The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30

G~unpowder Plot. Tho conspirncy, or the be.
lief in q conspiracy, helped 10 distort the con.
ception Of "Papists'' which was impressins
itself upon q rising generation that had no
earlier memories of monastic s%anctity. TLcn
IL came to pass that the Pope refused TO sane.
ton a Catholic oath OF allegiance, which denied
the "deposing power although the English
archpriest, DIR. Blackwell. had approved OF il.
This was tho signal for many who previously
had been outright "Papists' 10 conform 10
tho Established Church, and. henccforth, the
strength of the Catholic party was materially
lowered. Its vitality. however. was still con.
siderable. and, toward the end OF tho reign,
Catholics practically enjoyed n good deal OF
liberation. To this moro favorable attitude
tho proposed marriage of the future Charles I.
to the Infanta OF Spain. and his subsequent be-
trothal to tho Catholic Henrietta Maria. natu.
rally contributed, and. after his accession. there
were many conversions to Catholicism. Mass
was said publicly and Papal ENJOYS were re-.
ceived at court. Charles avowed his regret for
the incidents Of the Reformation. though he re.
NAMED faithful to the national church. Ono Of
the grievances Of Parliament against the King
lay, In the known wishes of 1some Anglican
Charles. reign was described by the Queens
So1%ene"F h ,e s sI Hf shSs e EVEN cons AZ eSes; 70 n pons
English Catholics to come forth from their
obscurity. and 10 appear in the light. with their
faces erected, to profess and exercise their
s ss,ls,2iiG T aSe. IN a; Ssie.s as sS s sSarse sftf n f tn,
sSs .Ds sna 81 st"t az after sss thssS have ,,b sssn 70;
Archbishop Iaud remonstrSted with Charles
On SSs1 1hs sETI%owyaepIfF r nnm9sTs OF ,b the ,ndpSpists.
the approach. OF civil war. undertook to remoSs
Al the penal laws; Il the Queen would persuade
90 almost TO a man After the Kings execution oia
his son. Charles H., found his truest friend,
loyal subjects to meet him on Aug. 81. 1851. in
the meadows near Worcester. four Catholic gen.
troops Of horse. and Catholics we're among those
who sheltered him after the disastrous battle.
Nv.
Both o sense Of gratitude and his personal
sympathy led Charles II. to wish TO requite the
services of the Catholics with kindness and toll.
Grafton after tho Restoration. He did all he
could. He attempted TO pass an emancipation
act. He persistently opposed tho Exclu sion
bill. A definite scheme of reunion with Rome
was drafted soon after the beginning OF his
reign. Nevertheless. the anti-Papal feeling grew
steadily in intensity. Since the time of Charles
I. the Catholics had dwindled rapidly in mum.
bers. or Ave hundred gentlemen who lost
their lives In the civil wsr, It 10 estimated that
nearly two hundred were Catholics. and many .
family Of high social position was left without q
male representative. The Test act and the
intense bigotry OF tho time led many to conform
or to fly the country. If matters go on like
this. wrote the Florentine Minister in Decem.
Der. 1877. There will soon be no Catholics,
either English or foreign. in the country"
With reference to the same period, Ma.
caulay has pointed out that hatred Of
tho Roman Catholic religion had become
one Of tho ruling passions of the com.
munity. and was as strong in the ignorant
and profane as in those who were Protestants
from CONVICTION. In the House Of Lords in 1878
q noble lord declared, amid thunders of APP
Popish man or a Popish woman to remain
spm Or usi not so much as a Pogish dog ora
singularly .unpropitious time that James ii.
d %ane to o'S the Sna cstSoli Go re ssaedp power me from aqa fT my
friends" became a proyerb OF bitter signiticanc o
OF Catholics themselves and against the direct
counsel OF the Holy See, set at naught the Test
pHss sH Of a pat%%ity and Gsil infiue a.ssr in oa the STATE 10
and in the Universities, The Kings action in.
famed the no,P eSS feeling 70 frenzy. and the
Hencefortht the Catholics were utterly crushed.
a nsw s Eers 81 P%SsiiiSifi Mi. ana a e few WIZ Se ss SEEMED ss.ss tho 10
promise the utter extirpation Of Catholicism in
England. The experience Of Elizabeth's reign
aroused a life.giying enthusiasm among tho
Catholics themselves and sympathy IN the wit.
penal system now introduced was based on the
principle that it is better to gag q man, to bind
prison him for life than to xiii him oatrisht. It
was made criminal in a Papist to possess arms
mass or to keep q school subjected the PSpist
to perpetual imprisonment The informer who
saying saying i mass 70 r .Rs Seafe sfoe. Ps H5 e DT Wsre i inr
capable Of inheriting any land, tenement.,. or
t herHdi nn n psso and ID i fSsId I DO sailed ~ upon to give
LOO: -. any one iinfSrming against a Papist who
atty Of aloo which had been inflicted by james,.
1t was In this state that a remnant of the Cath.
Ollie families fingered on for ninety years. sub
ercise Of their religion. No doubt the worst Of
the penal laws were not vigorously enforced.
secured BY absolute secrecy in the performance
Of all religious duties. The practical effect OF
last inS p century iryi is > thus Sme d ssSiiSe G Sy Sr. L IN kE:
The position OF Catholics. and. especially. Of
Catholic landowners. was always one of extreme
their Protestant relatiyes. who might easily
deprive them OF their land; at the mercy Of
Justices, who might. at any moment, tender to
them the Oath Of Supremacy. They were. viz.
a life of secrecy and retirement. and sometimes
obliged to purchase. by regular contributions.
tions. Indeed, were not generally due to apy
t Tlsh s ON 5ns part 6f 9 'bt the Iew GoT Ter, to entSrcs
words, ITO private motives Of revenge E or AVA.
The laws. however, excluding them from
the bar. from the army. and from every place OF
trust or profit under Government were strictly
1t was especially during this period that the
English Catholics acquired the peculiar charac.
teristics which were. in great measure, retained
within the, memory of persons still living.
They mixed little with their neighbors. and
interInarried with each other. Entirely debarrcd
from public life and from university education,
and from habitual participation In the society
OF their equals in English life. those who re-.
mained faithful to their religion necessarily fol:
moro and more the merely agricultural
and sporting pursuits of the country squire.
me whole body came in some degree to share tho
traits and interests ascribed by Macaulay, when
referring. to a little earlier date, to the more bu.
collie section. Cases, indeed. were not infrequent
OF open insults to the Catholic who ventured to
family who went to a Drawing Room was treated
Win such rndeness by the Lord Chamberlain
injury by a kind word. At a mixed dinner
the presenceof o Catholic guest was often
mento OF the presence OF u Jesuit was, in many