New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-09
"a TO the country, than thai system WHICH was

- - NJ
ssasllonec ~ has sometimes pofuayed the public
80 vheiher OF the prlmilve Vusnians, OF Of
sasouih pilgrims, In colors org hter that !: more
f:lrT sbd supply 'he shacns WIN aoa'hei nue 'nan
nviA e. 80 Of the other primitive colony, Cashoic
0sT what shall i say The portrait OF the
1nysS colony has also been taken by many artists,
Seyns suinsl resemblance Of the copies is very
ooES.h,c The picture Is not over brilliant, but
ps~ fziY Its light Is so little exaggerated, that
itself has never ventufel 20 profane the can
se,S single tint OF additional shading will pre-
~ nso ,ou ss drawn by the Impartial pen of Pro-
10 historian, native OF New-England by
S, OF whose reputation she and the
country may we'll be proud l mean
- Hor George Bancroft. or course, 1 shall
~ vour attention to those features which show
ns"v ,ivil but especially religious, liberty be
~ IA sstly. cl erished privilege OF the American
1870 Ike palm OF having been TIE hfst TO preach
lxTs~,ctce IL, is due, beyond all controversy, to
- fsskolfc Colony OF Mary and the history OF
~ wssis human race had furnished them with no
me sers exsm pie from which they could copy, al
E-sS Catholic Poland had extended measure OF
.,stior 70 certain Protestants OF Germany which
~ beer denied them by their o.n brethren in their
cscrse Calvert, known as Lord Baltimore, was
~ protector Of the Catholic Colony OF Maryland,
sshoush 1t was actually settled under the
sss1Msbip OF his brother, Leonard Calvert
S~ho.v says Bancroft, together with about two
sundred people, most Of them Roman Catholic
s-fen en- and their servants. sailed for the Poto-
a. early in 1894" Their landing is described as
Ssypr taken place on the 9th Of March. On the
rcf On which they landed and in their first humble
nsae of ST. Mary's, the historian goes on to state
mt" there religious liberty obtained home, its
ssIy home In the wide world Representative gov
alinent was indissoluby connected win the funda-
mental charter, and IL was especially provided, that
ihe authority OF the ahsOiu'e proprietary should not
sYtend 70 the life, freehold, estate of any emf
arsnt The character OF Lord Baltimore Is described
b. To hiiorian in the follc~ing terms:
Csvsrr deserves TO be ranked among the most wise
~ Mnevoent lawgivtrs Of ali sges He was the
~ II the history OF the Christian World 10 seek
lr religious security and peace by the practice OF
ssass, and by the of power to plan the
sIfabiIshment Of popular institutions sith tbs enjoy
at Of liberty OF conscience 10 advance the career Of
dzstioD BY recognizing the rgs tfu equality Of all
CSfsssn sscts The asylum If Pspisis was the spot.
u,Ns which yet had hardly been explored the mild for
susnes Of apoPttaIy religious feedom as the
"a soes ON further 10 remak that tt period evsry
shs seynir IN the world had DC scouting avs viii
.cch was ne oain for me GSysrs3t Of Marylsnd
f any person processing 10 believe Jesus Cb,is for
respect Of religion Under the mild institutions and
-.s,6eeuce of BALTIMORE the 0'eary wilderness
Imsd with the swarmng life and vIty Of prosperous
;tIsm enis the Roman Catholics. ~he were oppressed
~. In The quiet harbor OF the Chesapeake and there,
- Protestsns sheltered against prcte tant in.oe
Thar Colonial Assembly ircorporste the same
principles in their acts OF legislation,
S.i knd whereas the enforcing Of the conscience in
.ssys Of religion such was the sublime tenor OF
~ .tstus-'h hath freqasntly fallen our to be Of dan
sssous Consequence IN those communicable where IT
.. bee. Sf tbs povss and The better to
utul love and smity among he inhabitants no person
vithn this province piefsses 70 believe IN Jesus Christ
- lis or her Religion or IN the fee exercised thee'f
Hsr,srd, at that day was unsurpassed for happiness
s.d lbsry Conscience without restraint; mud and
liberal proprietary conceded every Measure which the
Welfare Of tine Colony required domestic uui0n, happy
soacsrt between all the branches OF Gpgernment. an
Nssspg emigration productive commerce. fertile soil.
vbicA Heaven had nchly favored with MYERS and deep
ksrs uned 10 perfect the of colonial felicity and
eointnsnt Ever intent en- advancing the interests OF
hn Colony Lord Baltimore invited the purtaRs # Mas
,schuSslts to smgrste Msylssd. Offering them lands
ana privileges and free liberty Of Religion but Gibbons,
70 whom he had ferwardeda commission, was SO wholly
tutoyed In the New En- and dscp that he w0ud not
ADVANCE the wishes OF the ish aud the people, who
ubssqusnty refused Jamaica and Ireland were net now
smptsd the bay Of Massachusetts for the Chesa-
peaks" He continues
sBut the dssis Of the law Of MARYLAND undoubt
sd]y to protect freedom Of ecnscie &c and years
could assert that his government Ia conformity wan
c am % sS' a 1ssoa
that Ne colonsts enjoyed need Of coDscisace. not less
than freedom Of person end estate as amply ever any
peops in aRy place of the world The d'sfranchised
snds Of prelscy from Massa huses ard the Puritans
fivm Virgins welcomed 10 equal liberty Of con-
science ssd Psiicsish's In the hosS O"'honc PROVINCE
By eli This it would seem that the provision Of the
Federal Constitution, securing universal freedom oil
religion con spends or might be reea ded as hav-
Ing been almost literally copied from the provision
Of tho chatter and statutes OF the Catholic Colony OF
Nay land, proclaimed ana acted upon by them one
Kindred and forty years before the war OF incepen-
6ercs Hence, submit that tue Catholics OF the
United States not only by what has occurred since,
but by their presence and their principles and theiI
pYactice from the earliest onlel times are en.teo
n their own risht to a full parrc'pai,oa OF all the
pYiyilexes whether civil or religious. which nave
been acquired by this country Ia the progress OF her
history. have seen II slated IN wltins, ana may
wen occur TO some one IN tnls assembly, that tno
CathoIics had no merit in this, inasmuch as they
we're too weak and too much AFRAID TO have acted
,theFwise Such an observation Is more damaging 70
he character OF the other two Protestant Colonies
han to that of Maryland For II Professionalism De
Aat liberal generous and tele rant system which we
lear so much o. why should the Catholics OF Mary
land have been afraid OF their neighbors' The 3D.
lection IL almsst sarcastic in alton TO fro
tegantism. But IL II be said that the Colony OF
luylsnd was weak, as compared with either OF the
others IL Will let that pass, with the observatlon
thai IL no higher motive can be ascrlDed Tor theu
poclming freedom of conscience, then l, for one
DO not FeeTet their weakness for, perhaps, IL they
hsd been strong, they might have been tempted 10
snulatssnd initiate the example OF their colonial
nsiShhors.
KAas been remarked by modern writer, that for
the lasa three hundred years what commonly called
history wculo seem To be conspiracy against trutn
The ground Of his remark, which Is highly exag-
geFa,ed is that amid many religions, eacn histo-
ual ~ hape 10 DC DlhseO Dy the pttuci'ee vi yousn,
the influence of ASSOCIATIONS aud psrtalities In Ia
voS Of his swn sect and creed. there DO any truth
ID the remark and think there is some, 1t cannon
% bad rule, when historian whites nercely
against the professors OF opposite creed or In fe
sU OF those who belong TO his own, TO receive MS
statements, not as gospel, but for what they are
worth. Bot when historian writes favorably OF
0ooe protesting an opposite religion 10 MS own,
uen his statements are The testimony which Is ex-
tted BY or voluntarily offered to tue majesty oftfuth.
Me preluoice or paftality, MI Bancroft is admit
~e I'll 10 be above suspicion still he is Protest.
sAk and on this account preferred that you should
as1 Ahtestlmony in regard to the Catholic Colony
@ANyland, expressed In language far more classl'
ca and elegant than any lcoud employ.
fu be it nom me to diminish, by one iota, the
aeft thai Is claimed for Rhode Island, PeInsylva-
"a, and perhaps, other States, the score OF hav-
ngpsoelsimed religious freedom but the Catholics
SANyland, by priority OF time. have borne away
Wpnze, and II Is but Just to say,
-" feyat, Qui meruit, Dzlnam"
a NJ 1t Was not in MaDl land alone that the Catho-
~ u the early history OF the Colonies, gave proof
sAer devotedness TO the principle OF civil and re-
xucus liberty. The Stale archives Of New.York
.vnse testimonies In this respect not less honor.