The Irish standard., 1916-06-03

The relation of Catholics to the
American Revolution is peculiar. In
it's origin and early stages, anti Catho
lie feeling famed the flame of revolt
and before it's close Benedict Arnold
alleged, as an excuse for his treason
that it would be beneficial chiefly tc
Catholics, and prepare the way fol-
their ultimate domination in this coun
try. Its success certainly marked the
dawn Of an era of religious liberty.
Was there special providence in
this reversal of it's original spirit and
bearing, a providence which, in spite
of the prejudice and intolerance Off
cially declared against them, from
the start enlisted in it's support the
vast majority OF the Catholics then
living in England's American colo
mics?
Catholics in the Colonies.
The Catholics who aided in the
achievement of. American liberty may
for the sake OF convenience, be di
vided into four classes; those resid
ing in the colonies, the Catholic In
dams of the north and northwest, Ca
Spanish allies.
With the class first named we are
more concerned than with the others
for it is their position that has main
ly been the subject of discussion and
controversy, the others serving only
as strong corroborative evidence, not
so much in support of the patriotism
of our co-religionists who were in.
habitants of the colonies when the
war broke out, as in establishing a
claim in favor of Catholic citizens of
mind that Catholics were very few in
number in the colonies compared with
the total population, and even much
weaker in wealth and social pres.
tige.
In 1875 there could not have been
more than twenty-five thousand of
them in the thirteen colonies-that
is, about one per cent of the entire
population; and nearly, If not quite,
four-fifths of these were to be found
in Maryland. almost all of the other
fifth residing in Pennsylvania-all. in
fact, except two or three dozen fam
lilies scattered through New Jersey
and Delaware. From the other col
onies they were excluded by penal
statutes, for the most part of prohib-
tory severity.
And what was their status before
the law even in the colonies in which
they were to be found? In New Jer.
sey they were not supposed to exist
In Maryland. the colony which they
had founded and had made the cradle
of religious liberty on this continent
the public exercises of their worship
was suppressed. so that they were
obliged to hear Mass in private houses
but in Pennsylvania and Delaware
they enjoyed almost complete freedom
being debarred only from holding
Office and bearing arms. and those oil
them who were not born under the
British flag, from acquiring title tt
real estate. Though not allowed the
full enjoyment of civil liberty the,
were almost universally unmolested or
account of their religion. and hat
their houses of public worship. no
only in Philadelphia. but also a
Goshenhoppen. Reading Concord, Ian
caster and Conewago.
Bitter Feelings Against Them.
East of Pennsylvania the feelin!
against Catholics had always beef
bitter and vindictive. The libert!
guaranteed to the Catholics of Cana
da by the treaty Of cession from
France to England, in 1868, and con
stitutionally sanctioned and extended
by the Quebec Act passed by TIN
British Parliament in 1774, intensified
this feeling. Ere long. the anger o
New York and New England Protes
tantism at this establishing of reli
gious liberty along their northern from
tier found official expression in res
olution adopted by the Continenta
Congress, in session in Philadelphia
and forwarded as an address to tn
people of Great Britain. The autho
of this document was John Jay, o
New York. afterwards chief justice o
the Supreme Court of the Unite,
States, the direct ancestor CT hi
equally bigoted namesake of our owl
day. In This address we read:
1--WE think the legislature of Grea
Britain is not authorized by the Cor
stitution to establish a religion fraugh
with sanguinary and impious teneis