The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-03-17
STUDIES IN THE CIVIL AND so.
CIAL HISTORY OF EARLY
MARYLAND"

studies In the ClVll, Social ana Eccle-
siastical History of Early Maryland"
is one of the latest additions to Ameri-
can historical literature. 1t consists of
ten lectures delivered to the young men
of the Agricultural College of Maryland
by the Rev. Theodore G. Gambrall. All
efforts by historians to awaken an inter-
est in American Colonial history are to
be commended. Colonial history covers
a period much longer than the time
which has elapsed since the adoption of
our Constitution, when 1--WE, the people
| of the United States of America" may
properly be said to have an existence.
The period between the first settlement
at jamestown in 1907 and the Inaugural
ton of our first President was a remark
able era in European history. The eccle-
siastical prosecutions, political revolu-
tions and enthusiasm over commercial
interests of this time brought to our
shores the germs of the thirteen English
colonies which were to play such part
in changing the history of the world. In
American history between the ex-
PLOTS of Capt. John Smith in Virginia
and the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply
mouth and the famous speech of Patrick
Henry in the House of Burgesse and the
Boston Tea Party, it has been difficult
for the average American to become
greatly interested. The reasons for this
are obvious. Many histories have been
written with little reference to the colo
NAL period, and no effort to carry the
student into the days which the historian
is describing. A few acts of Parliament
are mentioned as being offensive to the
Colonial Assemblies; but the failure to
make this era live period, replete with
activity, and the discussions of all that
was most deeply agitating Europe, as
well as of all domestic questions, is com
plete. Some writers have portrayed
colonial life here as merely a reflection
of what was being enacted in Europe,
the colonists only capable of taking up
the quarrels of their European ancestry.
AS we'll might you expect to rear the
statue of liberty without its pedestal as
to ignore our colonial history and date
the beginning of our greatness from the
signing of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. It's impossible to understand the
dissensions and strifes which finally re-
suited in our civil waf without thor
ough knowledge of our formative period.
without this knowledge the lack of ma
tional spirit which pervaded the Union
until after 1861, and the temperance
ever and anon, of the reasonable doc
trine of state rights, would seem a bur-
lesque. With this knowledge we can
look upon these facts as result of many
pre-existing causes. The tendencies and
traditions of previous generations die
slowly and are hard to eradicate.
The history of Maryland, perhaps, in
more marked Legree than in the other
colonies, is many sided. having in its
course involved many questions of very
diverse kinds-ecclesiast social, polit-
ical and military. Starting as a small,
unique colony, with peculiar institutions
created by charter, itself the outcome
of political notions that were fast losing
their hold on the popular mind, it had to
fight its way, often in weakness, through
those institutions up into larger and
truer ideas of human liberty. Too many
historians have approached our colonial
history in partisan spirit, as if seeking
to fortify position or defend a claim.
In ecclesiastical affairs this has been
most noticeable. Maryland has had her
Catholic and Protestant historians who
have made assertions and laid claims to
this or that with reckless affronty. "But
it is gratifying to know that Maryland
made herself. Neither king nor propri-
etary was ever her friend, save as pros
perity promoted their own. She grew,
and did SO by the liberality of the prin-
ciples on which her government was
founded"
The first of a series of very entertain
ing and instructive lectures is disserta-
ton upon COLONIZATION in the Sixteenth
Century" Portugal was the great mari
time power of Europe when Columbus
appealed to her and was refused. Spain
at this time was devoting her time and |
energies to the expulsion of the Moors
and could not listen. After the assist
ance rendered to Columbus by Spain and |
after he had made his first successful |
voyage of discovery, Portugal felt that
her presence on the seas and share |
in what she then supposed to be the
heretofore undiscovered lands of India
would be lost. At that time the only re-
course in such case was to maintain
her rights by arms or appeal to the Pope, |
who had at this time made himself arbi- |
ter of the nations, deciding in their |
affairs with an authority which is to us |
in this day astonishing. In 1854 Pope |
Nicholas granted to Portugal the empire
of Guiana, with authority to subdue it,
and at the same he prohibited all persons |
from sailing hither without the consent |
of the Portuguese. After the return of |
Columbus and the conflict between
Spain and Portugal was anticipated, the |
Pope issued the following grant: "Given
at Rome 9Th of Nav 1AOQ Eror, o,,,,