Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-03-15

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them to Subsection, beginning with
the memorable battle upon the
Severn and ending only with the
turn of affairs in England, which
took from them their moral support;
the rise and fall Of the intriguing
and ambitious Fendall, the Crom-
well Of Maryland; the Introduction
Of the printing press, that emblem
Of liberty, which was not found in
any other American colony; the
embroiling designs and the insnr-
rection Of the apostate Coade; the
Protestant revelation of 1859; the
fall Of the proprietary government;
the administration of affairs by the
representatives of the crown, and
the establishment of the Church of
England by law in the province all
pass in review and stand in charac-
teristic light and shade upon its
historic panorama.
Leonard Calvert.
't0n the 9Th of June, 1647, Gov.
Leonard Calvert at the early age of
forty, died at st. Mary's, where his
remains still repose under its reyer-
ed and holy soil. OF the life aud
character Of Leonard Calvert his
torians have said but little. While
there is no desire to detract from
the unfading lustre which they have
accorded to the proprietaries Of
Maryland, truth and justice alike
demand that of the pioneer Govern
or of the province and the founder
of st. Mary's it should here be said
that he who left his native land to
lead the pilgrim colony to Maryland;
he whe faced the perils and dangers
and stood the heat and fire of storm
and battle which so often darkened
its early colonials days; he who first
proclaimed and laid in practice
those fundamental principles which
underlie the priceless boon of liber-
ty of conscience; he who, with un-
firing energy, fidelity and zeal, de-
voted the best years of his life to the
development and glory of Maryland
and to the prosperity and happiness
Of its citizens; he whose undaunted
courage and wise and liberal states
manship are so closely associated
with the foundation, early growth
and permanent establishment of
Maryland, should stand upon the
pages of history no less distinguish
ed and renowned as long as valiant
service to early Maryland has an
admirer or civil and religious liber-
ty friend.
Removal Of tho Capitol.
''ln 1894 Francis Nicholson be-
came Governor of Maryland and
signalized his induction into office
by sounding the death-knell Of st.
Mary's.
fHe summoned an Assembly, to
convene not at st. Mary's, bat at
Ann Arundel Town, now Anna
polls. His act foreshadowed the
doom of st. Mary's, and at that
session of the Assembly the removal
of the capital was determined upon.
'In February, 1896, he ordered
the archives and records to be re-
moved from st. Mary's and to be
delivered to the sheriff of Anne
Arundel Town. This was accord
ingly done and on the 2Sth of Feb
ruary, 1895, the General Assembly
began its first session at the present
capital of Maryland.
"The reason alleged for this
change was that st. Mary's, being
on the verge of the province, was
difficult of access to the masses of
the people. This raay not have
been altogether without weight, but
it was more probably due to the
fierce political struggle and the bit
ter sectarian strife which existed
there at that time between the adj
vocates Of the proprietary and the
adherents of the King.
Downfall Of Sc. Mary's.
CATER st. Mary's ceased to be
the capital of the province, it soon
began to decline. The removal of
the government officials in itself
seriously diminished its population,
and in 170S it ceased also to be the
comfy seat of st. Mary's county,
the last symbol of its official char
acter. The same year it lost its
privilege of sending delegates to