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History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

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180G.] EXECUTION OP DAILEY AND HALLIGAN. 591<br />

anguish, and to look upon it with tearless, eager and long<strong>in</strong>g<br />

eyes ? Oh ! I blush for you, your eyes are full <strong>of</strong><br />

murder * * you boast <strong>of</strong> possess<strong>in</strong>g sensibilitj-, and you<br />

say it is the highest virtue <strong>in</strong> women, but if the suffer<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

<strong>of</strong> others afford you pleasure, and the death <strong>of</strong> man is an<br />

<strong>in</strong>vit<strong>in</strong>g enterta<strong>in</strong>ment for your curiosity, I can no longer<br />

believe <strong>in</strong> your virtue. You forget your sex. You are a<br />

dishonor and a reproach to it." The execution took place<br />

immediately after this discourse, but not a woman dared<br />

appear at it. All retired <strong>from</strong> the church ashamed <strong>of</strong><br />

themselves, and blush<strong>in</strong>g for the <strong>in</strong>human curiosity that<br />

had brought them there.<br />

The Priest Interests The citizeus <strong>of</strong> <strong>Northampton</strong>, be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terthe<br />

People. estcd <strong>in</strong> the discourse <strong>of</strong> M. Cheverus,<br />

wished to hear him aga<strong>in</strong>. He preached<br />

several times, he conversed with them <strong>in</strong> private, and took<br />

every opportunity to remove the prejudice aga<strong>in</strong>st Catholi-<br />

cism. Many, struck by the spectacle presented by the<br />

Irishmen recently executed, and deem<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong>credible that<br />

guilty men should possess such a modest and calm appearance<br />

<strong>in</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong> death, begged M. Cheverus to tell<br />

them, as he must have ascerta<strong>in</strong>ed through their confession<br />

whether the men were really guilty. He agreed to give<br />

them the only reply it was possible for him to make to the<br />

question. Thereupon he treated <strong>in</strong> his next discourse <strong>of</strong><br />

the doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> the church respect<strong>in</strong>g confession, <strong>its</strong> important<br />

advantages, and the <strong>in</strong>violable secrecy forced upon<br />

the confessor.<br />

M. Cheverus Request- So greatly werc the people pleased by<br />

ed to Rema<strong>in</strong> here. thcse discourscs, and witli the <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />

character <strong>of</strong> his private conversation, that<br />

they wished him to rema<strong>in</strong> with them, and he found almost<br />

as much difficulty <strong>in</strong> part<strong>in</strong>g <strong>from</strong> them as he had <strong>in</strong> procur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

shelter on his first arrival. ^<br />

1 Card<strong>in</strong>al Cheverus was born <strong>in</strong> France <strong>in</strong> 1768, was appo<strong>in</strong>ted Bishop <strong>of</strong> Boston<br />

<strong>in</strong> 1808, and was made Archbishop <strong>of</strong> Bordeaux <strong>in</strong> 1826.—The above facts are <strong>from</strong> a<br />

life <strong>of</strong> M. Cheverus, published <strong>in</strong> 1839.

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