The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-02-08

regards the Roman Catholics Of the
country, the growth Of that religious
body. has elected more than, usual NO.
tioe by the press since the holding Of
the late national council. TO the pso-
pie Of Maryland the progress. OF tho
Catholic faith has been 80 familiar,
from the fact that BALTIMORE has al
ways been its ecclesiastical centre, IN
the United States, that they have no
share in, the surprise of novelty in Re-
gard 70 assemblages ofits sOelssAstics.
Nine successive councils, the frstsey-
en- designated as provincial, and tho
last two plenary OF national, have con-
vened in Baltimore within period of
thirtysseven years, each one serving to
mark an epoch in the growth of Ro-
man Catholicism in America. Bat 80
silent and uuobtrusive has been its
growth that those who are acquainted
with its present proportions have al
most forgotten the Smallness of its be-
ginRiAgs. On the 9th of Nov, 1889,
when the Rev. John Carroll was made
hrst Archbishop Of Baltimore, there
were less than 100, 900 Catholics in the
United States, in q population of near
ly four millions. Within seventy.sev-
en- years tho whole population Of the
United States has been eight times
multiplied, now numbering over thir-
ty-three millions, while tho Roman
Catholic population has been forty -four
times multiplied, and is now estimated
at four and half millions, or noarly
one-Ssventh Of the whole. It's growth
has been greatest in the States of the
Northwest and in New York, while it
has been uncomfortable in the South
Srn States of the Atlantic border, Che
latter retaining the impress and tia
ditions ofthe early English aud HUI
guenot settlers with little variation
During the whole period of our nation
al independence the Catholic church
has kept itself singularly free from the
political agltations Of the country, and
whenever, either directly or indirect
ly. assailsd in any way by political
movements or elements or parties, has
wisely, mot them by throwngSitsgde.
fonse upon the enlightened devotion roi
the American people to religious
freedom. And right nObly has the
genious of our free institutions been
.yIndicated on such occasions. II has
now, therefore, the sympathies oi
thousands ofthose who dissent most
strongly from Its religious tensts.-
While the, Catholic church in this
country has been so scrupulous of in
terforing in political questions, all its
history shows that it has never suffer
cd favorable opportunity for mis-
sionary enterprise to escape its ener-
getic efforts. It's early success in the
estabhshment Of missions in Canada
and among the Northwestern indians
is well known. Sharing, however, the
fate Of the government in the long
contests between the French and the
English upon this continent; thetraces
Of religion were, in many places, OBJ
liberated with the overthrow of the
power of France and the final exten-
sion Of British dominion over those
vast regions. Bancroft, the historian,
speaking on that subject, says: }. sa
a9"It was neither commercial enter
prise nor royal. ambition which carried
tho power of France into the heart o.
our continent; the motive wasreligion.
Religious enthusiasm colonlzed New
England, and religious enthusiasm
founded Montreal, made a conquest Of
the wilderness on the upper lakes, and
explored the Mississippi. Puritanism
gave New England its worship and its
schools; the Roman Catholic Church
created for Canada its altsrs, its hos
pitfalls, and it's seminaries.'"
That same religious enthusiasm and
missionary spirit has now opened be-
fore it an immense field Of labor
amongst the freedmen Of the South
Whilst slavery existed there wore po-
htical and social impedlments to mis-
siOnary labOrs which the Catholic mis-
sionaries were reluctant to encounter
but in the changed relations Of the
white and black races, there will arise
urgent necessity for moral and intel
n.