pioneers of the old south-第21章

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would　form　a　tenantry；　the　Lord　Proprietary's　men's　men。　It　is　true　that；
according　to　charter；　provision　was　made　for　an　Assembly。　Here　were　to　sit
〃freemen　of　the　province；〃　that　is　to　say；　all　white　males　who　were　not　in
the　position　of　indentured　servants。　But　with　the　Proprietary；　and　not　with
the　Assembly；　would　rest　primarily　the　lawmaking　power。　The　Lord
Proprietary　would　propose　legislation；　and　the　freemen　of　the　country　would
debate；　in　a　measure　advise；　represent；　act　as　consultants；　and　finally
confirm。　Baltimore　was　prepared　to　be　a　benevolent　lord；　wise；　fatherly。

In　1635　met　the　first　Assembly；　Leonard　Calvert　and　his　Council　sitting
with　the　burgesses；　and　this　gathering　of　freemen　proceeded　to　inaugurate
legislation。　There　was　passed　a　string　of　enactments　which　presumably　dealt
with　immediate　wants　at　St。　Mary's；　and　which；　the　Assembly　recognized；
must　have　the　Lord　Proprietary's　as　assent。　A　copy　was　therefore　sent　by
the　first　ship　to　leave。　So　long　were　the　voyages　and　so　slow　the　procedure
in　England　that　it　was　1637　before　Baltimore's　veto　upon　the　Assembly's
laws　reached　Maryland。　It　would　seem　that　he　did　not　disapprove　so　much　of
the　laws　themselves　as　of　the　bold　initiative　of　the　Assembly；　for　he　at
once　sent　over　twelve　bills　of　his　own　drafting。　Leonard　Calvert　was
instructed　to　bring　all　freemen　together　in　Assembly　and　present　for　their
acceptance　the　substituted　legislation。

Early　in　1638　this　Maryland　Assembly　met。　The　Governor　put　before　it　for
adoption　the　Proprietary's　laws。　The　vote　was　taken。　Governor　and　some
others　were　for；　the　remainder　of　the　Assembly　unanimously　against；　the
proposed　legislation。　There　followed　a　year　or　two　of　struggle　over　this
question；　but　in　the　end　the　Proprietary　in　effect　acknowledged　defeat。　The
colonists；　through　their　Assembly；　might　thereafter　propose　laws　to　meet
their　exigencies；　and　Governor　Calvert；　acting　for　his　brother；　should
approve　or　veto　according　to　need。

When　civil　war　between　King　and　Parliament　broke　out　in　England；　sentiment
in　Maryland　as　in　Virginia　inclined　toward　the　King。　But　that　Puritan；
Non…conformist；　and　republican　element　that　was　in　both　colonies　might　be
expected　to　gain　if；　at　home　in　England；　the　Parliamentary　party　gained。　A
Royal　Governor　or　a　Lord　Proprietary's　Governor　might　alike　be　perplexed　by
the　political　turmoil　in　the　mother　country。　Leonard　Calvert　felt　the　need
of　first…hand　consultation　with　his　brother。　Leaving　Giles　Brent　in　his
place；　he　sailed　for　England；　talked　there　with　Baltimore　himself；
perplexed　and　filled　with　foreboding；　and　returned　to　Maryland　not　greatly
wiser　than　when　he　went。

Maryland　was　soon　convulsed　by　disorders　which　in　many　ways　reflected　the
unsettled　conditions　in　England。　A　London　ship；　commanded　by　Richard　Ingle；
a　Puritan　and　a　staunch　upholder　of　the　cause　of　Parliament；　arrived　before
St。　Mary's；　where　he　gave　great　offense　by　his　blatant　remarks　about　the
King　and　Rupert；　〃that　Prince　Rogue。〃　Though　he　was　promptly　arrested　on
the　charge　of　treason；　he　managed　to　escape　and　soon　left　the　loyal　colony
far　astern。

In　the　meantime　Leonard　Calvert　had　come　back　to　Maryland；　where　he　found
confusion　and　a　growing　heat　and　faction　and　side…taking　of　a　bitter　sort。
To　add　to　the　turmoil；　William　Claiborne；　among　whose　dominant　traits　was
an　inability　to　recognize　defeat；　was　making　attempts　upon　Kent　Island。
Calvert　was　not　long　at　St。　Mary's　ere　Ingle　sailed　in　again　with
letters…of…marque　from　the　Long　Parliament。　Ingle　and　his　men　landed　and
quickly　found　out　the　Protestant　moiety　of　the　colonists。　There　followed　an
actual　insurrection；　the　Marylanders　joining　with　Ingle　and　much　aided　by
Claiborne；　who　now　retook　Kent　Island。　The　insurgents　then　captured　St。
Mary's　and　forced　the　Governor　to　flee　to　Virginia。　For　two　years　Ingle
ruled　and　plundered；　sequestrating　goods　of　the　Proprietary's　adherents；
and　deporting　in　irons　Jesuit　priests。　At　the　end　of　this　time　Calvert
reappeared；　and　behind　him　a　troop　gathered　in　Virginia。　Now　it　was　Ingle's
turn　to　flee。　Regaining　his　ship；　he　made　sail　for　England；　and　Maryland
settled　down　again　to　the　ancient　order。　The　Governor　then　reduced　Kent
Island。　Claiborne；　again　defeated；　retired　to　Virginia；　whence　he　sailed
for　England。

In　1647　Leonard　Calvert　died。　Until　the　Proprietary's　will　should　be　known；
Thomas　Greene　acted　as　Governor。　Over　in　England；　Lord　Baltimore　stood　at
the　parting　of　the　ways。　The　King's　cause　had　a　hopeless　look。　Roundhead
and　Parliament　were　making　way　in　a　mighty　tide。　Baltimore　was　marked　for　a
royalist　and　a　Catholic。　If　the　tide　rose　farther；　he　might　lose　Maryland。
A　sagacious　mind；　he　proceeded　to　do　all　that　he　could；　short　of　denying
his　every　belief；　to　placate　his　enemies。　He　appointed　as　Governor　of
Maryland　William　Stone；　a　Puritan；　and　into　the　Council；　numbering　five
members；　he　put　three　Puritans。　On　the　other　hand　the　interests　of　his
Maryland　Catholics　must　not　be　endangered。　He　required　of　the　new　Governor
not　to　molest　any　person　〃professing　to　believe　in　Jesus　Christ；　and　in
particular　any　Roman　Catholic。〃　In　this　way　he　thought　that；　right　and　left；
he　might　provide　against　persecution。

Under　these　complex　influences　the　Maryland　Assembly　passed　in　1649　an　Act
concerning　Religion。　It　reveals；　upon　the　one　hand；　Christendom's
mercilessness　toward　the　freethinkerin　which　mercilessness；　whether
through　conviction　or　policy；　Baltimore　acquiescedand；　on　the　other　hand；
that　aspiration　toward　friendship　within　the　Christian　fold　which　is　even
yet　hardly　more　than　a　pious　wish；　and　which　in　the　seventeenth　century
could　have　been　felt　by　very　few。　To　Baltimore　and　the　Assembly　of　Maryland
belongs；　not　the　glory　of　inaugurating　an　era　of　wide　toleration　for　men
and　women　of　all　beliefs　or　disbeliefs；　whether　Christian　or　not；　but　the
real　though　lesser　glory　of　establishing　entire　toleration　among　the
divisions　within　the　Christian　circle　itself。　According　to　the　Act；*

〃Whatsoever　person　or　persons　within　this　Province　and　the　Islands
thereunto　belonging；　shall　from　henceforth　blaspheme　God；　that　is　curse
him；　or　deny　our　Saviour　Jesus　Christ　to　bee　the　sonne　of　God；　or　shall
deny　the　holy　Trinity；　。　。　。　or　the　Godhead　of　any　of　the　said　three
persons　of　the　Trinity；　or　the　unity　of　the　Godhead；　or　shall　use　or　utter
any　reproachful　speeches；　words　or　language　concerning　the　said　Holy
Trinity；　or　any　of　the　said　three　persons　thereof；　shall　be　punished　with
death　and　confiscation　or　forfeiture　of　all　his　or　her　lands　and　goods　to
the　Lord　Proprietary　and　his　heires　。　。　。　。　Whatsoever　person　or　persons
shall　from　henceforth　use　or　utter　any　reproachfull　words；　or　speeches；
concerning　the　blessed　Virgin　Mary；　the　Mother　of　our　Saviour；　or　the　holy
Apostles　or　Evangelists；　or　any　of　them；　shall　in　such　case　for　the　first
offence　forfeit　to　the　said　Lord　Proprietary　and　his　heires　the　sum　of　five
pound　sterling　。　。　。　。　Whatsoever　person　shall　henceforth　upon　any　occasion
。　。　。　declare；　call；　or　denominate　any　person　or　persons　whatsoever
inhabiting；　residing；　traffiqueing；　trading　or　comerceing　within　this
Province；　or　within　any　of　the　Ports；　Harbors；　Creeks　or　Havens　to　the　same
belonging；　an　heritick；　Scismatick；　Idolator；　puritan；　Independant；
Presbiterian；　popish　priest；　Jesuite；　Jesuited　papist；　Lutheran；　Calvenist；
Anabaptist；　Brownist；　Antinomian；　Barrowist；　Roundhead；　Sepatist；　or　any
other　name　or　term　in　a　reproachful　manner　relating　to　matter　of　Religion；
shall　for　every　such　Offence　forfeit　。　。　。　the　sum　of　tenne　shillings
sterling　。　。　。　。

〃Whereas　the　inforceing　of　the　conscience　in　matters　of　Religion　hath
frequently　fallen　out　to　be　of　dangerous　Consequence　in　those　commonwealths
where　it　hath　been　practised；　。　。　。　be　it　therefore　also　by　the　Lord
Proprietary　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　this　Assembly；　ordeyned　and
enacted　。　。　。　that　no　person　or　persons　whatsoever　within　this　Province　。　。
。professing　to　beleive　in　Jesus　Christ；　shall　from　henceforth　bee　any　waies
troubled；　molested　or　discountenanced　for　or　in　respect　of　his　or　her
religion　nor　in　the　free　ex