The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-27

The interesting ceremonies Of investiture
appointed to take place to-day IN st.
Patrick's Cathedral may be considered as
marking the completion Of centennial cycle
in the growth of the Catholic Church in this
country. 1t Is fitted to rank, in Catholic
estimation, with the patriotic centennial cell
ebrations on which we have just entered
We are persuaded TINT no person thoroughly
conversant with American history VIII think
this a fancilul or tar-fetchsd suggestion. 1t
is well known fact that at the beginning OF
the Revolution our people were not only
/ aggressively Protestant, but that they denied
ordinary political rights to Catholics. The
great principle of religious freedom, OF per-
feet religious equality and its necessary corol-
larry Of complete divorce between Church
and State, made its first public and decisive
step one hundred years ago as indisputably as
our Revolution had its birth in the battle of
Lexington. II this statement should strike
any reader as a paradox we beg that he will
follow us with candid attention in the brief
historical statement which we will lay before
him.
1t was one hundred years ago that the Con-
tinenlal Congress sent formal address to
the people of Canada inviting their co-opera-
ton and hoping to secure at least their neu-
trality in the struggle against Great Britain
At that period nearly the whole popu-
lation of Canada consisted of French
| Catholics who had been subjugated
in the then recent seven years war
] hv NH 10 cd fba
King of France. Our forefathers and the
British government were equally anxious to
secure the support of that Catholic province.
With this view Parliament passed what was
known as ''the Quebec act, reinstating the
Canadian Catholics in the rights they enjoyed
under the French dominion; and our Cont
mental Congress made them public offer of
religious freedom if they would join us.
Those two acts laid the foundation of partial
religious freedom in England and full relig-
ious freedom in America. AS to the effect of
the first of these-the Quebec active will
| quote our national historian, Mr.. Ban
croft 1.-The troubles of the thirteen colo
Mes" says he, '1ed the Court of Great Britain
| to its first step IN the emancipation of the
| Catholics, and with no higher object in view
| than to strengthen the authority of The King
| in America the Quebec act began that series
of concessions which did not cease till the
| British Parliament itself and all the high
/ offices of administration have become ac-
cessible to Papists.'" 1t is equally true that
the invitation extended by the Continental
Congress to the people of Canada to join our
resistance to the British Crown was the first
great step toward the full establishment of
religious equality in this country. The Que
bee act went into effect May l, 1775, and the
address to Canada by Congress whose mem
bers were imbued with bitter Protestant pref
udices had great influence in softening the
religious bigotry which possessed most Of the
colonies. We quote again from Bancroft =
'.But the desire of including Canada in the
confederacy compelled the Protestants of
America to adopt and promulgate the princi-
pie Of religious equality and freedom.
In the mastery address to the inhabi-
tants Of Quebec, drawn by Dickinson,
all old religious jealousies were condemned as
low-minded infrmities, and the Swiss can
tons were cited as examples of q union COM
posed Of Catholic and Protestant States"
Everybody must regard it as singular, and
Catholics will be apt to look upon it as
providential coincidence, that the ceremonies
Of to-day mark the centennial of the fruitful
public proceedings to which we have referred,
which led to the emancipation Of English
Catholics and the complete divorce of Church
and State in this country. Another coinci-
dence which we will mention in passing is
the fact that the buH Of Pope Plus VI, Gre
ating the first Catholic bishop and thus
organizing the Catholic Church in the United
States, was issued in 1889, the very year that
our national government was organized under
the present constitution.
The American prejudice against Catholics
was only partially obiiterated during the Revo-
lutionary War, although some events Of the
war had strong tendency to lessen it. The
chief az these was the alliance Of France, a
Catholic nation, which 50 powerfully assisted
Us in gaining our independence, and
the undivided Loyalty OF the Catholics Of
Maryland throughout the struggle The reply
Of Washington 70 an address OF the Maryland
Catholics on his election to the Presidency is
proof both Of remaining bigotry and Of his
own sense OF is injustice. We can quote but
one sentence: and presume" said Wash
ington, ''that your fellow citizens win not
forget the patriotic part which you took in
tie accomplishment Of this Revolution and
the establishment of this government, or the
important assistance which they received from
4 ! ,,otsrr =, which tho Roman Catholic faifb
\ is protested The gratitude which the coun-
try has always felt to Lafayette, Koscusko
\ and DE Kalb, and its veneration for Charles
/ Carroll, who was the last surviving signer of
the Declaration Of independence, have done
much to produce . more liberal and just feel