Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-05-30

educated, high-minded and generous emf
grants, and would do honor to the families of
which we are part? Probably not half of
this assembly can trace their ancestral line to
any of that company. Is it that these Pn-
grims fed away from religious persecution at
home aud thus became confessors in the cause
of Christian truth p Why. almost every one
of the original colonies of this country owes
its foundation to the same spirit of religious
intolerance on one side and religious indepen-
dence on the other Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and Pennsylvania present strong in
stances of attachment to creeds, and OF sacri-
fces for their enjoyment Isit that they who
Aed from intolerance at home and sought reli-
gious liberty here, were of our own creed. and
thus appeal to our denominational sympathies
for grateful remembrance and ceremonious
commemoration
We may safely say as members of that
church of which those immigrants formed a
part, that mere endurance of persecution for
conscience sake is too general for special COM
memoration; and the bare profession of Ca
tbolicity is no enforcement of an appeal to per-
petual distinction.
Mr. Chandler then proceeded to say, that
considered only as of and for themselves,
the pilgrims of St. Mary's though demanding
our admiration for purity of character, lofti-.
ness of purpose, and clear, well-defned sense
of Justice in their aims yet considered as only
for themselves and their own times. these pill
grims entitled themselves to no special COM
memoration, and they established as certainly
they preferred, no claim upon the gratitude of
of succeeding ages The past and the present
must be concerned to give character or effect
to public celebration That it would be his
aim on the present occasion to invite and lead
his audience to a consideration of certain i'm
portant and distinguished characteristics in the
early movements of the colony of Maryland
and incidentally institute comparison of the
conduct, laws and customs of some of the other
colonies with those of Lord Baltimore, espe-
cially with regard to the influences of creed
upon the pursuits of the eolonists of the effect
of that creed upon the treatment of the abor-
iginal inhabitants, the owners and occupants
of the soil, which the colonists desired to pos
sess, and, above all, because connected with
the motive which influenced their emigration
from Europe Mr.. Chandler said that the
character of the st. Mary colonists could be
judged of by their intercourse with the Indians,
and their legislation with regard to that people
whose existence and rights seem to have been
a stumbling block to the most of the colonies.
The acquisition of territory by the various bo-
dies of the colonists was made by different
modes-some by distribution of miserable
trinkets which lost their value as soon as the
Indian found he had bartered away the reali-
ties of power for the worthless insignia of con-
dition-some by debasing the appetites of the
aborigines-others by treaties which had nei-
ther reason nor right, and for the breaking of
which the colonists extermiaated the aborigi-
mes with vengeance, and mede even Christi
anity terrible to these worshippers of the
Great Spirit by the vindictiveness of its pro-
fessors
In strong and beautiful contrast. continued
Mr.. Chandler, with these various modes of
transferring the possessions of the nations, and
of alternating their affections, is the plan adop-
ted by the Catholic Pilgrims of Maryland.
who acknowledge the poor Indian to be the
proprietor of the soil, and recognized in him
the form of the Creator and the object of the
sacrifice and redemption of the Saviour.
They purchased the lands and paid for them
They offered peace and peaceful associations.
and they presented the most attractive points
of the Christian religion for the admiration
and confidence of the Indians, VIZ peace
among themselves AMI kindness and justice
towards others.
The only operative difference in the circum-
stances of the colonists of Maryland, and those
of Virginia and New England. Mr. Chandler
thought, consisted in their religious creed and
the educational influences Immediately and
resulting therefrom, combined
with the painful experience to which that creed
has exposed them, and the lofty motives of
purity and justice which the Christian religion
supplies to all its followers, at all times, but
which it suggests with great cogency when it
also exposes them to the persecution of a ty-
h. <bo,. oh xv,f,, foA
lace. There is scarcely more beautiful page
records the dealing Of Leonard Calvert and
his followers with the aborigines. who titled
.aq sou on wp.cn we stanu. ne landea nc. No.
as a proprietor, but as visitor he address
sed the native chief, not as one who comes to
conquer, but as one who came to purchase. His
manners were not those which offended first
and then irritated to hostility. They awaken
cd caution, but they conciliated esteem and
secured confidence When the intrigue Of an
enemy in disguised provoked portion Of the
savages to war, the followers of Calvert
made it duty of the colonists to restore lands
acquired by conquest, aud made it penal of
fence to kidnap or sell a friendly Indian. aud
a high misdemcanor to supply them with in
liquor. Surely in these arrange
meuts not only is there manifested the true
spirit of Christianity with the fruits of charity
and justice. but we must find in them some
thing which appeals to our approval more than
does the conduct of some of the other colo
n'sts; and may a. well add that the differ
ence IN the conduct of Calvert and that of the
uovernors Of the other colonies was noticed
AZ the time, and an old contemporary writer
says, Justice Popharn and Sir George Cal
vert agreed a.