Excerpt from An Account of the Conflagration of the Ursuline Convent: At the Request of Several Gentlemen, the Author Was Induced to Publish the Following Statement of Facts, in Relation to the Ursuline Convent, Which Was Destroyed by Fire, on the Night of August 11th, 1834 The occurrence, of which it is our intention to give a correct statement, transcends in many respects in enormity, any transaction to be found on the records of mankind. In making this assertion, we have taken into consideration, the general advance of the human race in knowledge, and we did hope also in virtue, and that this is particularly true of the favored inhabitants of Massachusetts, than whom we do believe there is no other collection of people on the globe, where information is so generally diffused, or deportment more morally correct. How could it happen, that in the midst of such a people, such an outrage against humanity should be perpetrated? It is impossible that the ostensible causes which led to it could be the true ones. The unfounded and scandalous rumors against the members of the Ursoline community have all vanished before the torch of truth. The fact is, there is one passion, and one passion alone, that could lead to such results, and that is fanaticism. It is not to be concealed or denied, that for some years past, there has been an endeavor to get up an excitement against the Catholic Religion, as one of the greatest curses to which our country is exposed. The Constitution of the United States recognizes no religion, but extends protection to all. It is too late now to inquire as to the expediency of tolerating the Catholic Religion in a protestant country, if the United States, as a nation, may-bf called such. It is here, and it is here by constitutional right, entitled to protection, and must be protected. We are no Catholics, nor are we bigots of any other sect. We do not believe that it is the tendency of the catholic, or any other christian sect, to make men bad, but on the contrary, to make them good, and fit them for heaven. Our remark hardly needs illustration as it respects the Catholics in Boston, while they are West with such spiritual guides as a Cheverus, a Matigno, and a Fen wick. We know. that man, in every situation and under all circumstances, is the same animal, and, unfortunately, that the majority everywhere are bad. It is not our intention, if it were within our ability, to go into a defence of the catholic system of religion, but we do know enough of it, to assert positively, that it is not what its enemies represent it to be, and that the Catholics, as a body, are as patriotic and loyal citizens as their brethren of any other denomination. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.