The Irish standard., 1899-01-07
NOBLE WORK OF THE CHURCH
Pope'S Influence on the Happiness
of the Human Race.
THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
The Pioneers of Civilization in All
Pagan Lands.

The following unbiased testimony as
to the work of the Catholic church from
Protestant writer's recently appeared in
the Catholic Columbian, and was fur
| nished by +. D. New.
In THE Romance of American Coloni-
zation,' the author, William Elliot Grif-
fs, Il d. d.. if mistake not, seems not to
be afraid of giving offense. or of lessen
ing the sale of his book, by doing justice
to Catholics and to lrishmen. Speaking
| of the Maryland colony, and referring to
the prosecuting policy of the church Of
England, he says:
1.-The Plymouth Pilgrims were not the
only ones to get away from such per-
scouting church. The Catholics suffered
terribly. George Calvert. called Lord
Baltimore, an English Catholic noble
man, looked to America to find refuge
for his fellow worshipcrs who were har-
ried in England. Being in favor with
King Charles l., his sovereign granted
him Il tract of land in northern Virginia,
which was named Maryland"
After telling of the taking on board at
the Isle of Wight of the Jesuit Fathers
White and Altham, with some other emil
grants, and of their arrival at Point
Comfort, Feb. 81 1854, the author con-
tinucs:
Meeting the Indians, they assured
thpn1 nf fhoi,. ln.irn IN ri bo ,rto
of civilization and to teach them the
| way to heaven. Considering that the
ahorigincs had some rights to the SOIL
7 they bought 80 miles of the land from
them for hatchcts and cloth, and thus
| established their colony with the good
will of the red men. The original colony
consisted OF 90 men Of property OR social
standing. and the rest were wage-earners
or dependents, but all of them took part
in making the laws, and in n few years
they had the power of originating them.
The assembly was composed of l6 men,
bers-nlnc burgesSes or representatives,
six counscllors and u governor. Six
were of the Reformed, and eight were of
the Roman form of the Christian church,
that of the others not being certain. Tho
first law passed was one guaranteeing re-
ligious liberty. 1t set forth that no per-
son protesting to believe in Jesus Christ
shall from thencefOrth be in any way
troubled, molested or discountenanced,
for or in respect of his or her religion,
nor the free exercise thereof within this
t,,
the belief or exercise OF any other relig-
ion against his or her consent. Thus
one of the first of the colonies to grant
entire freedom of conscience was that
under Il Roman Catholic proprietor. In
the same year Gov. Stone invited tho
Puritans who had been banisled from
Virginia to settle in Maryland. They
came and named the place where they
settled Providence. on tho site Of An
napolis."
We are next told of the troubles of the
cOlonists, of Clayborn's rebellion, and
how "the bold and INSCRIPTIONS Capt.
Inglc seized the colony in the name Of
the Puritan parliament of England, and
sent home the aged Jesuit, Father White,
in irons" When the commonwealth was
established, it's commissioners in Mary
land acted in a most intolcrant manner,
allowing no Catholics to have seat in
the legislature. They repealed the stat
ute of liberation and prohibited Catholic
worship. The old story Of the poor coon
that invited the hedgehog into its hole
on a rainy day, only to be driven out,
was enacted over again. The name Of
Puritan was disgraced by bigotry and in
tolerance.
"In 1868 Lord Baltimore was reinstated
with his rights, and freedom of worship
again restored though one could hardly
blame the Catholics If they had expelled
from the colony those who had acted SO
bascly, lest, perchance, coming into pow
cr again, these might IL second time de-
priye the former Of their rights.
Mr.. Grinis concludes almost like a
Jesuit in disguisc:"
"Thus the Catholics in Maryland and
in our nation in spite OF their occasional
blundcrs in politics Il wish he had told
us what those blundcrs wcre), have al
| ways shown themselves in living SYM
pathy with what is truly American.
| Reading the future by the past, we may
be sure that in time of foreign invasion
| or internal commotion, our government
and nation may always rely upon their
strong right arm Slowly and surely the
| Catholics Of the United States have pro-
gresscd to a broad liborality, in spite Of
hostile secret organizations based on un-
charitableness and injustice"
These are brave words; but we may
expect fairness and fearlessness from him