children were no paupers, but of highly-respectable connections, who
were able and willing to provide for them. He didn't "know nothin' about
that; but he knowed papers were signed, (as he was directed falsely to
assert,) and that sartain the children could not now be claimed by any
persons except their parents. They were now under the care of
guardians." After repeated visits, continued for weeks and months, to
the same establishment, Father O'Shane could gain no more satisfactory
knowledge of the fate of the orphans. He was obliged to relinquish his
search in despair, concluding that the children were kidnapped, and
that, except by God's mercy, their faith and morals were doomed, under
the influence of cold, contradictory infidelity or heresy. He mentioned
the case to his congregation, earnestly soliciting their prayers for
these poor orphans of Christ; and he oftentimes offered the holy
sacrifice, to enlist the influence of heaven in their regard.

Let it not be said we exaggerate this account of the conduct of the
poorhouse officials; and from the improbability of such an instance of
injustice and cruelty happening in our day, let not our readers conclude
that such a case, and many such cases, happened not in times gone by.
Then the Irish Catholic population of the state was not much more than
what that of one county is now. Then an Irish Catholic could not get the
office of constable or bailiff; now we have Catholic cabinet ministers,
judges, senators, legislators, and aldermen.

Then the ballot box was surrounded but by a few Irish naturalized
citizens, and these not of such importance as to influence the election
of a constable or poormaster; now the Irish adopted citizen, by the
power he exercises in his vote, is solicited by candidates, from a town
officer to the president; and whoever would attempt to reënact the
kidnapping of Van Stingey, and many other officials of his class, in