Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1894-11-16
Communication
Br, snlown, Nov 9Th. 1894.

Brysniown. NOv' 9Th. 1884.
Mr.. Editor Of the independent.
Ueg leave to occupy ID little space IN ur
paper 10 reply to The article which Appeared
in your hast Issue, headed. The Cdrtftadi's
UtimNum The arte,e first says, "A Glsa-
gleenent having arisen amongst the CAtno-
lies of Bryantown ns to where the coiOrel
catholics should worship on Sund,, aud hu-
idays VI obligation" we, as the cOIured
Catholics Of Brtantowu. Say we have teen
entirely misrep@esenttd by our white brelh-
rem in the matter. His EmIneure, Cardinal
GihhUns, issued hI> uitI nnium, beiIrSius
the information he received from our white
brethren TO he facts. When the plans were
given and the contact made for the improve
ment Of tie church, the coiOred nleL.Ibers had
no representation on the committee and no
know ,ed-e OF the plans Of the impro, elnenis
which were t, be made We con:ented
ourselves thinking Ne would be p:oyIn-d
for, and VIII the improvements were IN par'
finished and We could get some idea what
thew would Lc, Rev Fx;har SoHthg4te im
pressed the congregation win tn. necessil,
Of raising none, 10 pay for the saline and
called upon the colored prQple TO give the titsi
entertainment to RAISE nOnet TOT
ttnt purpose aud ANNOUNCED tue
names Ct The committee vi entertainment.
aud requested tneln To p tet him ut Ine nuuse
after nass which r did. Tni, Was
tie fret tlue We hid Uern Questioned Ms to
the improvements none, WAS needed
Wp stated 10 the Rev Father that we
would give an entertainment aud max every
| possible tfOrt fO. saCcess We asked II there
could MT be some Improvement made IN the
galleries of the church for our comfort and
| convenience, as there was no comfort IN the
board benches we had 10 use rs seats. The
| Rev Father told us there could ne none
made, as the contract did not call tor il and
lt could not be done. We then asked i
the contract could not be altered to take il
the improvements Of the galleries, and vi
would be rlling to pay the extra 'Apense
ourselves. fIs told tit was too late nothing
could he added 10 the contract. One OF tht
members OF the committee merely suggested
cant we have a church q our own, whict
would be better than to have such treatment
Ia reply the Rev Father said he would Wal
and ses what could I've done. At the mex
meeting the committee stated 10 the Rev
Father that tie colOred members were entire
ly opposed 10 mnI separation and wosld re-
main in the galleries with the same discom'
ort, and would do all they could TO make
the entertainment II success The entertsin-
meut was given and the usl proceeds turned
over 10 the Rev Father to pay for improve
mems Of the church. The next meeting was
culled b, the Rev FIihsr 10 take the vote
of all the c0lored members 1t the church male
aud iemae, wao assembled AFTER mass
Father SOuthgatr called the neeung TO order
and stated the object OF the call aud urged the
colored people TO leave the Church, and stated
his reason m brief remarks; al the conclusion
= L. ff.r nd tna
going out Of the church The question Wus
put: He stated that all ia favor Of sepera-
ton should decide by saying |, aud all that
were opposed should decide by holding up
their right hnnd. Aud it was carried unani
muusly against separation. The Rev. Father
said be was surprise at the unAnimity OF the
vote and assured them that they should re-
| naiu in the church AS usual until better ac-
commodauons could be made in the galleries
He impressed upon them the great necessity OF
, raising all the money they possibly could 10
meet the debt on the church, wuich they
pledged themselves to do, and we felt con.
tented until this so-called ultimatum OF bis
Rminence Cnrdinm, Gibbons, was made
known, hssed on false representation OF We
volored Catholics by our white brethren, sim
DIV because We asked for some convenience to
be made il the church for our comfort
From $50 10 the present, we, the colored
Catholics Of Br, antown have always contrib
u ted 10 the support Of the church, and treat
ed our white hreth en- with all due respect
in aud out OF church. We know not why
our white brethren have allowed their selfish
ambition and personal prejudic.s TO cast a
stigma upon catholicism which they will never
outlve. Under the false pretense that we. the
colored Cath0li OF Bryantown. asked for seps-
ration, hut ", here assure our white Breth-
rem We will never leave the house of God I'M
ill its doors are closed against us, and then
the world will awaken to gage upon the first
distinction made in catholicism on account oil
color We say shriveled be the tongue
which seeks to array class against class or
iaee against race in ibis county where abso-
lutte universal liberi, reigns.
R. CHESl.EY R MASON, P. GILLUM.
J YATES.