The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-29
HOME OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
MARYLAND THE FIRST TO GRANT
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
coLoNIzED BY LORD 5ALTI-
MoRE-FIRsT MASS cELERRAT-
ED MARCH Is, 1643.


MoRE-FlRsT MASS cELE5RAT-
ED MARCH rs, 164s.
In the settlement of Maryland by
Sir George Calvert, the student of
American history, sees vast differ
ence than that of any other colony.
In the case of other settlements, their
founders established themselves on
foundation of theocracy, where pri-
vate judgment and religious tolera-
ton should obtain no resting place. In
the case of Maryland, however, the
advantages of government in which
the freemen of the colony were to
bear a part, and where federation in
matters of conscience was to be al
lowed, were wisely provided for by it's
founder, so that it's origin was peace
full and it's course prosperous from the
beginning.
Bancroft, the American historian,
speaking of Maryland, says: Its his
tory is the history of benevolence,
gratitude and federation. The Gath
olics, who were opposed to the laws of
England, were sure to find a peaceful
asylum in the quiet harbors of the
Chesapeake, and there, too, Protest
ants were sheltered from Protestant
intolerance" Sir George Calvert
(Lord Baltimore) was born in York
shire, England, in 1882 His parents
being members of the Anglican
Church, he was, of course, brought up
in the same belief When seventeen
years Of age he graduated, with high
honors, from Oxford University.
In 1917, the honor of knighthood
having already been conferred upon
him, he was appointed a member of
the Privy Council of King James l. In
1920 he was made Secretary of State
and afterwards became a member of
the House of Commons, representing
first Yorkshire and then the Univer-
sity of Oxford. The cruel persecution
Of the Catholics of Great Britain and
Ireland, then going on, so impressed
the mind of Calvert that he entered
upon a serious examination Of the
Catholic faith, with the result that
instead of approving the persecution
he became a convert to the Church at
the age of forty-two years.
He rendered to James l his resigna-
ton as Secretary of State, but the
King, although a bigot, declined to &C.
cept the resignation, and soon after
created him lord of the Irish barony
of Baltimore, that little Irish town
which has since been immortalized by
the poet Davis in "The Sack of Bal
timore," when
"The yell Of Allah broke above the
prayer, and shrek and roar
Oh, blessed God! the Algerine was
Lord of Baltimore!"
To found a colony in the New World
as refuge for his prosecuted CO.
religionists now became the great OBJ.
ject of Lord Baltimore's life. In 1926
Baltimore organized a company to
effect settlement, but it proved I'M
successful Two years later he set out
again, this time for Virginia, but was
compelled to leave by the fanatical
anti-C Catholic local authorities. He
then returned to England, after ex-
ploring the Chesapeake and portion
of Maryland. He secured charter
| from Charles, the successor OF
James authorizing him to establish the
colony of Maryland.
He died before the enterprise could
be put under way, and the charter
passed to his son, Cecilius Calvert
who granted full authority to his
brother Leonard to carry out the un-
dertaking, in 1888. In November
1888, two vessels, the Ark and the
Dove, on board of which were Gov.
Leonard Calvert and his young son,
George, Fathers Andrew White and
John Althan, two Jesuit priests who
accompanied the expedition, and about
two hundred emigrants, nearly all OF
whom were Catholics and gentlemen
of fortune and responsibility, set sail
and, after stormy passage of four
months, entered the Chesapeake and
landed on little island, which they
named st. Clement.
On the Feast of the Annunciation,
March 25, 1884, writes Father White,
1--WE offered up for the first time the
sacrifice of the Mass" Under the
grant Lord Baltimore was entitled to
the possession of the soil, according to
the laws of nations, but he deemed it
just and prudent to purchase the
rights of the Indians to their country,
and gave them cloth, axes and hoes, in
return for which they gave him thirty
miles of territory. The settlers took
possession of their new homes in a
few days. mo wrong or injustice to
ward the natives stained the hands OF
its founders" says McSherry, mo per
scouting dominion or exclusive fran
chise was reared upon its shores; but
around the rough-hewn cross on the
island of st. Clement, gathered the
Catholic and Protestant hand in hand
friends and brothers, equal in civil
rights and secure alike in the free
and full enjoyment of either creed. =
Spencer in his history, speaking OF
the granting of the patent to Lord
Baltimore, says: Considerable oppo