The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-04-25

it was ordained by the wisdom of God
that this enterprise should offer to
men every sort of inducement and re-
ward"
Shortly after the settlement Father
Copley wrote home: Here certainly
nothing is wanted but people. Let it
be peopled and it shall not yield up
the most fourishing country for profit
and pleasure"
1t is certainly not without signif-
canoe that so much stress was laid
upon these motives of profit and
pleasure in advertising the enter
prise, and it is equally significant
that the long continued and wide
spread publicity work of Calvert,
backed by the wealthy and influential
Catholic mobiles, the Towards, the
Arundels and the Blounts, as well as
by the active support of the Jesuit
Society, succeeded in drawing to the
first expedition only a small handful
of Catholics. The first band of colo
nists was made up of only twenty
gentleman adventures" and APP
proximately three hundred others,
comprising small freemen, indentured
servants and laborers. Of these the
majority of the leaders were Catholics
and the majority of the others were
assorted Protestants. 1t seems prob
able that the bulk of the Church of
England people had been influenced
by the so-called "high church, or
Catholic movement promoted by
Archbishop Laud, for shortly after
their settlement in St. Mary's they
are officially referred to by the pecul-
iarly appropriate hybrid title, prot
estant- Catholics"
In any case the colony reflected
catholic attitude toward life, and it
was this, together with the tolerant
spirit which George Calvert insisted
upon in the face Of every effort to
pervert it, which gave to the Mary
land colony it's unique fiavor-a hap
by blend of piety and jollity which has
never entirely disappeared, though
frequently subject to almost over
whelming attack.
Enemies, indeed, were always on
hand. No sooner was the colony pro-
posed than it was attacked. Because
it was Calvert's project and because
Calvert was Catholic it was pictured
as papal plot to turn England over
to the Pope by way of Spain. The eX-
petition was said to be preparing TO
sail away to Spain and every con-
ceivable obstacle was put in its way.
The ships were inspected, attached for
alleged debt and then reinspected.
The people were examined and re-
examined. They were made to swear
allegiance, released, pursued and
pledged again, all to keep them out Of
the arms of Spain and the Pope.
Finally they got away, sailing from
Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, Novem-
Der %, 1888. After all the suspicion
about Spanish plots, it is interesting
to note that once they had set sail
their one anxiety was to keep away
from these very Spaniards they were
supposed to be seeking. The Span
ish constituted their one human
threat The journal of Father White,
which gives a detailed account Of the
voyage, is full of illusions to this fear
of meeting Spanish ships, which was
an object of anxiety until it was seen
to fly some other flag than that of
Spain.
Once they had passed out of the
zone of Spanish danger, however, the
voyagers managed to have good
time. There was an exciting race
with a British merchantmen. Ecstat-
ic experiments were carried on with
tropical fruits and vegetables at the
islands visited en- route. Father White
wakes lyrical in his praise of the pine
apple, which is called the queen of
fruits. They even had party aboard
in celebration of Christmas and the
party evidently became too wild for
some of them, for many were taken
sick because of too much wine and
twelve of them died. This hampered
their spirits for short time, but they
soon revived under the spell of con-
tinued fair sailing on beautiful sea.
Thoughtful consideration for others
which was a marked characteristic OF
Calvert, was strikingly illustrated in
his strict order that all acts of Catho-
lie devotion be performed as incon-
spicuously as possible, so as not to
offend the sensitive feelings Of the
nom otholics aboard.
The voyage took over four months.
Those who are familiar with Mary
lands leisurely pace will not be sur
prised at this. The ships fingered for
days at every port of landing. When
almost at the Barbaboes the leaders
suddenly decided to turn back and
seek a cargo for the return trip to
England at an island off the cost of
Africa. After sailing 200 miles on
this detour it dawned on them that