USA > Maryland > Saint Mary's County > Saint Mary's City > Civil and religious equality : an oration delivered at the fourth commenoration of the landing of the pilgrims at Maryland. > Part 4
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Since woman shared in the dangers and in the glories of the enterprise, woman is appropriately a part of the memorial which this day presents ; not by her presence to give attraction to the celebration of man's achievements, but to be the representative of the principles and sex that gave order and ornament to the early colony, like the caryatides of palatial architecture, to support and beautify the edifice.
Eminently appropriate, also, is the presence of those of various creeds in this celebration which, though it is sustained by the professors of that faith which was held by the founder of Mary- land and most of his colonists, is intended as a commemoration of social and political virtues which are universal in their cha- racter, and may be and have been, practiced by men of all creeds. God forbid that in celebrating the beautiful example of Christian virtues of those who are of our own faith, we should do injustice to the merits of those who profess a different faith. God forbid that in pursuing a comparison which we think results in favor of our own creed, we should presume that others who profess a faith in Jesus Christ, are unmindful of the works which should illus-
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trate that faith. Rather, while we meet the spirit of unfriendli- ness towards ourselves that pervades the social atmosphere at the present time, and seek by comparison and example to avoid a reproach that is cast upon us, and enlighten the careless and forgetful upon the facts of history, let us so manifest our re- ligion that we shall win the love of those who have looked coldly on us, and regain the confidence of those who have doubted. The viper has come from the fire, indeed, which we helped to kindle for general benefit, and it has fastened upon our hand. But let us show the power of innocence, by casting the reptile, not upon those who expect our injury, but back into the fire, that it may perish in the flame whence it issued.
If we complain of the spirit of hostility that is abroad, let us ask if it be worse than that which scattered the sectaries of various creeds, and compelled those of our own faith to seek refuge in this asylum. Do we need an example of duty in the present emergency ? Look back upon the conduct of the founder of this colony, who, amid scenes of violence against himself and his, calmly put in operation his plan of Christian benevolence ; and while segments of parties pursued each other with implacable hatred, he manifested the beauty of his own principle by opening to those mutual opponents his own colony as a refuge from each other's antagonism. He could not have been unmindful of the dangers which such a course rendered probable, nor have failed to foresee the very political evils which ensued ; but where right and danger are the only alternatives, the good man has no hesi- tancy in his choice.
The piety, the forbearance, the enlarged views of right that distinguished the plans of the founders of Maryland, and which are illustrated in the practice of the earliest colonists, are no less our duties than they were theirs; and oh ! how much more easily practised are all those virtues now, since the pathway is desig- nated by their foot-prints, and enlightened by their example. And the celebration of this day would be imperfect, would lack the spirit which would make it acceptable to God and honorable
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to us, if it recalled a single virtue of our Catholic Fathers, merely to gratify the pride of their successors, or if it selected a single error of their separated contemporaries, only to generate a feeling of unkindness in the present generation.
Here on this chosen spot-here on this sanctified ground- here let there be prevalent no sentiment but that of love to God and love to our fellow man. Here, where the red man received the Pilgrim fathers with tokens of friendship and favor, and where men of other creeds welcome us to-day to our celebration, here may the spirit of Calvert pervade all of those who com- memorate his virtues and his triumphs; and may the spirit of God animate all, of every name and every creed.
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NOTES.
NOTE-Page 34.
THE terms " toleration" and "tolerance" are used in the course of these remarks, to express the freedom of public worship authorized in the colony of · Maryland. And wherever there exists in a government legal or constitutional right to interfere with that freedom, such a word as "tolerance" may be tole- rated. Tolerance has its degrees. A religious creed may be only so far tolerated as to allow its professors the privilege of worshipping in private, as the Chris- tians were sometimes tolerated in Pagan Rome. A creed may be tolerated so as to allow the professors the right of public worship, but not admitting them to political equality, as it was recently in England. Europe even now presents the various phases of toleration which advancing civilization has secured, and the remains of that intolerance which not even the nineteenth century, with all its boasted light, has been able, so far, to remove. Sweden and Tuscany are in- stances of the abuse of the religious by the civil power. But wherever in Europe there is any religious intolerance by the State, it is sustained by the Constitution (written or unwritten) of the country. It is, indeed, none the better for that authority, but it is not generally a violation of law or compact. In this country, the word " tolerance" is not applicable to the religious freedom which is the right of the citizen. because here perfect, entire equality is pledged to every citizen ; and the government of the country not only has no inherent right to legislate for or against any religious denomination or member of any religious denomination, on account of a creed, but such legislation, or any such preference or hostility, is positively prohibited by the Constitution of the United States. It is hence no argument against a Protestant in this country, that in England a Protestant government persecuted Catholics and Non-conform- ists-that in Sweden the Protestant government is intolerant; nor is it to be
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urged against American Catholics, that in Tuscany the Catholic government is equally intolerant.
No American Protestant holds himself accountable for the religious intolerance of his brother Protestants abroad, and no American Catholic is answerable for the misrule of a Catholic government in Europe. Abroad, governments are gene- rally Protestant or Catholic; in the United States, the government is by design, by constitutional prohibition, neither one nor the other, it is neither a division of the one nor a shade of the other. No denomination, no combination of sects, has any right here to pretend to tolerate any other denomination or sect. Per- fect freedom, perfect equality, is the right of all. It was pledged in the National Constitution, before any State accepted that Constitution, and then became part of the compact of National Union. It is a principle, not a measure of our Government. There is no limitation, no degrees. The Constitution is full, clear, and explicit; and the man or set of men who would establish a degree of liberty to any one regarded as a citizen-who would deprive any man or set of men of one single social or political right, the right to vote or to be voted for, the right to elect or the right to be elected-who would close the ballot-box or the door of office to a man, on account of his religious creed, seeks a violation of the fundamental law of the land, and is at heart a traitor.
Equality, then, and not toleration, is the proper term to express the regard of the Constitution of our country for religious denominations.
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(A.) NOTE-Page 35.
Maryland seems to have taken the lead in the work of naturalization. For example :-
The removal of the Dutch from Cape Henlopen, induced many of the planters to unite themselves to the colony of Maryland, into which they were readily ad- mitted; and, in the year 1660, the Maryland Assembly enacted, in favor of them and of certain French refugees, the first law ever passed by any provincial legislature for the naturalization of aliens. Many similar laws were enacted in every subsequent session, till the British Revolution ; and, during the intervening period, great numbers of foreigners transported themselves to the province, and became completely incorporated with its other inhabitants .- Bacon's Letters, Oldmixon, Chalmers, &c.
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(B.) NOTE-Page 38.
The Pilgrims of Plymouth. previously to the landing, drew up and signed the following principles or compact :-
"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and country, a voyage, to plant the first colony in the north- ern parts of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the pre- sence of God and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid, and by notice hereof, to enact, constitute and form such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names, at Cape Cod, the 11th November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James, and the 54th A. D. 1620."
This was signed by the male Pilgrims, and it goes to bind all by the will of the majority, that of course was necessary in civil affairs ; but Lord Baltimore's views differed from those of the Plymouth Pilgrims. They thought only of the majority, which generally can take care of itself; he provided for the minority, which is too often left to suffer, without means of redress. And it will be found in general, that just in proportion as a government tends towards a popular character-that is, in proportion as it is democratic-are the rights of the minority guarded by the fundamental laws.
NOTE-Page 39.
Though Roger Williams allowed a kind of qualified tolerance, with regard to Roman Catholics, yet in 1664, at the first Assembly under the charter of Rhode Island, it was ordained that all men of competent estates and of civil conversa- tion, Roman Catholics excepted, shall be admitted freemen or chosen colonial officers .- Chalmers, Douglass, Holmes, &c.
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NOTE-Page 46.
It was not until the assembling of the third Legislature of Maryland, (1639,) that we see the principle of representation introduced into the Constitution of the province; writs of election were issued, and the delegates were called Bur- gesses. "But," say the writers, " though the election of representatives was thus introduced for the convenience of the people, they were not restricted to this mode of exercising their legislatorial rights; for, by a very singular pro- vision, it was ordained that all freemen declining to vote at the election for Bur- gesses, should be entitled to assume a personal share in the deliberations of the Assembly." It does not appear that there was any compensation out of the public treasury for those who represented others or those who represented them- selves. It is not necessary to notice the want of compensation, with the fact that the legislative body was not numerous ; but it is a fact, that so limited was the number, that the several branches of the Legislature were appointed to meet in one chamber at the same time.
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