Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/511

 VIRGINIA

457

VIRGINIA

1870. Headway gained against adverse conditions, Blow at first, gradually became more rapid, until within the last twenty years th(^ progress of Virginia has been marked, a striking indication of which was evinced in the character, quality, and quantity of the state exhibits at the Jamestown Tercentenary Ex- position of 1907. The great debt of $45,718,000 in 1871 had in 1911 been reduced toS25,159,000. With the occurrence of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Virginia readily sent her sons to the front, including Major-Oeneral Fitzhugh Lee, who had also proved a valiant Southern leader during the Civil War. The Constitutional Convention of 1901-2 made radical changes concerning qualifications for the right of sufTrage.

Religious Conditions. — The state constitution allows full religious liberty, yet during colonial times, because of the establishment of the English Church, intense hostility was shown to adherents of other beliefs and to Catholics in particular. In vain did Lord Baltimore attempt to plant a Catholic colony in Virginia (1629-30). Soon stringent legis- lation was enacted against Catholics. In 1641 a de- cree-declared that adherents of the pope were to be fined 1000 pounds of tobacco if they attempted to hold office. The following year aU priests were given five days within which to leave the colony. In 1661 all persons were obliged to attend the Established ser- vices or pay a fine of £20. The governor issued orders to magistrates, sheriffs, constables, and people to be diligent in the apprehension and bringing to justice of all Catholic priests. The records of Norfolk County (1687) show Fathers Edmonds and Raymond arrested for exercising their priestly offices. In 1699 Catholics were deprived of the right of voting, and later a fine of 500 pounds of tobacco was imposed upon violators of the law. They were declared incompetent as wit- nesses in 1705, and in 1753 such incompetency was made to cover all cases. In 1776, however, Virginia declared for religious freedom, and ten years later, enacted a special statute further guaranteeing the same.

Scnl of the Confessional — Concerning the seal of the confessional there has been no legislative enact- ment, nor judicial decision by Virginia's supreme court of appeals. However, a particular judge has rendered a decision in favour of the Church's position in the interesting case which follows. .Vt Richmond in October, 1S55, Very Rev. John TeeUng, D. D., the vicar-general, was summoned to testify against John Cronin, who, prompted by jealousy, had fatally wounded his wife, whose confession Dr. Teeling had heard as she lay dying. The priest was ordered to reveal her confession. Dr. Teeling's reply, that any other priest would in substance have made, was as follows: "Any statement made in her sacramental confession, whether inculpatory or exculpatory of the prisoner, I am not at liberty to reveal." In various ways were questions put to the priest, who always refused to answer concerning the confession, and finally explained to the court his motives. Judge John A. Meredith, who presided, then gave the fol- lowing decision, which was spoken of for years after- wards as the "Teeling Law": "I regard any infringe- ment upon the tenets of any denomination as a viola- tion of the fundamental law, which guarantees perfect freedom to all classes in the exercise of their religion. To encroach upon the confes-sional, which is well understood to be a fundament.al tenet in the Catholic Church, would be to ignore the Bill of Rights, so far as it is applicable to that Church. In view of these circumstances, as well as of other considerations con- nected with the subject, I feel no hesitation in ruling that a priest enjoys a privilege of exemption from re- vealing what is communicated to him in the confes- sional."

Catholic Missionary Period (1526-1820).— An ac-

count of the Spanish settlements and missions of 1526 and 1570 has been given elsewhere. Bishop Richard Challuncr, of the London District, to whom the early English missionswcrciiitrusled, wrotc.in 1756, that he had about twelve Jesuit ini.ssionariosin Maryland and four in Pennsylvania, who also attended the few Cath- ohcs in Virginia upon the borders of Maryland. Rev. John Carroll (afterwards bishop and archbishop), who, before his consecration as bishop, laboured much in Virginia, in a letter (1785) to Cardinal Antonelli stated there were 200 Catholics in Virginia, attended four or five times a year by a priest. He added, how- ever, that many more Catholics were said to be scat- tered throughout the state. The coming to Richmond in 1791-92 of the Rev. Jean Dubois (afterwards third Bishop of New York) marked an epoch for Catholicism in Virginia. He carried letters of introduction from Lafayette to the greatest Virginian families, the Gen- eral Assembly then in session giving him the use of a hall in the State Capitol, where he offered the first Mass ever said in Richmond. During his stay he in- structed Patrick Henry in French, the latter in turn teaching him Enghsh. The successors of the Abb6 Dubois in the capital city were Fathers Mongrand, Michel, McEh-oy, Baxter, Mahoney, Walsh, Hore, and Hoerner. In 1794 Rev. John Thayer was labour- ing at Alexandria where he was succeeded two years later by Rev. Francis Neale, who built there a brick church. Rev. James Bushe began a church at Nor- folk in 1796. He was succeeded by Very Rev. Leonard Neale (afterwards Archbishop of Baltimore). Fathers Lacy, Delaney, Stokes, Cooper, Van Hor- sigh, Hitzelberger, O'Keefe, and Doherty were later missionaries of note. In the Valley of Virginia laboured successi\-ely Fathers Cahill, Gildea, Florid, Mahoney, Du HamiUe, and McElroy.

Notable Catholics. — Besides the names of the great bishops and zealous priests already mentioned, it is proper to note those of Rev. Abram J. Ryan, the "Poet Priest of the South", and Rev. John B. Tabb whose verses are read abroad. Besides the notable Cathohc laymen already noted, mention should be made of the names of Rear-.Admiral Boar- man, U. S. N.; United States Senators John W. Johnston and John S. Barbour; Judge Anthony M. Keiley, Judge of the International Court, Egypt; Major Peter J. Otey, congressman; Dr. George Ben Johnston, Richmond, surgeon, and Dr. Daniel J. Coleman; John J. Lynch, reformer; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Ryan, donors of churches, schools, con- vents, and charitable institutions; Joseph Gallego; Captain John P. Matthews; WiUiam S. Caldwell; Mark Downey; John Pope; and Michael Murphy.

The conversion to the Faith about 1S32 of IVIrs. Letitia Floyd Lewis, daughter of Governor John Floyd, which, owing to her prominence, caused a sensation throughout the state, was followed by that of her two sisters, Mrs. Lavalette Floyd Ilohiies, wife of the erudite Professor George F. Holmes of the Llni- versity of Virginia; Mrs. Nicotai Floyd Johnston, wife of Senator John W. John.ston, and of three of her brothers, Hon. Benjamin Rush Floyd (a formidable opponent of Knownothingism), Dr. WiHiam Preston Hoyd, and Colonel George Rogers Floyd. Then fol- lowed the conversion of her father, John Floyd, when ex-governor, and of her mother, Mrs. Letitia Preston P'loyd, their son, John B. Floyd, like the father, be- coming governor of the state, and also later secretary of war under President Buchanan. Mrs. Letitia Preston Floyd was herself the sister of General Fran- cis Preston, who vahantly served his country in the War of 1812, and in the halls of (congress. "The con- version of the Floyd and Johnston families led into the Catholic ('hurch other members of the most dis- tinguished families in the South.

Ahber. Works of Captain John Smilh (Birmingham, Eng., 1884); Bancroft, Hui. of the Colonization of the U. S. (Boston,