The Coolidge examiner., 1933-12-29

own faith, the Roman Catholics who were then
suffering persecution In England. Under the
charter granted TO Calvert he had larger powers
than had yet been granted to any colony settling
in America and thus there was introduced here
new form Of government known as the pro-
prietary system.
But Calvert died before the signing OF the char
ter and his son, Cecil Calvert, the second Lord
Baltimore, received the grant Opposition from
Virginia made II advisable for him TO remain In
England to protect his rights, so he appointed his
brother, Leonard Calvert, as lieutenant general
Of the colony which had been given the name
Of Maryland, in honor OF King Charles Catholic
queen, Henrietta Maria.
On November %, 1883, two ships, the Ark and
the Dove, left Cowes bearing Lord Batimore's
two brothers, Leonard and George Calvert, with
very nearly twenty gentlemen Of very good fash
ion," most OF whom were Catholics and "about
three hundred laboring men well provided in all
things" the majority Of whom were Protestants.
On March 25 1884, the colonists landed on an
island at the junction of the Potomac river and
Chesapeake bay to which they gave the name of
St Clements island where for the first time In
history a party of English Catholics celebrated
mass.
Finding this island too small for the site of a
settlement, a little later the colonists sailed
down the river until they came to the mouth of
a stream to which they gave the name River St
George. Ascending this a little way they came
to an Indian village and purchased from them
for axes, hatchets and several yards
Of cloth" the site Of the first permanent settle
ment in Maryland, to which was given the name
of St Mary's.
Although March 25 is the important date In
Maryland history, the principal celebration of
the Maryland tercentenary In 1884 will be held
on June 90 since it was on June 20, 1852, that
Lord Baltimore was granted his charter by King
Charles and more favorable weather for the cele-
bration can be expected in June than in March
The year 1874 had no outstanding events such
as these two in 1884 to provide the occasion
for bi-centennial celebrations of an elaborate ma
ture although the following noteworthy
dates in that year:
January 20-Robert Morris, Philadelphia mer-
chant banker and "Financier of the Revolu-
ton" was born in Lancashire. England.
March 19-Thomas Mexican, member Of the
First Continental congress, signer of the Dec
laration Of independence and president of the
Eighth Continental congress- was born in Ches-
ter county. Pennsylvania.
November 17-John Peter Zenger, Colonial
printer and editor of the New York Weekly
Journal. arrested for false scandalous, mali
cious and seditious lbels" against the royal gov
ernor of New York. Out of this arrest came the
trial and acquittal of Zenger which marked an
important step in establishing the principle of
the freedom of the press in America
December 17-Wiliam Floyd, a signer Of the
Declaration of Independence, and a member of
every Continental congress from 1775 to 1892
was born in Brookhaven, n. Y
Events of 1884 which have sesqui-centennial
significance:
June Legislature of North Carolina ceded
to the congress of the United States the title
which that state possessed to lands west of the
Alleghanies, leading to the holding of conven-
ton august 23) at Jonesborough where the
westerners decided to organize separate gov
ernment and second convention at Jonesbor-
ough December I'D at which temporary con-
stitution adopted and the state of