The Irish standard., 1898-05-28
FIRST IN THE WESTERN WORLD IN
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
FOUNDED BY ROMAN CATHOLICS
THE TOLERATION ACT ABOLISHED
DY PURITAN DIGOTS.
The RECIPIENTS OF WARM HOSPITALITY
FROM SlsCrANIAN PROSECUTIONS IN
THE OTHER COLONIES.

10 students of history 1t is unnecessary
to speak of Catholic Maryland, 1.-The only
place in this wide world" says the Pro-
testant historian, where religious tocr-
alton found a home. For year the COL
ony, owing to it's wise and benevolent
laws, was growing in wealth and popu-
lation.
Around were colonies which, owing to
their prescription, were not making any
headway. The success of Maryland
naturally excited jealousy, and the gov-
ernors of the surrounding colonies laid
plans to get control of Maryland, destroy
religious freedom, and make the Protcs-
tant religion the religion of tho state
turn. The deputy governors of Mary
land, when informed of the usurpntion,
deemed 1t eXpedient to collect all the
public arms that were dispersed in the
different counties. Immediately there
arose a rumor of Il "Popish plot" Those
who raised this cry alleged that the
Catholics had formed league with the
Indians for the massacre of all the
Protestants in the province.
About tho same time Lord Baltimore
received orders to proclaim William and
Mary, which he readily promised and
prepared to obey, yet some cross acct
dent or trcacherous machination inter
ceptcd the relative commands which he
punctual!y transmitted to his deputies;
and they still awaited official orders re-
sDecting this important transaction long
after the corresponding proclamation was
published in Virginia. 1t happened un-
fortunately, too, that the timo had now
arrived when it was usual to repeat tho
annual confirmation of the eXtGing
treaty of peace with the Indians.
, These occurrences, distorted by the
arts of the factions and the crcdulity Of
and accelerated tho explosion it had
theatcned to produce. A protestant
Association was formed April Q, 1850,
by John Coodc, who had already illus
complicc of Fcndnl und soon gaining
strength from tho accession OF numerous
votnrics, took arms under this worthless
leader for the defense of the Protestant
faith and tho vindication of the royal
tito of William and Mary.
| A declaration or manifesto was pub
lishcd by the associators, replctc with
charges against The proprietary that re-
fleet tho utmost dishOnor on their own
cause The rcproaches of tyranny and
wickcdness- of murder, torture and pill
| lage, with which Lord Baltimore is load
| cd in this production, are refutcd by tho
utter inability of tho associators to cs-
| tabish by evidence any one of their
charges, even when the whole power and
authority of tho provincial government
were in their own hands.
The deputies of Lord Baltimore en-
deavored at first to oppose by force the
designs OF the assocatOrs; but as the
Catholics were afraid to justify the prev
alcnt rumcrs against themselves by TAX
ing arms, and as the wcl-affccted Prot
cstants showed no eagerncss to support
a falling authority, they were compelled
to deliver M the provincial fortress and
surrender the powers Of government by
Capitulation.
The king, appriscd Of these trnnsnc
| ticns, fastened to express his approba-
| Mi 1n IL
of the insurgents to exercise in his name
the power they had acquired, until he
| should have leisure to settle the admin
istration of affairs on a permanent basis.
| Armed with this commission, Coodc and
u iunto OF his cOnfedcratcs continued for
| three years to conduct tho government
of Maryland with q predatory tyranny
that eXemplificd the dcmcril3 they had
falsely imputed to the proprietary, and
produced loud and numerous complaints;
from persons of every religious dcnom-
| inaton in the province. Thus in tho
midst of their own nsolcnt triumph, the
| Maryland Protestants were unable to cs-
cape entirely the visitation of rctribl-
tive justice.
King William, meanwhile, cndcavornl
to gain the same advantage to the royal
authority in Maryland which the tyranny
Of his predecessor bequcathcd to him in
Massachusetts. But to persist in the in
iquitOus process of quo warranto was no
longer feasible; and all that could be done
was to summon Lord Baltimore to answer
before the Privy Council the complaints
expressed in the manifesto of the asso-
ciatOrs. After a tedious investigation
which loaded this noblcman with heavy
expense, 1t was found impossible to con-
vict him of any other charge than that OF
differing in religious opinion from the
men by whom he was so ungratefully
prosecuted and so calumniously traduced.
He was accordingly suffered to retain
tha matrimonial interest attached by his