Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-06-25

much tn excite our admiration and
r-sIec.- IL today sG n BOAST Of liberty
of conscience and religious federation,
they must always and forever pay
homage TO your catholic forefafhers of
St Mary's county. as the apostles OF
Religious equality in the modern world
Its only home in the wide worid-at
thu time. says BaEeroft
Not since the days OF Constantine
the Great. thirteen hundred years be-
fore, had this doctrine been preached
or experienced, and never that know
of in the history Of the world has il
iseen carried our with so much good
faith and magnanimity IS by your
Catholic forefaIbers, and By yourselves
up tn the present day. No man or
citizen of these parts can ever say that
he vas Disseminated against By the
Catholics of Southern Maryland on
account of his religious convictions or
profession of faith, while a candidate
for any Office 1t the disposal Of her
people. national or local. AS long as
be respected the Laws and gave ale
glance 10 the properly constituted
authority they gave him their votes
without consideration Of his religious
convictions This is a il ought TO he
and may IL eyer remain 20.
When the revolution broke out
against the tyrany of England the
stauncbest defenders of the infant re-
public were found among the Catholics
of the country from Barry and SuIli-
van and Meylan To Charles Carroll
and his followers of Southern Mary
land.
In every battle of the Republic from
Lexington to Vera Cruz catholic men
and boys have been second To none in
deviation and self sacrifice for the cause
of the Stars and Stripes. From John
Barry the father of the American
Navy tO Daniel Aloysius Hagerty who
died at Vera Cruz, that the Flag might
live, never in all these years has q
been a traitor or a coward in
th,. hour Of need.
To those who would stir up religious
strife and bisotry, (but ne have none
such in Southern Marylandl and tell
you that Catholics are not loyal To
our country we have only one answer
la make. and history hears witness to |
what We say.
In this land We were the pioneers ind
discovery. exploration, religion and
Long before bigotry was |
born her priests had gathered together
the children of the forest into schools
where their rude and untutored minds |
we're taught the elements of civiliza-
ton and the domestic arts of agricuI- |
lure and home life. while instructed in
The eternal truths of religion.
Our JOgues and Brebeufs, and |
Whites and Marquettes blazed the |
paths of civilization on the virgin soil |
mid the gloom of primal forests by
unknown rock and unguarded torrent,
and laid the foundation on which were
afterwards erected the present struc-
ture of christian civilization. They |
ind libby stamped their seal on the
land: they gave the name of Gods |
heroes to mountain. town and city.
81. Lawrence, ST Louis. ST. Augustine,
San Francisco. Los Angeles, ST.
Mary ; City. St Clements Bay, are
silent monuments to the faith of the |
great continent. We are not strangers
in a strange land. We came not here
today or yesterday: this continent is |
ours The graves of our forefathers,
the deeds they have done, the history
of their devotion and self-Sscrifices in |
ever, hour of trial and SORROW are cur |
title deeds Ia this favored land of |
fCnntinupd Naxt IVaaL