The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-11-23
RENOUNCES CREED
Marquise de MerlnviIIe Quits
the Catholic Church.
FOUNDED GREAT SCHOOL
Daughter Of Millionaire Caldwell Re.
turns to Faith of Her Fathers ~:
ter Most EventfuI Career in
Philanthropy.

Philanthropy.
The Associated Press at New York
has received the following, but before
giving it publicity its authority has
been fully verified by cable from
Rome:
Rome, Nov IA, 1904.
"Edit0f Of the Associated Press:
You have full permission to print
the enclosed and give it es wide
a publication as possible.
(Signed) Yours truly,
"MARQUISE DIES MO'NSTEIRES."
''Gear Editor: 1t may interest some
of your readers to know that the Mar
quise de Monsteires Merinville, for
merly Miss NJ. G. Caldwell, who, it will
be remembered, founded the Roman
Catholic university at Washington
some years ago, has entirely repudiat-
ed her former creed. In an interview
with me the other day, she said
Eyes, it is true that l have left the
Roman Catholic church. Since have
been living in Europe my eyes have
been opened to what that church real.
ly is, and to it's anything but sanctity.
"'But the trouble goes much further
back than this. Being naturally rclig-
ious, my imagination was early caught
by the idea of doing something to lift
the church from the lowly position
which it occupied in America, SO |
thought of a university or higher
school, where it's clergy could be edu-
Gated and if possible refined. OF course
in this | was merely Influenced by
Bishop Spalding, of Peoria, who rep
resented it to me as one of the great
est works of the day. When | was Il
I turned over to them one-third of my
fortune for that purpose. But for
years / have been trying to rid myself
of the subtle, overwhelming influence
of church which pretends not only
to the privilege of being the only
true church," but of being alone able
to open the gates of heaven to eor-
roWfui, sinful world. At last my hon
est protestant blood has asserted Itself
and I now forever repudiatc and cast
of the yoke of Rome" So saying the
marquise politely dismissed me.
"It will be remembered that the
MarQuise des Monsteires Merinville
and her sister, the Baroness Won
Zedwitz, are the daughters Of the late
William s. Caldwell, and his wife was
a Breckinridge, Of Kentucky. Shortly
before his death Mr.. Caldwell became
q convert to Roman Catholicism and
left his children to the care of Irish
Roman Catholics in New York, whom
his wife had met in church circles. The
youngest sister married some fifteen
years ago a German nobleman, a
Lutheran, and has since then also left
the Roman Catholic communion. The
elder sister has been in very bad
health for some years from having to
occupy a position before the world as
a prominent Roman Catholic church
benefactor which was not real one,
and into which her generosity led her
as young and inexperienced girl.
Now at last her own mind has assert
ed itself and she returns to the creed
of her ancestors"
The Divinity College of the Roman
Catholic university In Washington is
known as the Mary Gwendolyn Cald-
wei! Hall of Divinity
Prominent members of the Catholic
clergy in washington expressed their
surprise at the announcement.
One official of the church attributed
as q possible cause, taking the story
to be correct, the notoriety which the
university gained by the failure OF
Thomas e. Waggam1n, it's treasurer,
by which the university suffered con-
siderable loss.