The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-19
ROMAN CATHOLICS THE AUTHORS OF RELIGIOUS
T0LERATION IN AMERICA.
: Palmani qui meruit ferat. "


Palnani qui mcruit ierat."
BALTIMORE Aug Ii, 1864
DEAN Last fall the writer had the honor to deliver
an address IN tins city before the Irish Social and Beneyo
lent Societyan institution established promote the well
fare of emigranis from lrelandn which he incidentally
stated that the enjoyment of the rights Of conscience
the motive the settlement MARYLAND and that the
Roman Catholics who the first settlers having pi-
ousy built aars to worship their Maker according their
conscience piousy invited Others to their affairs and
worship their Creator according to ter conscience
To this statement you made exception denied that his
tory sustained it, and ia the Clipper newspaper of 22d Oe-
ober 1888 challenged me to the proof Of its correctness
replied through the same paper that my engagements
were such that necessarily considerable period
eapse before could give the subject the Investigation that
it demanded that you had impeched history denied
the veracity Of tradition unquesoned unul late years
was necessary to explore the OF Maryland history
and that at convenient time would consider tie subject
and give you my views in some public form.
The leisure hour has not arrived but in the time
institution has arisen in he country, of the most
remarkable upon record, veiled in mysoryn mystery
deep that the uncou by which it known
to the public is said be but veil conccaling its true
cognomen exhibiting by the effects attributed to it extern
syc and minute Famihcaion and singular discipline but
yet US hope and believe destined disappear noise
lessy and rapidly it arose; institution of
whose great ends so il is said Is 70 proscribe Roman
Catholicism in this country and feel that aJ-
propriatc time to bring this question to the public mind
that those who war upon Roman Catholics may know that
they upon those who rston this continent proclaimed
and practised religious toeraton upon those who in the
plennde of their power themselves ugves from stern
and bloody persecution, in day when hatred and per-
secuton of the religion of others esteemed orthodox
pety to God proclaimed the nalienable perogatve of
to worship their Saviour according the dictates their
own conscences.
| You will not suspect me of tendencies to the Roman
Catholic faith Those who know my religious sentiments
know that attached to that division of the Episcopal
church supposed and charged TO have least charity for
| Romaniss
Let first determine with precision the question be-
tween to be settled This will tend both TO pcrspicuity
! and brevity.
| 1t is with the factwas federation in this State of Ro-
man Catholic origin"-that we have to do
This excludes all question as to noipe
1t is observable that in the discussions this question:
while the dsputans procssed that the fact the
ter to be decided, they have mingled the question of
tive with it, and complex argument having relation both
to oire and fact concentrated on the Single question
which they profess to discuss Of fact
Those who have explored, either in their in the
minds of Others the grounds Of conclusions fail to
have observed how often they proceed from vague cloudy
impressions produced by number Of considerations be
which the conclusion there is no logical con-
nexion and which is instantly admitted when SO presented
We WILL therefore, discard every consideration Of the
dee and regard only those that have reference to the
That may not he misunderstood however, permit
to say that in my opinion, the motive in the was
pure the act itself wise and just and further that
| he is very bold man, indeed who will undertake, when
good action is discovered to assign to it wicked
selfish particularly when the act in question pro-
ceeded from admitted by all to have been wise
and good man, and occurred in period far back in the
morning twilight of Maryland history True Cecelius CAL
vert good may in doing this noble act have been
influenced by very selfish motives and SO may every
l
But this is necessarily by the ordination of the Great
Creator Of all things who has united in indissoluble
welock happiness to virtue and wisdom to goodness.
You name deed in all history for which n
either his Wisdom or his happiness Chooses to
Gall good evil any more than should envy him who
would choose to call eeu good
If find good action am content to consider II alto
gether good-good in moveand leave 1t to an nfalible
Judge who alone has the right He alone has the power
to see and know, aud therefore sit in judgment the
| heart
We referred fruit by the Saviour for the char
acter Of the tree the only reliable proof OF the and
do not desire when see figs to inquire whether they may
not be possibly by monsrosy of nature the growth
| of the thorn.
inquiry into TIC fart it is TO DC Observed that when strong
motives, i'll this charged to existed
dace particular line Of conduct they constitute in them
selves strong argument that the line of conduct ques
ton was really pursued therefore strikes that those
who deny that toeraon is due 10 the Roman Catholics
singuary nfeictous in their augmentation aen they
ascribc to them the very strongest motives thu. could exs
TO pursue which they deny they did pursue The
argument when reduced to is simplest FORM stands thus
The Roman Catholics from the faei that Protestant mon
arch was on the throne rQpl the fact that they were q
erlcss minority in the mother counry from the fact
ti the extreme Protestant party had at rather
cent date dethroned that monarch had the strongest
tives to establish religious tocuon therefore then did
| not establish religious toleration.
Allow me further to remark, that in the discussion touch
ing the Catholic or Protestant origin of federation in our
State the difference not great between the dispuants as
to the facts from which the principal fact is sought be
various articles th.
ect from your own pen well from Others am struck
With the singular unanmity thai MS to those facts
the difference consisting chiefly in the reasoning from those
admitted facts The logic rather than the hsoru of the
dpntants, II right in this the shortest
way TO arrive Mt the truth wilt be 10 ascertain in the FIRST
instance those facts ali agree about then try and de-
termine those about which there is disagreement sup
pose the following as far MS it goes Will admitted as
true statement That in the year 1924, James wns
Ming OF England that he Episcopaan and bipot
aud that the established church was the Epscopalian
that ny the laws OF England then in force but con-
iormlst could hold an Office OF honor or profit; and that
the laws against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissent
ers were numerous sharp and oppressive that about the
same time 1t was an object very the heart of the mon
arch to marry the heir Of the throne the Infanta of SPAIN
VINO was Catholic, and whose father Cahoc that
the father long hesitaed but length consented moved
thereto by the hope of being instrumental through the In
iuence OF the lnana in mitigating the prosecutions which
the Catholics were at that time suffering that this time
Sir George Calvert Roman Catholic gentleman, was
Secretary of State to James avowel his adherence to the
Roman Catholic faith, and reslgned that patent was
granted by james TO him aud bis heirs To be absolute
lord and proprietary with the royalties Of count palatne
of The province a AVALON in Newfoundland that shortly
after he sailed for America with his amily aempted to
found colony in Newfoundland but Mt the end of about
two years. finding the climate too harsh for him sailed for
virginia. from which province he was expelled because he
Woud not lake the oaths of allegiance and supremacy
oa'hs which an honest Catholic could akethat were
'ehuefu 10 nm on hrs arrival and then explored the Chesa
peake Day that he returned TO England obtain grant
o the lands constituting the State of Maryland from
Charles The FIRST who in the mean time had succeeded hs
father the throne; TINT the grant was prepared by
Sir George talverts pen under his immediate
dotaon was transcript Of the Avalon charter which
James had granted with other alteration than the To-
caltics required that before il could be issued Sir George