New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-09-07
MARYLAND TOLERATION.

Conespobde rce OF The n ! Tri5ane.
WASHINGTON, Monday, Sept D, 1888
The reference made By your correspondent day or
two since TO the earliest laws Of Maryland IN cOnnec
ton with the ridiculous bunder of President Piercein
his Baltimore address, to attribute to the first coonsts
in Maryland spirit Of unbounded liberation. The
glimpse then obtained of the early legislation respect
ing religious liberation has induced me 10 prosecute
the inquiry for my information and astOnished my
self at the perversOn Of history which has obtained
currency with superficial readers give you the re-
suit of my investigation By the terms OF the act 10
which your correspondent referred the expression OF
their belief by Jews or Cnitarians was punished by
death This is undeDiable That act was approved
by Lord Baltimore. In referring to this act,
McSberry, o (Caholic) historian, quoting portion
only of tie act ITSELF and that the least exceptOnable
portion, remarks as follows, viz:
1.-The passage Of this Get is of the proud boasts OF
Maryland and its execution until the Government
by the Purans and from its restoration until the Proies
tant revolution forms one OF her creates, glores
"Only in Maryland" continues this historian, was
there that true federation and liberty OF conscience,
&c being nearly the words used By President Pierce
Now, it will be borne in mind that the spirit of this
"true liberation consisted in the punishment By
death and cOnscaton of lands and goods to the Lord
proprietary" of any one denying our Savior Jesus
Christ to be the Son OF God, or denying the Holy
"Trnty, the GOdhead OF any OF the three persons
the exact words Of the law which imposed whip
"ping and Imprisonment at the pleasure of his Lord
"ship or his Lieutenant General upon persons using
"any reproachful words or speeches concerning the
"blessed Virgin Mary Mother of our Savior or the
"Hoy Apostles Eyangelists any of them" These
quotations are from Chap l. of the Acts and Orders
of Assembly assented to enacted and made the l2st
day of April I649, being entitled An Act concerning
" Religion" If such liberation can be claimed,a as
Zone of the proud boasts Of Marya land" and its Eek
"act execution" made ground of Boosting, of
what could she be shamedl But 10 90 back
TO the charter of Maryland. The charter TO Lord
Baltimore issued on the goth June, 1892, BY
Charles J. at a time when the efforts Of that monarch
were directed to the spread of Epscopacy it at the
time existed in England and we w W.. a"a cy reference
to the ~ sec,on of the charter, that Lord Baltimore
bound himself in the erecting and founding of
churches chapes, and places of worship, TO cause
"the same to be dedicated and consecrated according
"to the ecclesiastical laws Of our Kingdom OF Eng
Gland with all and singular such and as ample rights
Jurisdictions privileges, prerogatves, liberties, &c
sc to be had, exercised, used aud enjoyed, as any
"Rshop of Durham hath ever heretofore had, held,
fused or enjoyed" &c. &c. Now ! would like to
know how with such charter from Charles IN 1857,
benp that under which Maryland was held by the pro
prietor the Lord Baltimore or his council could do
other than be tolerant at least to the Episcopal church.
without Elfetng his claim to the country ceded ~
him as his contract bound him to found dedicate and
consecrate his churches according to the Episcopal
form The law of l6i9 was certainly about as iato-
Grant as the nature of his circumstances and interests
would admit for while it specially protected Catholics
on some of their peculiar dcgmas, and the Episeo-
paans and Presbyterians who came TO the colony In
about equal numbers, were not to be molested u en-
tres cut OF from freedom of speech, the few inhab
tsnts who might profess Judaism Unltarianisul and
made the utteranee Of their views punishable nth death
So much for the first law of Maryland respecting re-
eiop We can see no great degree OF liberation IN IT,
as by it's terms the tenets OF those above were re-
spected who had the power TO require II at the hands
OF the council Now that the enactment above re-
ferred TO- so much opposed TO religious liberty, was
deemed vioston of the spirit OF the charter granted
30 Lord Baltimore and that the charter consider
ed as nfrnged by the special ayoring of the Catholic
worship, which IL provided We may clearly see by reier
ence 10 the second law of Maryland respecting religion
passed by the General Assembly holden at PataXent
the Goth October, l65i-Aet No :, An Act concern
inc Religion" whereby il was enacted and declared
that none who proiessed the Pcpish Commonly called
1.-THE Roman Caih0lc) religion can be protected b. the
laws of England formerly established, and yet unre-
"pealed."
This could hardly be the set Of liberation to which
| Gen Pierce alluded.
Now, MIR Editor, let u come down TO the 9th OF
June 1862. when the neit enactment concerning re-
hgion was made Ard end tina, BY the Assembly beld
that year al ST Mans, act Vas passed entitled
IAN Act for the service Of Almighty Gsd and the estab
lishmert II the Protestant Religion The act OF I9J2
reterates the same principles, and roestabshos " the
Church of England" while II declares that Pr0iesfaa
dssenters and Quakers enjoy the benefit Of the
act Of liberation" &c. To pursue this subject yet
further we find that the 18th October, ls2j Il Wa
enacted by the Right Hon the Lord Proprietor, &c
SC, that any person who shall deny the Holy I'm
iy OF the godhead of any of the three persons or th'
unity of the gcdhead, utter proiane words con
seeming any of the persons thereof shall upon con
eviction or confession, for the first cense, be boree
through the tongue, and fined twenty pounds stering
and " for the third ohense suffer desth
Thus, Mr. Editor BY an examination OF the statute
themselves, running through period of near one hun
drcd years, easily find the material to enable th
student Of history, unaffected b. bgctry, to form
true estimate Of the amount Of "unbounded tolera
ton bestowed upon the early Maryland settlers
and would be glad 10 know which of the acts aboy
referred to may successfully be appealed TO 10 sustain
such assertions. l viii venture 10 state that the re
corded acts Of Colony manifest more destitation
toeraiioD eyince more fckle legislation On the sut