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The Catholic Democracy of America, 41
kind of thing is an affront to the intelligent public of America;
if it is intended as a popular manual, we would point out that
writers on great subjects are in duty bound to endeavor to
raise the tone of the audience they address. Considerable space
is devoted to an exposure of slanderous libels uttered by
worthless enemies of the Church, but we doubt if the bitterest
Orangeman in the Union ever published worse libels than
the portraits which in this volume are made to represent certain
venerable prelates. In the United States—of all countries
in the world—there is no excuse for adorning the
cheapest of editions with gross illustrations. Mr. Shea's Life
of the Archbishop, which is, however, a comparatively costly
work, is illustrated with remarkable skill, and the pictures
and facsimiles which accompany the letterpress are in many
instances of high interest.
Before the Revolution, in only two of the colonies of Great
Britain now included in the United States was the exercise of
the Roman Catholic religion permitted—in the feudal settlements
of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The first Lord Baltimore,
towards the end of the reign of James I., had, on abjuring
Protestantism, given up his offices under the Crown and
accepted a grant of territory in Newfoundland. After Ms
efforts to settle that portion of the island known as Avalon
he migrated to Virginia, where he found a difficulty in the
oath of the king's supremacy which was required of settlers
in that loyal colony.
" Then it was that Lord Baltimore solicited a charter which would permit
the Catholics to practise their worship undisturbed in one spot on the
shores of America. His request was granted and Maryland was ceded to
him, subject only to the yearly homage of two Indian arrows, and the payment
iuto the royal exchequer of one-fifth of the gold and silver drawn
from the mines. Lord Baltimore died in 1632, at the very moment when
this charter was issuing. His eldest son, Cecil Calvert inherited his rights,
but he had not the energy to direct the expedition in person, and to
Leonard Calvert, second son of George, Lord Baltimore, is due the honor
of having founded Maryland."
It was on the Feast of the Annunciation 1634 that two
little vessels, the "Ark" and the " Dove," sailed up the noble