Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/812

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MiATLAHD 759 BCARYLAMD

prevent the erowth of Popery within this 'province, Baltimore, because he was a Catholic. The proprie- which provided that priests were to be made incap- tary rule, notwithstanding the clamours of the malcon- able of holding any lands, to be obliged to register tents and revolutionists of 1689, was acceptable to the their names, and give bond for their good conduct; people. The only ground of objection, indeed, ever were prohibited from converting Protestants under urged against the government of either Cedlius or the penalty of high treason, and further that anv per- Charles Calvert was that they were Catholics. * son educated at a forei^ Catholic seminary could not War for Independence. — Maryland did not at inherit or hold lands m the province. There were first contemplate or favour independence, and had so other eoually severe disabilities and penalties im- instructed her delegates to the Continental Congress, posed. But a controversy arose between the two While the public mind was in this uncertain and un- Houses over the bill during which it was dropped. To balanced state, Dulany's letter appeared and pro- render the province no longer a desirable place of resi- duced considerable effect. The patriot cause, the dence to the loyal Catholic gentlemen and their families cause of independence, found a champion in the dis- was the object of these propositions and laws. Charles f ranchised Catholic, Charles Carroll of Carrollton (q. v.), Carrol], the father of the signer of the Declaration of In- the wealthiest landowner in the province. Four dependence, wrot^ to his son that Marvland was no letters passed between the controversialists. By longer a fit place for a Catholic to resia.e, and he felt general acknowledpnent the triumph of Carroll was inclined to dispose of his great landed estate and complete. Carroll^ letters met with an enthusiastic leave the province. Fortunately his son earnestly per- reception by the patriots, and the cause of independ- suadedhimnottodoso. Some families sought refuge ence was won. Throwing all selfish considerations from these intolerant laws and the more mtolerant aside, Maiyland, henceforth a state and no longer a sentiments of the people under the milder rule of province, cast her lot with the other colonies. Subse- Pennsylvania: In 1752 the same Charles Carroll, quently, two other Catholic CarroUs took prominent after consultation with some of the principal Catholic parts in the revolutionary struggle : Rev. John Car- families of IVIaryland, went to France to obtain from roll (q. v.). afterwards the first bishop of the United Louis XV a tract of land in the Louisiana territory for States, ana Daniel Carroll of Duddington (q. v.). the purpose of transporting the Catholics of the The name of Daniel Carroll is little known, and his provmce in a body to that country. He failed in his patriotic services have never been sufficiently recog- mission. Maryland Catholics began to emigrate to nized. While a member of the Congress from Marv- Kentucky in 1774, and in 17S5 twenty-five Catholic land, he took a leading and prominent part in the faoiilies set out from St. Mary's County for Pottinger's settlement of a question of profound significance and Creek (see Kentucky). ^ importance to his country. Under language of a very In the absence of reliable statistics it is difficult to vague character in their charters, as colonies, from the ascertain the ^owth of the population in the colony king, several of the states laid claim to laree stretches during the period elapsing from 1634 to 1690; aooord- of the territory west of the Alleghanies. Virginia as- ing to the estimate already given, in 1671, it was serted a blanket claim to the whole territory under the 20,000. The Protestant RevSution exercised a de- charter of 1607. Verv early in the sessions of the terring influence, so that in 1708, it was only 33,000, of Congress Maryland had introduced through her repre- whom 3000 were Catholics. In 1754 the population sentatives a resolution to the effect that if, as a result was placed at 153,000, of whom the Catholics num- of the war then being waged, these lands should be ac- berea about 8000. During the early part of this ouired by the Confeaeration from Great Britain, they period, the number of priests — mostlv, sometimes ex- should become the common property of all the states, dusively, Jesuits — serving this Catholic population free to the entrance of the inhabitants of all the states, averaged four or five; during the latter part ten to and regulated and governed by the Congress as the twelve. In 1759 the ^imated Catholic population of trustee of all the states, and declared she would not the province was 9000, and the number of priests, all sign the Articles of Confederation until the states claim- Jesuits, eight to fifteen. In 1756 Bishop Challoner, ing these lands should make a surrender of them to vicar apostolic in England, places the number of Congress to become in time independent states and priests at twelve. In 1763 the Catholic population members of the Union. The resolution met with was estimated to be between 8000 and 10,000, whose great opposition from the landed states, especiidly spiritual needs were supplied by fourteen Jesuits. By from Virginia. Alone and unsupported by any other 1769 this population had increased to 12,000. Numeiv state, Maryland remained firm and ultimately tri- ous conversions had bc^n made. The proclamation of umphed. John Fiske, in his ** Critical Period of Ameri- independence and the Revolution which followed it can History ", does not hesitate to say that but for the put an end to the royal authority in the American position taken by Maryland on this question the Union colonies, and to the proprietary rule in Maryland, and would not have been fonned; or, if formed, would struck the shackles from the Catholics of that province, soon have been broken in pieces by the conflicting Henceforth a new order of things was to prevail, pretensions of the landed states. Daniel Dulany, an eminent lawyer and the attorney The Catholics of Maryland, both clergy and laity, general of the province under the last proprietary warmly espoused the patriot cause. On the roster of governor, had addressed a letter to the people of the Maryland Line are to be found the names of repre- Marvland earnestly uiging them to remain steadfast sentatives of the Catholic families of Maryland. The in their loyalty tx> the Kmg of England and to the important services of the Carrolls, the loyalty of the provincial authority. He pointed out as a dissuasive Catholic clergy and laity to the patriot cause, coupled to Maryland from joining her sister colonies in the with the fact that the whole body of the Anglican revolt the fact that under Section XX of the Mary- cleigy had almost to a man adhered to King George, land Charter the province enjoyed the right of abso- had somewhat ameliorated the old intolerant senti- lute exencmtion from all taxation by kin^ or Parlia- ments of the people of colonial Maryland towards the ment. Theauthoritvof Mr. Dulany was high, and his Catholic religion and its professors. This change of argument strong. Another letter was calculated to sentiment found expression in Section XXXIII of exert an influence unfavourable to the patriot cause, the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the new State The fact was, the royal authority had been exerted in of Maryland, ^opted in November, 1776. In this arti- Maryland only to a limited extent. No royal govern- cle it is declared that all persons professing the Chris- ors had been appointed except during the usurpation tian religion are equally entitled to protection . . . of the Protestant ascendency, when the government of that no person ought to be compelled to frequent or the province, and the appointment of governors, was maintain any particular place of^worship or any par- taken temporarily out of the hands of Charles, Lord ticular ministry. Still it provided that the legislature