The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-11-17

Among the many extraordinary events
which have occurred since the cewmence
ment of the war, none have surpassed In
importance the proclamation OF Governor
Bradford, proclaiming the adoption Of the
new Constitution, and declaring Maryland
a free State. The first to proclaim liberty
of conscience, she has now won an add
tIcnal honor by excluding from her char.
ter the plague-spot Of slavery. Many per.
sons, doubtls s., will regret this determine
ton of her people and some will-maintain
that It is an injustice aada grievance and
will attribute the result to illegal and tyran
nical interference with State rights This
must be expected. IA event so important
cannot happen without exciting the passions
ofmanv, but the triumphant party can az.
ford to hear with charity much angry dec.
lamation. We rejoice that Maryland, III /,
cradle of the Catholic Faith in the United
States, is now untarnished with slavery,
that the 'Word made flesh is no more dis
honored by having His creatures, in, the
same flesh, sold as chattels in her markets;
and that the Cross. the true sign Of liberty,
more so than any banner that ever waved
on earth, will no longer be insuted by look
ing down on the red fiss Of the auctioneer,
where men and women are offered for sale
to the highest bidder. It is a subject for
lcongratulation, to every Catholic heart. 'i1
This thing Of slavery has fastened itself
on the hearts Of many people, and hence
these remarks viii be distastefl tosuch
persons, and find ample and bitter retort in
words and in, paragraphs. But we are will.
ing to let time Judge between us. We have
never met with any one who protested re.
greet that the Church had emancipated the
enslaved in the early times of her history.
and let general ion elapse, and he will he
a bold man who will talk Of restoring to
Maryland this slavery which she has thrown
out Of doors, A generation will he stuff,
Gent to work such change in the heads
and hearts of her people, and they will re
fer with pride to the day when mercy sue.
ceeded tyranny in. their Commonwealth.
when nobler civilization, because more
nearly allied'wth the lessons Of the church,
took the place ofthat which was in troduced
by England and the slave trade. .e2.
Alhthat is now wanting for free Mary-
land Is the return of peace, to, make her
feel DIS fertile and her barren plains disap
pear beneath the hard hand and sweating
br ow Of the white laborer. This will be
the result Of her emancipation. This will
be the triumph Of the p,or white mar, who
was heretofore excluded from the soil -
Great farms, which were more and more
exhausted fro m year to year. will be sub
divided, and the HANDS. that own will reap
the harvest and think it no dishonor. And
with this change in physical prosperity
will also he moral change The Catho-
lies Of Maryland have done much for the
Faith. Her prelates. her priests. her people
and their noble religions; and literary in
situations, which have given her honor be
fore all the Catholics in the land, will now
be placed in a position. to. accomplish great
er things for God. They are to, noble
minded and generous to regret the loss II
slavery, if such results az we anticipate
shall follow the political action of her PEG
| Pile. Catholic Ielegraph.