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«Griffin's Sourmal.
—_
VOL XXVL
REPREIS OGRHR
PusiisHeD Monruty By
MARTIN I. J. GRIFFIN,
mt Sansom Street.
PHILADELPHIA,
-DEVOTED TO
CHURCH AND COUNTRY.
TERM S:,
50 Cts.a Year in Advance.
PROP POLE
«This paper is mailed rigalarly to
its subseribers until an order
to discontinue is received and
all arrears are paid in fall.”
—_—
A Plea for Equal Suffrage.
Hon. CHARLES McKENZIE,
Des Moines, Lowa. J?
N a republic.such as ours, there
must always be national issues to
divide the people. The din over the
battle between metallic standards has
i
‘jare, manifestly, only two qualifications
that should determine | the right to vote;
intelligence and vi
The principal Sbjcetions to the exten-
sion of the elective franchise to woman,
thinking people of the United States
seems to be turning a question that lies
deep-set in the foundation of American
institutions: the elective franchise—how,
and by whom shall it be exercised, and
what means shall be best adopted to keep
it intelligent, pure and pati riotic.
‘he elective franchise should be c
ferred by reasonable and just rules, and
not merely by arbitrary laws. There is
no difference in the allegiance that a
headed men should vote, and that black-
haired men should not vote ; and yet, this
is no more absurd than to say that aman
should vote and a woman should not.
The color of the hair is an accident of
| birth, so is the distinction of sex.
where, hear declamation
against class legisJation, and we wonder
why class legislation is any more ob-
jectionable than sex legislation.
e based on the claim that it would
Temove her from her proper sphere, and
that it would tend to degrade her by
This argument is a striking of
the white flag of truth, virtue and jus-
tice, before the black flag of political
Ninety years ago, woman’s sphere was
Umited to the home, ‘Lo-day, there is
not a legitimate business in the United
States that does not number women in
toms of its many departments. Is’ it
Possible that the yopponents of woman
Suffrage are waiting until woman goes
enerally into the business of keeping
Saloons and running gambling houses,
before considering her competent to vote
in matters of civil governm
All political parties concede that two
dangers threaten the elective franchise :
ue, the ignorant yote; the other, the
corruption of the ballot by bribery, .co-
&tcion and other destructive methods.
Surely, antidote for these would be the
exercise of the franchise by intelligent
American-born women. survival
of the fittest can only be found in a co.-
feat where there is a fair field and no
favor, “Thom open the franchise to the
Sood and the bad of both sexes, and in
HE Knights of Columbus, of
. Philadelphia, banquetted with-
out Rum,
«The C, K. of A., banished it also.
A few yearsago I was hounded asa
Knights to do that.
ie ead ‘there will bea survival of the
‘tank and fanatic for trying to get the :
** Father Smith ot Talbot County
Maryland ’?--1683--1693.
an HEN ARE YOU going to enlighten us in regard to RK
Mr, Smith of Talbot County ”’ inquires a Jesuit. - la
There relate all that I have been able in years of search to disco er
about this “Father Smith.” t
In the will of Peter Dubuc of Philadelphia, made October 1693, jd
printed in Tae Resfarcues for October, 1897, a bequest is made to
“Father Smith now or late of Talbot County, Maryland, of Afty por ds
silver money,”
This is the first known original documentary evidence indicating the
presence of a Catholic priest in Philadeiphia and that by the natural
inference only that a Philadelphian making such a bequest must have
known “ Father Smith ” by bis presence in our city.
‘Smith? we may accept as an alias. So what was his real name?
I first took up this inquiry in 1883. My seekings then and since are
* embodied in this article.
I had the land and testamentary records of Talbot County examine
but gained no information.
A Jesuit having written me that “ Father” Smith could not have bee!
a Catholic as the title ‘‘ Father’? was not in use then, I started on thl
hunt among the Quakers and Episcopalians. Investigation resulted in ng
finding any ‘Father Smith” among them and that ‘* Father’ was ij
general use then as applicable to Catholic priests. The earliest reference
a ‘* Father Smith” is at New York.
1689 Feb, 27. Deposition of Tromas Masters in relation to the oats
of allegiance to King James, taken by James Emmot before Father Smith
Deposition of-Thomas Masters, bricklayer aged about 50 years, declare i
that he was in East Jersey at the house of James Emmot, coming from
New York, was saluted by his wife and asked from whence he came ;
, Whereupon the said Emmot replied he came from New York, bed been on
board the Ship Beaver, and had taken before Fatter Smith the oath
of allegiance to ba true to the King; his wife askéd what King; he,
the said Emmot, answered King James which the deponent declared was
. past in March last, and further that Thomas Stevens and Daniel Whitehead
was named amongst others by the said Emmot to have taken the like oath
at the same time and further sayeth not.
Sworn before me this 27th day of Feb, 1689.
. . Pr. D. Lanoy,
Mayor,
(N.Y. His. Mss, English.]
This was at the beginning of Leisler’s revolt, Does it not show. a
“Father Smith” as a well known personage whom it was needless to
specially refer to save by his known name,
‘Now who was the Priest most likely to be in sach a position of
prominence and so readily accessible or more likely to bein accord with
sustaining the authority of King James II, and of Governor Dongan his
Deputy as Governor of New New York—wasn’t it Governor Dongan’s owa
chaplain ?
The Governor was a Catholic but many associated in the government
with bim were of the ** established ”? Church of England,
So we learn from the History of the Protestanl Episcopal Church in the
United States. (Vol. 1, p, 154-6.) that Governor Thomas Dongan arrived
at New York, Aug. 25th, 1683, ** accompanied by an English Jesuit priest,
Thomas Harvey of London and also by Rev. John Gordon an Episcopalian.”
‘Then it is shown that in James Fort there were two chapels. One for
Episcepalians and Calvinists tbe other for the Catholics,
By Foley’s Records, of the Society of Jesus, we find that on February
26th, 1683-4, Father Warner wrote the Father Provincial of the Jesuits
that Father Thomas Harvey, alias Thomas Barton ‘the missioner passes
to New York by consent of the Governor of the Colony.”
When next he adopted an alias—we see that just where Father Harvey
was stationed the only priest named is ‘* Father Smith.” ~
So the priest the Governor brought with him as his chaplaia and for
‘whom he had a chapel in the Fort, where now the Battery is, was
Rev. Thomas Harvey of London,
The Governor was authority from 1633 to 1638 until ** The Glorious
Revolution” in England overthrow the power of King James.
The Governor, was ‘essentially a man for the times and one of the
best of New York’s colonial governors.” |Afag. Am, His. March, 1886,
page 119.]
“After his removal from office and while Ni icholson, his Deputy was in
authority the following proceediags took place,
When Jacob Leisler took possession of Fort at New York and read the
proclamation of William & Mary te arrested Mayor Stephen Van
Cortlandt and wanted him to make Proclamation at the Town Hall.
They compelled him to go to the Fort and among those who followed
him there was ‘‘ John Smith ’’ but after a while turned the followers out,
“They took alderman Crundell and turned bim oat of the Fort after that
Mr. French and J obn Smith.” - | Documents Relating to Col, His. of N. ¥.,
Vol. 8, page 596,°° ' * ps > a
PHILADELPHIA MARCH,
1898. ‘HO. 429
This was Jaly 9th, 1689,
Oa August 15th, 1689, Capt. McKenzie wrote to Capt. Nicholson
detailing Leisler’s conduct towards him, Leisler charged him with being
** Popishly affected’? and on his denying it Leisler said he heard bim
call Father Smith a ‘very good man,’ * Yes,” replied I, ‘‘and sol do
still, he is very good humored man, but I never call him so because he was
a Papist and I was so far from having any friendship for his principles, that
iu all the six years, I had known New York I never s0 mach as out
of curiosity looked into their chapel.’’
Deposition of Andries and Jan Meyer; that Dep. Gov. Nicholson
ordeicd them to help remove the priest John Smith for which we were
very glad, but was soon done, because said removal was not far off, but iz
@ better room in the fort and ordered to make all things for said priest
according to his will and perfectly, and to arrange all things as he ordered
from that time—did the work with Peter King—26th day of 7ber, 1689.
| Doc, His. N. ¥. Vol. 2, page 2.
“ About this time 80 or 100 men coming from Boston and that several
were Irish and Papists—that a good part of the Soldiers that were in the
fort were already Papists * at James Fort New York.
Rev. W. Treacy, in American Catholic Quarterly Review, January, 1886,
claims that ‘*Fatber Smith’? was an alias for Rev. Henry Harrison
aud that he was the old priest of 1686 who said ‘* Mass occasionally on the
banks of the Delaware.”
+ Now there was ‘‘no old priest”? in Philadelphia in 16S86—that is
a veritable ‘fish’? story as I may some other time show. It is never safe
to take any of Father Treacy’s statements.
in Foley’s Records of the Society of Jesus in List of Aliases, page 914, it
is Rev. Thomas Harrison who bore the alias of John Smith.
Foley’s Records gives 1641 and 1691, as the dates of the death of the
Father Harrison whose alias was ** Smith.” The latter being accepted as
the correct date we find could not bethe Father Smith of Debuc’s will of
October, 1693.
Besides Father Henry Harrison is recorded as in Ireland in 1634,
in Maryland in 1697, where be died in 1701, aged 49 years,
Then the evidence is that it was Father Thomas Harvey of London,
who came with Governor Dongan. Who more likely than be to have been
the one meant in the proceedings just related ?
After Leisler’s usurpation ‘ mosi of the suspected | Catholics] fled into
the next Colony among’ the Papists.”’. [Doc. Rel. Col. His, N. Y.,
Vol, III, page 657.]
saves’ “STRANGERS, IRISHMEN AND PAPISTS”’.....
Jacob Leisler, the usurping governor of New York in 1689 wrote
Capt, Goode, St. Mary’s Co, Md., from ‘* Fort William’ at New York
saying:
“It is three weeks ago I heard of some of your papist grandees
at Philadelphia.” [Quoted in the American Catholic Quarterly Review
January 1886, page 150 |
On April 4th, Goode wrote to Leisler :
“TI am heartily sorry I had no sooner account of these two rogues
Herly and Walsh. I had them very lately in custody upon suspicion being
strangers, Irishmen and papists aud coming from Martinico. but they much
appealed to yourself for juctification - Upon which vhey were confined
till they could produce a certificate from your honor of their good behaviour
which they confidently promised but they tndeceived us and made their
escape towards Penusylyania but have made fresh pursuit after them
and doubt not to have them well returned in irons and safely secured.”
By letters of Leisler to Governor of Barbadoes May 17th, 1690, from
Fort William he repeats above as an answer to his about the two Irish
rogues.
The Governor of Barbadoes had inquired of Leisler concerning these
‘* strangers, Irishmen and Papists”’ and Leisler by letter May 17th, 1690,
from Fort William repeated the information of Goode’s letter. As about
six weeks had elapsed from Govdes’ letter it is probable the **two rogues *?
got into Pennsylvania and thus were in ‘*Tbe American Sanctuary”
acd safe.”
So ** Father Smith we may believe to be of the number who ‘fled *
to New Jersey perbaps to the hospitable mansion of John Tatham at
Burlington, from where bis ministry to the Catholics in ‘* The American
Sanctuary ’—Pennsylvania—was readily availed of by Peter Dubuc and
others, |
In Foley’s Records: General Statisties, Part First, page 343, it appears
tbat Father Harvey went to Maryland in 1606, and died there aged
Seventy-one years, .
Dr, Jobn Gilmary Shea, in Letter to Dr, O'Callaghan given in
Documentary History of New York, gives the date of Father Harvey’s
death as 1719. Ile gives the Roman Catalogue of the Society of Jesus as
his authority,
It is possible then that not only did Father Harvey—the ‘Father
Smith’? of 1689-93—attend the Catholics of Philadelphia ia 1693 but that
he was the priest who said ‘‘the Popish Mass in a scandalous’? public
muonner on the occasion of the conversion of ‘Lionel Brittan, the church
warden and others” at Philadelphia, December or January, 1707-3.
I am of the opinion, then, that “Father Smith’? named in 1693
by Peter Dubuc of Philadelphia, as ‘‘ now or late of Talbot Co, Maryland,”*
was Rey. Thomas Harvey the Chaplain of Governor Dongan.
MARTIN L. J. GRIFFIN,
The opinion of the Jesuit thet it was Father Harrison—not Father
THarvey—will be given hereafter. _