Saint Mary's beacon., 1905-06-01
lfTom The Baltimors Saa.l
MARYLAND f0LRRATION,
Reply OF A Catholic To Rev. DR.
G. Ernest Smith.

j lHessrs Editors:
In your issue OF May l3 YOU give
an interview with the Rev. G. Ernes,
smith ia which he is quoted as saw
ing in regard to books of history
used in our schools: But these
: books are full of statements copied
undoubtedly FROM sources entirely
untrustworthy and without auy
reference whatever to the original
sources OF information put forth In
the interest Of the Roman Catholic
Church. Iassert, for example, With,
out fear OF effectual contradiction
that the statements in paragraph 26,
on page 30, of 'McMaster's School
History of the United States are ut
terly misleading and absolutely
false"
The paragraph In McMaster's 10
which DIR. Smith takes exception
reads as follows paragraph 90, page
3o): The Treatment Of Catholics.
The deed for Marylaad had not been
issued when Lord Baltimore died.
Ii was therefore made out in the
name OF his son. Cecilius Calvert.
the second Lord Baltimore, who,
like the first, was Roman Catholic,
and was influenced in his ATTEMPTS
at colonization by desire TO found a
refuge for people of his own faith.
AT that time in England no Roman
Catholic was permitted to educate
his children in foreign land or TO
employ a. schoolmaster of his relig-
ious belief, or keep weapon or have
Catholic books in his house, or sit In
Parliament, or, when he died, be
buried in parish churchyard. Ifhe
did not attend the parish church he
was fined E2O a month. But il is
needless to mention the ways in
which he suffered for his religion.
IL is enough 70 know that the perse-
cutlon was bitter and that the pur-
pose OF Lord Baltimore was TO make
Maryland Roman Catholic COLONY.
Yet he set a noble example to other
founders OF colonies by freely grant
ing TO all sects full freedom OF con-
science. As long as the Catholics
remained in control, toleration work
ed well. But in the year 1851 Lord
Baltimore was deprived OF his colony
because he had supported King
James III, and in 1892 sharp laws
were made in Maryland against
Catholics by the Protestants. In
ZIG the colony was restored to the
proprietor.
l suppose that DIR. Smith does not
include the first sentence of this
paragraph in his sweeping denounce.
ment as absolutely false" Omit
ting that sentence, we find In the re-
mainder OF the paragraph these four
statements:
First-Lord Baltimore was In
huenced in his attempts at colonial
ton by desire TO found refuge for
people of his own faith and to estab-
lish Catholic colony in Maryland.
Second-Catholics were persecut.
ed in England at that time.
Third-As long as Catholics were
in control in Maryland religious tol-
GRAFTON worked well.
Fourth-When Anglicans got con-
troll OF the government of the province
Catholics were prosecuted.
DR.. Smith asserts that these pro-
positions werederived from sources
entirely untrustworthy" and put
forth in the interest OF the Roman
Catholic Church. Let US see.
In support of the first proposition
we read in "Bryant's Popular His
tory Of the United States" page 48:
The expedition was in every sense
under Roman Catholic leadership.
Maryland was to be an asylum for
the then prosecuted ROmanists."
Gen. Bradley Johnson, in his pam
phlet, which is No. 18 Of the Mary
land Historical Society's fund pub
locations, says: His object lord
Baltimorel was not only to secure
refuge for prosecuted Roman Catho-
lies, bounded from every hundred in
the three kingdoms, where they
might enjoy their religion in peace,
but the larger and nobler one that q
great state should grow up where
the rights, franchise and liberties of
Englishmen should be secured aud
guaranteed 20 all its people forever.
Mr.. Clayton Hall, in THE Lords
Baltimore and the Maryland Palati-
nate" pages 81 TO 81. gives the tes-
timony Of Cecilius' son Charles,
third Lord Baltimore, which shows
that Catholic federation was one OF
his fathers purposes in founding
the colony.
Let US now consider the second
proposition. Bancroft Centenary
edition. volume l, page 1856 says:
Roman Catholics who were oppress-