Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-03-26
COMMUNICATIONS.
DR.. Franklin and the Catholics.
For the Evening Star

denies that the See of Baltimore was erect
ed at the suggestion of DR.. Franklin, as I
stated in my lecture before the Smithsonian
Institute, I beg leave to say that Charles
Carroll, of Carrollton, was my authority.
I did not assert that Franklin made the
proposition in his official capacity as eman-
ating from the Government of the United
States, but in private conversation with the
Apostolic Nuncio at Paris. It must be
borne in mind that the American people
had recently thrown off their political allie
glance to the powers of Great Britain; but
the Catholics were still under the ecclesiasti-
cal jurisdiction of the vicar Apostolic of
London, and DR.. Franklin intimated to the
Nuncio the expediency of relieving the
American Catholics from all dependency in
spiritual matters on that prelate, and of
appointing Bishop of their own; and
when the question arose where the See was
to be established, and by whom filled, DR..
Franklin designated the city of Baltimore,
and named his friend and fellow commits
sioner to Canada, the Rev. John Carroll:
and, moreover, it was through his influence
with the Nuncio, that the Pope was induced
to address the note cited by G. c. H. to the
Congress Of the United States.
Those who were present at my lecture
remember that did not dwell so much on
the historic as the private life of MIR. Car
roll; and that 1 related a thousand anec
dotes which | had learned from his own
lips, at his own fire-side, but which history
does not record. Among these was the
''fact" in question, which being tradition
airy cannot be verified by written testimony.
but which neither history nor the note of
the Sovereign Pontiff to Congress in any
manner contradict
G. G.. Fl. must remember that the Rev
John Carroll had been sent by Congress on
a mission to Canada with DR.. Franklin. It
is natural to suppose that Franklin desired
to reward Mr.. Carroll for his services to
the Republic. AS a clergyman, the portals
of political preferment were closed against
him. In the church he might be elevated to
a position which he eminently merited: on
this account Franklin named him to the
Nuncio as most worthy to be decorated
with the mitre, and for whom See, in the
city of Baltimore, should be created.
In stating this "fact" 1 had no intention
to insinuate that Dr. Franklin was instruct
ed by the American Government to nepoti-
ate with the Pope in this matter: much
less did l seek to impute to that philoso
pher any Catholic tendencies; l wished
merely to show the respect and friendship
which he entertained for Mr.. Carroll, and
his anxiety to render the American Catho-
lies independent of the ecclesiastical iuris-
diction of an English Bishop, by the erec-
ton of a See in the United States. If G.
G. H. heard my lecture, he will do me the
justice to acknowledge that l did not ap
pear before the Smithsonian Institute AZ a
sectarian, but to portray the character of
the Catholic signer of the Declaration of
Independence. The "fact" introduced was
merely incidental; it had been mentioned
more than once by that venerable patriot
himself in his old age, and repeated very
frequently by the late Archbishop Marechal
the intimate friend of Charles Carroll.
In conclusion, will add that the circum
stance of the Pope addressing a note to
Congress on the subject of erecting q See
in the United States, and leaving it discre-