The Portland daily press., 1889-04-30
cathoIIcs In the RevoIutIon.

No reasonable person who has studied the
history Of America for the past 80 years can
complain that in the duties and sacrifices in
cident to American citizenship in that period
the people of any Sect unless the Mormons be
excepted, have shirked or repudiated any of
OF their obligations. Even the Friends
shouldered their muskets In the war of the
union, and thousands of the bravest soldiers,
as well as the most dashing generals of the
conflict were Roman Catholics. In the hon.
est and impartial judgement of the most in
telligent element of American society no
sect has in the struggles of so years deserved
reproach; and, on the other hand no sect has
deserved especial praise because the duties
OF citizenship concern men as holding allie
glance to the American republic and not as
holding allegiance to any sect or head Of any
sect. 1t is. therefore, little surprising that
the Catholic bishopof Portland in the pa
triotic address to the Catholics of Maine
which was published yesterday should at
Tempt TO refute charge of present disloyalty
20 the United States-a charge which on the
part OF the Catholics the history of the last
oo years amply refutes- by appealing to the
very dubious record of the Catholic church
In the days OF the revolution. The historian
Bancrsft to whom Bishop Healy refers.
speaks thus of the Catholic record in the
revolution, In chapter 10 of epoch " of his
history:
"The British gained numerous recruits from
immigrants. Cultivated men OF the Roman church
gave hearty support TO the cause OF independence
but the great mass OF It's members who were
then but one In seyenty-fiye of the population OF
the United States and were chiefly new c0mers 10
ihe middle states, followed tne lnnuence OF the
olcs of the United States still remained and who
cherished hatred Of France for her share 10 the
overthrow Of their order. In Philadelphia Howe
nau Deen aDle 70 form regiment OF Roman Cath
olics. With still better success Clinton collrted
tne irlsh as irishmen. They had fled from rack
ireeeholds. BY nattering their nationaiity 'Is and
. nnviI SENSE OF the Importance attached to their
and%Pers, nun Clinton alured them, alike Catholics
verse 70 thelr own interests, and raised for Lord
Kawdon large regiment in which officers and
American army were exclusively Irish."
Bishop Healy further goes unnecessarily
into a controversy In which the facts of
American history will hardly sustain his
position, when he declares that cit has come
to be an annual fable to attribute the idea
and establishment of freedom of conscience
to the Puritans Of New England or to the
cavaliers of Virginia, or at least to the
Quakers OF pennsylvania. whereas the plain
and incontroyertible fact is that Ma ryland
when first established by Catholics. and as
long as Catholics had control of the govern
ment, was the sole and only colony of the
United States in which freedom of conscience
and liberty were established" 1t ia
true that Lord Baltimore, the Catholic pro-
piietor OF Maryland, was tolerant. Christ
Ian gentlemen, as Charles Carroll. of Car
rollton, was an illustrious patriot, but IL is
dlhicult to see how thereby the Catholic
church can claim especial distinction for toll
erance. Lord Baltimore acted under a char.
Ter and by that charter it was stipulated
that christianity as professed by the church
OF England was protected" and that all acts
OF legislation in the colony should receive
tne appreciation of the majority of the free
aen or 1nelr deputies. In the very first col
ony OF emigrants that came to MARYLAND IN
1855 there were three Protestants to one Cath