The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-28
Religious Liberty In the United States
It's Origin aMusi0ns 10 Archbishop

WAsHlk9IoN AtIN, TED. -, lcJS.
Mr.. BENNETT The subject Of religious liberty
q increasing in interest in country; you know
this, however, very well, aud consequently have,
very con- uendably, deemed it worthy Of notice in
the HERALD-and, as your columns seem always
open to calm and moderate Discussion Of all subjects
Of interest and importance to the world, you will
pardon me for requesting the publication il your
universal paper, of the following attempt to CORES.
or two popular errors respecting the introducing
and securing of religious liberty aneng as.
Once at least, each year, the descendants of tho
PuTitana and the Romin Catholics, discuss their
respective claims 20 the honor OF being tho pioneers
IN the establishment of religious liberty 10 the
Western VERDI and vic with each other In their
celebrations Of the advents of their .'pilgrims,"
flying from religious bigotry and persecution, to
distant aud savage wilderness, "for liberty TO Wor-
ship God" according to the dictates OF their con-
sciences.
patient inquiry would satisfy any one, think,
whose mind is not stepped in prejudice, that
neither party has any grounds for beasting
for the Puritans in very short time be-
came a. intolersns tho Catholics Of France;
and Catholic Maryland, in 1919, only fifteen years
after the landing OF their pilgrims" passed Law
ia the spirit Of their toleration, consgning Jews,
Quakers, Unitarians, 60, Sc, to death, and con,
England enjoyed foil religious liberty, and some
others such rights and privileges as the common
law afforded; but these were expressly guaranteed
Uy charter, WHICH, RtiVuoI Luc Ieem0u VI tuo
colony or the lord proprietary, or both united,
could abrogate or change.
Whether this charter was the composition OF
George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, or not, 81
have supposed, is OF little consequence, IS it
had to pass the inspection of Protestant privy
council and receive the sanction Of the Prot :stRut
king, and is just such an instrument as one might
reasonably expect under all the circU sancss,
scrurulously retaining from any expression which
might by possibility be construed into authority Of
the guarantee to persecute or Cypress the kiag's
Protestant subjects in the colony the contrary,
all the rights and liberties, which che laws OF the
kingdom affordedto subjects residing 10 England,
| were expressly and unequivocally secured to the
co.oniEts by is. | would here mako quotations in
support of what have alleged, but cannot without
| extending this communication to an unreasonable
| length. The charter, however, may be found in
almost eny library containing tho laws Of the States.
| Whoever will examine it will find my affirmation
to be true, viz that the colony OF Lord Baltimore
had 10 power to make any law restrictive of reli.
gous liberty, not consonsnt with the laws Of Eng.
land.
Ii is also fact, that many Pro.essants came
with the FIRST expedition, and that with the
sions from Virginia and elsewhere, and Cayborne's
settlement in Kent Island, in the Chesapeake,
which had been there established before Lord Balti
more received his grant, they we're able to control,
and did control ana assume the government in little
more than half dozen years after the landing at
st. Mays; and that, although the government
and the help Of friends from Virginia, by the pro-
pIietarys party, the lattor never was afterwards,
| physically or otherwise. able to impose any law
upon the colony gainst the will of the Protes.ants
Without authority then under the charter, and
without the physical power to persecu.e, wherein
consists the meritfor federation which could not
be prevented!
But every one knows with what unressrained
severity certain Protestant sects treated all others
in Maryland, as soon az they obtained the power
untrammeled by the charter.
Roger Williams William Penn are extolled
for the mildness of .her governments but who
knows to what extent they were not influenced by
surrounding circumstances! AS the Catholics Of
Maryland In few years after planting their colony
we're intimdated, first by the Presbyterian Parla-
ment and then by that man, ut the stamp Of whose
foot every despot in Christendom-even the Pope
himself- trembled-so Williams and Penn, it is
sonablc to suppose, were not uninAuenced by, as
they could not have been ignorant of, the crcum-
stances Of their times
The truth IT, sir. no religious sect should be trust
ed with power. They always have abused it and
probably always will. know that Hume says, the
independents, when in full power, allowed full reli
gious liberty to all others but this, if l mis.aks
not, was Of short duration.
IL any Of the emigrants to this country can be
said to have voluntarily practced religious tolera-
tcD, 1t the Dutch settlers the banks of the
Hudson From tho commencement of the first
trading establishment on that river, ia 1909, BE-
lieve-at all events, from 1914, when the settle
mcnts assumed permanent form-tiu the Dut,h
was superseded By an English government, the
lights Of conscience were FREQ and unmoles:ed and
hose settlements offered ready and safe asylumsfor
he Prosecuted in the neig hboriDg colonies. am,
however, half inclined to the opinion that trade
ard fishing SO completely engrossed their thoughts
that little room was left for religious reflection.
AS to the Puritans and Catholics coming to this
country for "freedom to worship God according
to the dictates Of their consoiences, the idea pre-
posterous. The Puritana were pcrmittedin Holland,
whence they came to this country, to preach their
peculiar doctrines and to worship in their peculiar
way without let or hindrance; and Neal, who is
admitted to be their best historian, expressly
states that their object in coming here was to
DTeSeYye their dstinceivenAgq n sent.
Lord Baltimore's colony have as little ground to
stand upon in maintenance Of this position as the
Puritans. Had his object been simply to find a
place whore some huRdreds or thousands, or hun
DIRE DIS Of thousands Of Catholics might enjoy their
faith and worship unmolested, the king Of France
would have received them joyfully, to occupy, the
sion Of Protestants. That q company of Roman
Catholics should seek an asylum from British op-
precision in British d0minions, in tho midst Of Pro-
testant colonies, thousands Of miles from any
Catholic kingdom that might afford them assist.
ance 10 time of need, and under charter, the
very terms Of which rendered preponderaucs os
Protestant power in the colony at no distant day
very probable, does not we'll comport with the az
knowledged sagacity Of Sir George Calvert. There
is but little to believe that he, and still less
that his son Ceclius, who planted the colony, had
stronger motive than the aggrandizement Of his
family. Some of the moro pious memo ,rs Of the
colony may have had religious motives. Indeed,
Father White. ono Of tho priests who accompanied
the frst expedition, expressly declares that the
pHPus. Vi tnis sogdSo was 10 pay nOnor TO the
blood Ct our Redeemer by the conversion of bar
baiians." And this hc says, he declared, in ex-
hemity, during terrific storm, AMI when all were
expecting to be lost, "to the Lord Jesus, andts
bis Holy Mother, to St Ignstius and tho projecting
Angels, Of Maryland" From whioh, it would
seem, ne regarded tho expedition as . purely
indian missionary undertaking. And can there be
better evidence in the case?
Many persons think that religious liberty Is
uaIanteed by the constitutional tue United States.
tbs notso Little or nothing was sad on the SUBJ
ect in the convention that formed the constitution
II was considered by oil as one of tho reserved
rights Of the States like the liberty Of speech and
The general eeyernment; ana Mr.. Jefferson BRO.
cured the an endmert TO tho constitution, declaring
simply that Congress shall make no law respect
ing az establishment Of religion, or prohibiting tho
free exercise thereof" These, of course, arc pri-
vileges reserved to tho States or to the people.
They may pass such laws when they please, II their
wv cnrs do mt forbid IL. and fhasa fh,