The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-28
Ghegntelligetrter.

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Of the Gatholic Rerier, and along with it
the following note:
"Apropos to your remarks this morn
ing on religious toleralion in Maryland, l
enclose you an article from which You
may be able to CLEAN some other extracts
Of interest 10 some OF your readers; o., IL
not this, you may discover some lacss s
therein Of which you were not c"Sn'A'"'
yourself"
We presume our correspondent de'
sires 10 call our attention to the arti'
Gle in the Rerier headed "What the Cath.
olics did when in Power" The glSt oil
the article, which is several columns long,
..o show that Lord Baltimore set an ex'
ample of religious liberation in the settle
mcnt Of Maryland that is really illuS-
tratiye Of the genius Of the religion which
he professed, viz: Catholicism, and in d.
rect contradistinCtiOn to the prosecuting
spirit Of Puritanism in New England.
We are not inclined 10 enter into an
argument with our correspondent rs to
the relative merits OF Catholicism and
Pro,estantism in the settlement Of this
country. We are certainly not the apol-
ogistS OF those who prosecuted Quukers
or any other class Of religious or ire
lgious people. So far as Lord Baltimore
set an example 10 New England in re.
spcct to religious freedom, he deserves
to be gratefully remembered by all classes
Of American citizens. In awarding him
the proper need OF honor II is not out Of
place to mention the fact that by the
terms OF the charter which he received tile
rights Of the established Church OF Eng.
land we're protected. This OF course COM
pelled him to tolerate that class OF dis.
senters from the Catholic faith. Mr..
Gladstone contends that the tolerant leg.
islation Of Maryland was not, Us a matter
Of fact, the result OF Catholic legislation
to that effect. So eminent writer
ought not to be mistaken OIL 80
important point rs this, but we
are willing to conccdc that Lord Balti-
more, and those associated with Ii i'm, were
willing to do all that they did do for the
cause Of religious federation in Maryland.
Neither do we find any special fault with
them, considering the age OF the world in
which they lived, because they enacted
that
"Persons using rcproachful words con.
cerning the Blessed Virgin or the Holy
Apostles, for the frat offence, to forfeit
Is sterling, or in default OF payment, TO
be publicly whipped and imprisoned nj
the pleasure OF his LOrtlship; for the
third offence, to forfeit lands and goods
and be forever banished out OF the prov
lnce. Blasphemy against God, denying
our Savior Jesus Christ, denying the
Holy Trinity, to be punished with death
and contiscalion Of lands and goods to the
Lord Proprietary"
Harsh as this enactment may look by
the light OF the 10th century, it was real
ly not out OF keeping with the general
status OF civilization among both Catho-
lies and Protestants in the middle OF the
18th century. 1t answers very well as n
fit companion piece for some OF the laws
passed by the Puritans in the same age Of
the world. Neither OF them had any
really true idea OF what religious tOlera'
ton meant, as we now understand and
carry out the idea.
The point that we desire to make in
connection with this subject is that there
isa decided flavor OF buncombe in the arti
Gle in the Catholic Reritw, 80 far as it seek'
to hold ont the idea that the example sci
by Lord Baltimore was in any wise due
to the essential spirit OF the religion hi
professed. We should say that he set tina
example in spite Of his religion rather
than in keeping with it, and in support o.
this suspicion on our part We simply
point to the protest now being made at
Rome against religious liberation il
Spain. The Pope ought to understand
this question better than the Edito
OF the Catholic Review. lie is the
iniallible head Of the church ant
what he does as Pope is beyond tn
possibility OF error. Therefore when h
protests against religious toleration II
Spain he is supposed to represent tn
church's ideas on that subject, and it
not necessary for any Of the smalle
lights Of the faith to quote the example
Of Lord Baltimore two hundred year
ago. What we want is, not Catholic tol
Grafton in Protestant countries, for W
are pretty sure to get that, but federation
in Catholic countries. In the fight Of tn
Pope against this latter sort OF federation
lies the whole gist Of the question at is
sue. He is at this time warning upo'
the llth article OF the proposed neV
Spanish Constitution, which article de
clares
"That the Roman Catholic religion
the religion Of and shall be exclusivel
maintainedby the State; that, within tn
limits Of Christian morality, freedom
religious worship shall be lawful; bu
that there shall be no public manifesta
tions other than those Of the Church.
In opposition to this very mild spec
men Of religious federation the Pope hH
addressed brief to the Archbishop G
Toledo in which heSays:
"we declare that article NJ, whic
pretends to be able to give freedom
worship to the country, violates ever
right Of truth and the Catholic religion
HnnulS illegally the Concordat betwec
the Holy See and the Spanish Natiol
lays the State open TO the charge OF wronl
doing, and opens door to error-erro
which is but the precursor OF a long sue
Cession Of ruinous ills to the Nation, 81
long and true lover Of Catholic Unity
The publication Of that Papal prOtes
throughout Spain seems TO have ar
Ou'ed a spirit Of persecution anon
the Catholic masses against anything lik