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CHAPTER II

THE FIRST CHARLES CARROLL IN THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND

Charles Carroll, the son of Daniel, after his admission to the Bar, settled in London and soon became the secretary of Lord Powis who had become an earnest friend of Lord Baltimore and deeply interested in the Maryland project. Charles Carroll, the young lawyer of the Inner Temple and secretary to Lord Powis, had not yet come into his estates. His father still lived and occupied the family heritage in Litterlouna in Kings County, Ireland, and to this home Charles doubtless went frequently to discuss his future with his father and the other members of the family. It was a fine estate overlooking the valley where the beautiful Shannon flows, and not "a long way from Tipperary" for that county of cherry songs and beautiful traditions was just across the river, and the O'Carrolls of old had spread all over the region. The home where Daniel Carroll resided and where the first Charles of our line was born is still standing, or was not many years ago. It passed into the hands of a family named Parsons and about 1820 Mr. Parsons had the old mansion rebuilt and the estates put in the best of order in all respects.

During the year 1826 the granddaughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who had married the Duke of Wellesley, lately made the Viceroy of Ireland, visited the place and was entertained in the old home. It was on the occasion of this visit that the Bishop of London in a speech of welcome, said "to the land from which your ancestors fled as exiles, you return to reign a Queen."

But things in Kings County were made very unpleasant for the Carrolls in 1687 on account of the persecution of Catholics at that time; and the secretary to Lord Powis began to make plans for coming to the Province. In these ideas he was encouraged by Lord Baltimore who had become impressed with the ability and versatility of the young man; as well by Lord Powis who saw for him a future in Maryland which under all the circumstances he could not hope for in London or in Ireland. He was doubtless encouraged in this by his father who began disposing of some properties with the idea of being able to see his son well settled in the new world. Charles was a younger son and, of course, the bulk of the estate would go to the older brother.

Having resigned his position with Lord Powis, and with a commission in hand as an officer of the new government of Maryland, he arrived in the Province October 1, 1688. He began work as agent of the Lord Proprietor, but before a year had elapsed, one of those revolutions came which upset the power of the Lord Proprietor and placed the government more directly under the control of the Crown. But he had already demonstrated his ability and usefulness and while he continued his work nominally as merely the agent and rent collector for Lord Baltimore, he served the interest of the Lord Proprietor by keeping in close touch and in most respects working harmoniously with the people who had come into power as his enemies.

Incidentally he was once or twice arrested for "ridiculing the home government" though he does not seem to have taken the matter at all seriously at first. But as they wouldn't accept bail, he finally got much provoked at his fix.

Though the Lord Proprietor had technically lost the

Province, he had not lost his property nor his influence; and he continued to control much of the doings of the Assembly. He was always diplomatic and frequently had his own way by seeming to let the Council and Assembly have theirs.

At first and for a good while, Lord Baltimore was able to keep clear of the political strife of England. and though residing nearly all the time in London he was able to steer the colonists clear of the trouble that surrounded him there. He appointed a Protestant Governor when that was practicable and in all things displayed the traits of a diplomatic manager.

The Puritan element grew in strength and power as the colony increased in numbers. First there came the Puritans of Virginia who had been expelled from that colony on account of their religion, and these were joined by many of their own faith from New England, so that by the year 1680, it was found that the Protestants outnumbered the Catholics about thirty to one. One of the most incomprehensible traits of human nature is that people who have suffered religious persecution promptly become persecutors as soon as they get the upper hand. So it proved in Maryland.

Mr. Sharf in his excellent and unprejudiced history of the colony and state says:

Assuredly the founders of Maryland were in advance of their times, and soared far above the spirit which animated the government of the mother country and the sister colonies.

It was a bigoted and persecuting age and Catholics and Protestants alike were guilty of intolerance and persecution. But let honor be given where it is due; and the honor of passing the act concerning religion" belongs to an assembly, the majority of whom were Roman Catholics."

That act provided for the fullest protection to all in the enjoyment of religious liberty and secured all rights alike to Catholic and Protestant.

McMahon also an unquestioned authority, says:

So far as religion was concerned the course of the laws and their administration was one of entire neutrality. The great object seems to have been to preserve that religious freedom, which had been identified with the colony. The Proprietor is nowhere charged by the Assembly with any act or intention, aiming either at the establishment of his own Church or the injury of the Protestant. His principles were averse to everything like persecution.

An Englishman traveling in the Province at that time in describing the committee of plantations, says, "though there are thirty Protestants to one Papist, between them there is no quarrel.'

Yet notwithstanding the condition of tolerance and good feeling that had prevailed it was easy for an unprincipled man named Code to stir up what was known as the Protestant Rebellion. In fact, it could hardly be so called with fairness, because it was really a scheme to get the Church of England made the official institution of the Province and the Puritan element which had suffered persecution readily joined in, and became the persecutors.

Under the proprietary government from its inception to its overthrow Maryland was a place of refuge to all who sought shelter from civil or religious oppression. The Catholic here found peace and security and the non-conformist Protestant came hither, to enjoy under a Catholic ruler the toleration denied him by his Protestant brethren. Says a writer of Maryland history:

It has become the fashion of New England and northern writers to sneer at the history of toleration in Maryland, to dispute the facts attending its establishment and to deny that it was a voluntary proceeding upon the part of the Lords Proprietor and their subjects, the colonists of Maryland. But they cannot deny the practical workings of toleration as exemplified in the population of the colony which very early became a harbor of refuge for the oppressed of all lands and of every creed. The New England Puritan sat down here by the side of the Catholic, Cavalier and planter; the Quaker escaped to Maryland soil where he could feel secure from the lash and the pillory, the cart's tail and the ear cropper.

But in spite of the condition that had prevailed, and in spite of the feeling of security that all had enjoyed, it wasn't hard to stir up a spirit of rebellion against the Lord Proprietor and the Catholics.

These were days of persecution and intolerance and the doings of people of that era must not be judged by the conditions and standards of the present.

One Code, an unprincipled man, was the chief inciter and leader of the rebellion. He had been both Catholic and Protestant and had been discarded by each in turn. Now he raised the cry of "no popery" and the people who had been the beneficiaries of the beneficent rule of the Lord Proprietor and his Assembly rallied to Code and soon had possession of the government. The story of their doings is well told in the letter here given. This letter is interesting both because of what it says and because it is the first record we have made by a member of the Carroll family:

St. Mary, September the 25th, 1689. My most hon❜d Lord:

I believe your Lordship has ere now had some intelligence either by Captain Burneham or John

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