Chronicles of Notre Dame du Lac
Edward Sorin, CSC -- Translated by John M. Toohey, CSC, 1895

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1854

pg 207            It is not a remarkable fact that, out of three hundred 
             persons who were then connected, directly or indirectly, with 
             Notre Dame, not even one took occasion there from to desert his 
             post?  Everyone had reason to fear for his own life, and yet there 
             was no desertion or retreat.  We will presently state the reason.
                  It was at the beginning of the reign of the Knownothings, 
             sworn enemies of the Catholic Church.  Notre Dame could not but 
             appear to them as deserving of the most intense hatred.  It was 
             almost the only stronghold of Catholicity in northern Indiana.  It 
             was quite natural that the Knownothings should avail themselves of 
             such favorable circumstances to hasten its fall, without taking on 
             themselves the odium.
                  On the other hand, by a series of coincidences more or less 
             to be regretted, besides what we have already mentioned, the 
             establishment was heavily in debt.  A miserable imposter had just 
             been discovered who had deceived the administration in the sum of 
             $15,000, which he had solemnly promised in writing the year before.
             It turned out that instead of having a big fortune which he would 
             sign over to the house, he had nothing, and he took away with him