and
negress side by side, all, with earnest
supplication, pouring forth the lltany Of
Our Lady of Prompt Z :Succor," one
petition Of which implored the help Of
heaven that eventful day, Tor those who
were fighting on the plains. OF Cnlmetts
for their country and their ttsg against
British invasion.
The concentrations immunity from
confecation President Jefferson guaran-
teed, and wherein it's inmates prayed so
ardantly for the success of the American
against the British arms ON that fateful
jan s, ,1815-still stands in the Crescent
City, and is always pointed out to visitors
as one of the most interesting sights Of
New Orleans. Its site is the old quarter
of the town, not far from the levee; but
the demands of time and space have
lessened materially the domain it once
possessed about it's walls. It's walls, sew
eral feet in thickness, with the iron
shutters of it's windows, tell that it was
built to shelter it's inmates against the
attacks OF the Indians, which we're evil
IDENTIFY apprehended. The building dates
back to 1727, within nine years of the
foundation Of the city itself, and SO
solidly Is it erected that it was not until
1874 that work upon it was completed.
In the same year the first colony of Ursu-
lines took possession of the convent
they had occupied the country house of
the Sieur Bienville during the seven
years the convent was building-and
they came from France in 1927, being
eleven in number, under the leadership
of Sister Saint Augustine Mother Marie
Tranchepain), When the convent was
completed, it stood in the midst of a
dense forest, and during the period that
the nuns we're waiting for the completion
Mother Marie and some few OF her as
sociates were summoned to the other
world. The converts and it's inmates
passed from French to Spanish control
when, in 1853, Louisiana became Span
ish territory, and during the forty years
that elapsed before the French came in
to possession of New Orleans, the COM
munity received many Spanish-speaking
novices from Mexico, the majority OF
whom then living. however, returned to
converts of their order in Mexico or
Cuba when, in 1903, Spain restored
Louisiana to France. The same year
saw the purchase of the territory by the
United States, and the convent school,
which then had about ITO boarders, was
assured of protection by President JET
ferson and Secretary Madison. The
events it witnessed during the war of
1916 have already been told, but it may
be added here that, after the battle in
which Old Hickory routed the British
forces, the sisters turned their school
rooms into hospitals and tenderly cared
for the wounded defenders Of the coun-
try. Three years later the state Legisla.
.ture passed special act confirming the
Ursulines in their proprietary and relig-
Eious rights, but few years afterwards,
the location having ceased to to be q
suitable one, the old ediice was deserted
blythe nuns and their pupils for the
Continued On Eighth Page.