Page 168 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

the wisdom and devtiiion of the Rishop and gave hini al1 the serviceï
compatible with their position.t-15)
In soite cif ihe oiiuositiori a~ainat liim. Father Carroll dirzcted hi3
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cxerticins'tci kisititig the clergy lnd eorifer;irig witb them individuslly.
Hr: cxplaitied the riaLure of the dillerences between EngIand arid t1ie
United Colcinies, that ihe colrinies were resistirip violations of wel1 kiiown
and Ion; reeognized prineiples oi the British constitution. The Canudian
clergy replieci that since the British had taken over Cariada, its inhahitanls
harl no ag~reesions to eomplain oi, but that rhe government had faith-
fulIy kept the provisions oi the ireaty, sarieticiried aud prolected ancieut
Iaii-5 and customs. For al1 this the were Fiateful.(4"'
Father Carroll werit oii to repiesent that Congress had said expressly
that if the Cariadiaris would uiiite rrith the Americaiis iii the as~ertio~i
of their coristitutional rislits, their religion and religions orders would
be protected and puaraiiteed. It wouId be not juat a toleration of
Ca~holics, but CaihoIics would have equnl rights witli al1 other reli~ions.
TIie Fierich clerpy countered that the 'British government had Ieft
ihem iii posseasiori of al1 church properiy held at the time oE the cessiori
of Canada ; they were eonfideiit in the protection of their religiori and
iis institutions. Officers of the British goiernment had aid military
honours at publie reli~ions eaercises, the gnvernmeut ha I iurriished a
military escort to aecompany the parid prtices-sion on the feast of
Corpns Chrie~i. 011 the piinciple that allegiance is due to protection.
the clergy could not teach that neutrality >vas consie~ent with the allegiarice
due to suc11 ample protection sliown to the Catholics of Canada hy Great
Briraiii. The jndieions, liheial policy of the British government liad
succeded iri irispiring Catholics with ieelings of loyaltv, whiIe thc
conduct of the people arid of publie bodies in some of the Uniled Coloriie3
hatl onIv scrred to strenntheri arid confirm this lovaltv. In the colonies
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ruliri were now proiesçing sneh a liheral policy the' ~Aholic religion had
not heen tolerated Iiitlier~ci. Priests had been excluded {rom most of
them under severe penallies, arid Catholic missioriaries among the
lndians had heen badly treated.
Father Carroll arqned that these harsh measures were largely the
resslt of the laws of the royal government. The Canadians noted,
honever. that the Americans had heen prompt eriough to dcfend poiiticaI
rights. but had never shown a corresponding spirit iri suppnrting the
riphtp of the consciences of Catholice. Also, the Canadians siill
rpinemhered the inronsistency betweeu the address of the Contiuental
Cuiipress tu the peuple of Great Britain and that to the people of Cauada
in 1775. After the Queher Act had provided that Catholics in Qnehec
micht have the free exerrk ~iif their religion, that the Clerpv mipht
enioy their rnctomart dues arirl ihat Catholics would be excused from
takinp the oath required bv Elizaheih 1. the Continental Con:ress i,n
Octuher 21. 1774. iri an oddregs to the peuple of Great Britain hed said:

('5' Ibid., p. 167.
(461 Mayer, Slcmoir occomponyin~ Journal, p. 22.