Evening star., 1949-05-10
federation Act Debate Continued
By Writer Citing MARYLAND Records


federation Act Debate Continued
BY Writer Citing MARYLAND Records
To the Editor Of The Star;
recent letter Of Joseph NJ Dawson
executive director Public Relations BaptlstS
OF the United States concerning religious
liberation in Maryland contained several
misleading and erroneous statements. In
the first place Mr.. Dawson completely ig-
nores the fact that there was fun religious
liberation in the Maryland Province except
during the Claiborne -Ingle diffcultieS in the
years l645-l64S. when the Jesuit fathers
were forced TO fee for their lives several
dying OF hardship in Virginia. and all Catho-
lies were brutally prosecuted. from its
founding in 1884 TO l649 when the Tolera-
tion Act was enacted. Lord Baltimores in
structions and the celebrated cases of Will
liam Lewis in 1888 and Thomas Gerard in
l64l prove this fact The proprietary gov
ernment. which largely was composed of
Catholics at this time. literally bent over
backwards" in its effort TO secure TO each
religious denomination full freedom Of con-
science. as may be learned by a brief review
OF the Maryland Archives.
1t is true that with the enactment OF the
Toleration Act OF l649. credited by Mr.. Dsw-
son TO Protestant majority, there was
something less than full religious liberty pro-
vided. In this connection, the eminent
Maryland historian. Matthew Page Andrews
in his History Of Maryland. page 80, has
written, "' This so-called Toleration Act
was but delimiting expression forced upon
the ideals or wishes of the proprietary and
the actual practice OF the early settlers 1t
was the response to the threat of a power
full outside force inimcal to the principles
Of toleration and this force was for a while
held OF by means OF this enactment Rightly
therefore the act Of l649 is a compromise
between the liberal practices in the province
during the preceding period OF Is years and
the drastic restrictions which were sub
sequently instituted" In actual practice
there seems to have been full religious tol-
Grafton. after the enactment
Representatives Of Both Faiths Approved.
Since Mr.. Dawson gives the Protestants
credit for enacting the federation Act. he
might have gone on and explained that they
repudiated 1t few years later in 1855, dur
ing the so-called Puritan uprising. when
both Catholics and Episcopalians were per-
secuted. and another Jesuit priest, Laurence
starkie. died of privation In Virginia. where
he had been forc'S to flee. However. the
religious faith of the individuals who passed
the act has been q disputed matter for many
years There appears to be little doubt that
Greene. Pile, Hawley Clarke. Fenwick Bret
ton. Manners, Maunsel Peake Matthews
and Pyle were Catholics and probably
Thornborough also. The Protestants were
Stone Governor. Price, Hatton. Vaughan,
Conner, Banks. Coke. Puddington and prob
ably Browne. Gov. Stone and Secretary
Hatton and many others of the Protestants
were completely loyal to Lord Baltimore and
his ideals of religious liberty, and Hatton
gave his life for his loyalty. after the battle
on the Severn River in 1855. when he was
executed by the Puritans after Stone and
his men had been promised quarter upon
their surrender.
Mr.. Dawson also states that the Tolera-
tion Act was passed to enable Catholics
to worship publicly. but quotes no authority
for this unusual statement. Actually in
1649. the only Catholic chapel in Maryland
existed at St Mary's City and this was semi
private In nature. This chapel or chapel
house was attached to the Jesuit residence
and had been built by the Jesuits upon per-
mission OF Gov. Leonard Calvert. Brother
OF Lord Baltimore. and contrary TO Lord
Baltimores instructions. When Lord Balti-
more learned of this he Immediately started
negotiations for its purchase which pur-
chase was completed in l64l. md. Archives
Prov. Ct. 1637-l650, p. 1861. Thereafter.
he did not permit the Catholics to build
any additional places which might be used
for public worship until chapels were erected
at Newtown and Port Tobacco in 1862 when
religious strife had moderated In England
to the extent that Catholics might worship
publicly
Later Discrimination Against Catholics.
Mr.. Dawson might also have gone on TO
state that the liberation Act was repudiated
In the Protestant Rebellion of 1889 by the
members Of the Established Church OF Eng
land. with the aid of the majority Of other
tna Gle.
elimination. political ostracism and grinding
oppression that was practiced against the
Maryland Catholics. that Catholic activity
and development practically were paralyzed
until the Revolutionary War. Mr.. Dawson
also intimates In his letter that the recent
Maryland observance Of the federation Act
and the Maryland State float In the Inau-
gural parade were Catholic sponsored tof
which have seen no evidence and that
Catholics are constantly putting forth un-
substantiated claims In connection with re-
ligious freedom in Maryland.
My observations are that the contrary Is
true. 1t seems to me that, since Mr.. Daw-
son Is true believer in religious toleration.
he could accomplish more in the way of
promoting real federation II there were fewer
articles Of the type that have been released
from his publicity department In recent
months and more effort devoted 10 Christian
unity. EDWIN w. BETTZELL
Criticizes Dependence ON Big Bombers
To Win War Unaided ON the Ground
To the Editor Of The star
note that the latest published Air Force
plans call for maintaining only two groups
Of light bomber and tactical reconnaissance
aircraft. or per cent Of a total Of ID
groups in the Air Force. This means that
for effective support Of Army ground troops
i'm case OF war we would have only about
100 Air Force planes. We may compare the
two tactical groups with total OF 20 stra-
teaic bombing groups to be maintained.
doubt that this In the kind of unification
the Army bargained for.
Meanwhile. steps are reported to be under