Life of Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Front matter

.<70

V J'-

LIFE OF CHARLES CARROLL of CARROLLTON

Chapter 1. The Province of Maryland as the First Carroll Found It 25

' 2. The First Carroll in the Province of Maryland. . . 33

3. Downfall of the Proprietary Government of the

Province 41

4. Charles Carroll of Annapolis in the Province 49

5. Student Life at Le Grand — Law and Love in

London — An Interesting Letter 59

6. Young Charles Prepares for His Return to the

Home of His Childhood 71

7. Returns to America and Becomes Charles Carroll

of CarroUton 79

8. Charles Carroll of Carrolltou in the Character of

" First Citizen " 87

9. Rumblings of Colonial Discontent 97

10. Meeting and Work of the First Continental

Congiess 103

11. News from England — Trip of the Commissioners

to Canada 113

12. Declaration of Independence — The New Con-

stitution for Maryland 123

13. Signing the Declaration of Independence — And

the Men who Signed It 131

14. Work on National and State Legislation — Death

of Father and Wife 141

15. With Washington and His Army at Valley

Forge — The Brewing of a Conspiracy 151

16. The Conway Cabal — Charles Carroll of Carroll-

ton Foils the Conspiracy to Displace Washington 161

17. The Peace of Paris and Conditions Leading to

the French Alliance 173

18. Further Details of and Alliance with France 179

19. Robert Morris with the Aid of Carroll and

Others Saves the Financial Situation 189

PAGES

Chapter 20. The War Nearing an End — Mr. Carroll's

Interest in " The Maryland Line " 197

21. Early Days of Peace — Mr. Carroll a United

States Senator 203

22. Resigns as a United States Senator that He May

Continue as a Maryland Senator 213

'. 23. Attention to the Estate — Death of His Son 223

and Activities in Public Life 229

25. Birth and Development of the United States Navy. 235

26. Louis Le Grand College Where the Spark of Lib-

erty was Fanned into a Flame 241

27. Benevolence and Business — The Washington

Letter 251

i 28. Carrolls of the Past and of To-day 259

29. Declaration of Independence as Jefferson Drew It

and as It was Passed 265

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Charles Carroll of CarroUton Frontispiece \^

The Carroll Arms 24 ^

Doughoregan Manor, Home of the Carrolls 32

I^ntrance to the Manor 64

Interior of the Manor Home 64 K

The Chapel at Doughoregan Manor 96 '^

St. Charles College Founded by Charles Carroll of CarroUton. . 128 ^

Hon. John Lee Carroll, Governor of Maryland in 1876 160'^'^

The Letter of Gen. Washington to the Catholics of America .... 256 '■

Fae-Simile Copy of the Declaration of Independence 264 .

SOURCES

The unpublished Letters of Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

Archives of the State of Maryland, printed by authority of the Legislature of the State under the direction of the Maryland Historical Society.

The Calvert papers.

Maryland records, Colonial and Revolutionary, County and Church, copied by Dr. Gains Marcus Brumbaugh.

Ridgley's annals of Annapolis,

Letters, papers and personal interviews with Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe, private secretary to Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

History of Maryland, the Colonial period by John Leeds Bozman.

County histories and other local histories of Maryland, and other States.

Life and letters of Charles CaiToll of Carrollton by Miss Kate Mason Rowland.

[Ill

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The thanks of the author for valuable suggestions, information and assistance in research work and in other ways are due and hereby tendered to

Former Governor Martin H. Glynn of New York.

Mr. William G. Roberts of Cincinnati, 0.

Former Governor Edwin Warfield of Mainland.

Mr. Gamble Latrobe of Baltimore, Md.

Miss Virginia Scott MacTavish of Rome, Italy.

Mrs. Herbert D. Robbins of New York.

Mr. John E. Semmes of Baltimore, Md.

Miss Jennie M. Davis of New York.

Mr. Charles Bancroft Carroll of Doughorogjin and now an officer of the U. S. navy.

Mr. Frank L. Tolman of Albany, N. Y.

Mr. George G. Champlin of Albany, N. Y.

Miss Jessie F. Wlaeeler of Troy, N. Y.

Mr. Harry G. Michener, President of The Bank of North America, Philadelphia, Pa. [12]

Preface

TO THE

LIFE OF CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON

BY FORMER

GOVERNOR MARTIN H. GLYNN

OF NEW YORK

This, in my opinion, is a book which should be in the library of every lover of American history.

Charles Carroll played a big part in the drama of American Independence, a far bigger part than is popularly supposed. School histories dismiss him with a few lines and most histories give larger space to men who played far minor parts. For this reason historical justice has never been fully accorded to Charles Carroll. This book corrects that injustice. Its author, a Marylander by birth, with the zeal and enthusiasm of a native son for his own heath, its traditions and its men of note, has given years to the research needed to unearth such a mine of historical knowledge. And with him it has been a labor of love. His forbears were intimately connected with the Carrolls and so Mr. Leonard has more than musty old records for the source of his inspiration. I believe that he has done simple justice to the name and fame of Charles Carroll and nothing more. The great pity is, it was not done years ago.

George Washington had no truer, no stauncher friend than Charles Carroll, though the world has partially blinked the fact. Others of the Colonial fathers might waver here, and falter there, but Charles Carroll always upheld the hands of Washington as Aaron and Hur upheld the hands of Moses in his battle with Amalek. In this country Charles Carroll saw the Promised Land for which sages had sighed and philosophers had dreamed and for it he risked his all on the turn of the Revolutionary die, and his all was more in worldly goods than any other signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Charles Carroll was a democrat by nature as well as by name. His opinions prove it, his acts prove it. Educated in the atmosphere of France wherefrom came the great champions of Modern Democracy, Charles Carroll fought in America for what he learned in France. Lafayette, DeGrasse, Vergennes, and DeVal were all educated as Carroll was educated and as they thought on Democracy, so thought Charles Carroll.

The world will never know how much the United States owes to Charles Carroll for the help we received in France in the Revolutionary War. Benjamin Franklin and Charles Carroll were always the closest friends and he who thinks as he reads can easily discern that the men who helped Franklin most in France were the men responsive to the old associations of the CarroUs in France.

Of Charles Carroll it can be said that his history is the history of the Maryland of his day and from Maryland his influence radiated far and wide throughout the land.

In the old method of general historical writing where one man attempted the impossible task of writing history in its entirety, the work and worth of men like Charles Carroll did not loom up in their proper prospective. In such impressionistic history they were dwarfed by the splendor of those performing more (Spectacular parts. But under the monograph system sponsored by Lord Acton of Cambridge University, such historical injustice is fast passing away. This book is such a monograph. It is a valuable contribution

PREFACE 15

to American history. It does justice to a man to whom Americans owe an ineffable debt of gratitude.

I have watched this book grow since pencil first touched its paper ; and, if others get as much pleasure from its perusal as I have from its companionship, they will have in it a happy acquisition.

MARTIN H. GLYNN.

Introduction

CHARLES CARROLL of Cariollton easily ranked next to Washington in the value of the services rendered the patriot cause in our Revolutionary struggle.

He devoted more of his time and more of his money to the cause of the people than any other patriot.

He spent more time with Washington at army headquarters than any other civilian, and was more closely identified with the purposes, impulses and activities of the great commander than any other man in or out of the army.

He served the people in more different positions of responsibility and usefulness than did any other man, and never failed in a single instance, to measure up to the highest standard of statesmanship and patriotism.

During the critical year of 1776 he was a member of Congress, a member of the Maryland Assembly, Member of the Convention to draw a new constitution for the state, member of three different provincial committees, member of the War Board charged with the conduct of the war, and a commissioner from the United States to Canada. And in every position he was either the most active, or one of the most active in the work. In addition to these duties that year, he was the most successful man in his county in collecting coin to be sent to the soldiers in Canada, and was superintending the erection of saltpeter works for producing gun powder. It is not necessary to add that he gave every moment of his time to the public.

He was the richest man that signed The Declaration of Independence, the first man that signed, the most useful man that signed, the only Roman Catholic that signed, and the last man to die of those who signed it.

These are a few of the many reasons that have convinced me that full justice has never been done to the memory of the noblest citizen of my native state.

The work of preparing this book is in pursuance of a long cherished purpose. The Carroll history and traditions have been familiar to me from the time of my early youth. My grandfather and his father were closely associated for a great many years with Charles Carroll of Carrollton in an important business enterprise; and my father knew the famous signer as well as a boy of thirteen would be likely to know an elderly man. It was in this way that my knowledge of, and interest in the Carroll family commenced as soon as I was old enough to give thought to such affairs. The feeling that I ought put in shape the facts at my command grew as I saw others better qualified for the work pass away.

During the winter of 1865-66 I was a law student in the office of I. C. W. Powell, an eminent lawyer of Easton, Md. The firm of Johnson & Kerr of Baltimore attended to Court of Appeals business for Mr. Powell, and I was a great deal in their office. Mr. Reverdy Johnson was a United States Senator from Maryland, and his son-in-law, Mr. Charles Kerr, a native of our county, was a close friend of Mr. Powell and of Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe. In this way I made the acquaintance of Mr. Latrobe. He had office room with Johnson & Kerr, and was busy at the time revising his law book, '* Justice Practice in Maryland " and I helped him whenever I could in tliis work.

INTRODUCTION 19

Mr. Latrobe was for many years private secretary to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and wrote the life of Mr. Carroll for Sanderson's Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. This work as prepared by hiin made 85 pages of manuscript and would have been about 85 pages in Sanderson's book. But after Mr. Carroll had cut out all he thought ought to be cut out, and Sanderson had cut out all he thought ought to be cut out, but 21 pages were left. This presented but a meagre and inadequate telling of a great story. Mr. Latrobe explained that Mr. Carroll was living at the time and added, " You know, no man's biography can be written properly during his life time. ' ' Mr. Latrobe read me the original manuscript two or three times and commented on various phases of it. He also had very full notes of Mr. Carroll's work in connection with our relation with France. It was his intention to write a volume on the French Alliance, and with that purpose in view he had secured valuable papers original and copies from France. My interest in the matter by reason of the association of my family with the CarroUs made Mr. Latrobe the more ready to talk to me on the subject. At that time Mr. Latrobe appeared to me to be the ablest, best posted and most versatile man I had ever met. Literally, he seemed to know everything on every subject, and to be able to tell it in a most entertaining manner. Each time I met him, he had a new fund of entertaining information. It is not too much to say that no man in my entire life ever impressed me as did Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe. Sometimes I have thought it might be merely my boyish admiration for an older man who seemed to take me so fully into his confidence ; yet when I recall the things he said, the subjects he discussed, the information he imparted; I am still impressed with

20 CHARLES CAREOLL OF CARROLLTON

the belief in his great ability. It was from this man who was so close to Charles Carroll of CarroUton for so many years, and who loved him so well, that I drew the inspiration that impelled the writing of this book. One day in speaking of the venerable signer, I asked how he ranked as compared with Senator Jolinson. He did not directly answer the question, but said after a pause, *' I know of no man of the present generation who could anywhere near rank with him in the essentials of real greatness. He had unusual opportunities and he made the most of them. I think of Mr. Carroll as Burke said of Pitt, ' You couldn't go under a shed with him out of the rain, without feeling that you were in the presence of greatness. ' ' ' Then he reverently added, ' ' and what is more Mr. Carroll was as good as he was great." It Avas mainly to give an idea of the value of this opinion that I told so fully what manner of man Mr. Latrobe actually was. When I next saw him after that winter, some years had elapsed. His son. Gen. Ferdinand C. Latrobe, was Mayor of Baltimore for the second, third or fourth time, but his father seemed as vigorous, entertaining and lovable as ever. I expressed the hope that if he did not write the things he had in mind, he would leave his papers so that his son could do so ; but he replied, ' ' Ferdinand is too busy with the present and future to care much about the past." However the papers have fallen into competent and loving hands ; and besides the use that has already been made of them the country is to have a life of that most able, estimable and lovable of men, J. H. B. Latrobe. That he wrote history, invented a stove, experimented Avith electricity and chemistry, and was one of the best lawyers of the state, being for years attorne}^ for the B. & 0. Railroad, is pretty good evidence of his ability and versa-

INTRODUCTION 21

tility. His father was a man of great worth and experience and the son had fully lived up to the opportunities that had been afforded him.

Reading the voluminous correspondence of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one is impressed with the great industry, ability and usefulness of the man, but is still more struck with the vein of genuine piety that runs through his busy career. He never forgot his religion, never faltered in his abiding faith in God. As I read, I caught myself repeating Mr. Latrobe's remark of years ago, " He w^as as good as he w^as great. ' '

Mr. Carroll's life has never been written. The twenty-one pages in " Sanderson's Lives " tell but little, and told that before his career was ended. The valuable work of Miss Kate Mason Rowland is devoted mainly to making a record of the Carroll letters and documents and in that way represents great labor: and is a work that will be used by scholars in aU times. It was in no sense intended as a commercial enterprise, but w^as issued in a small edition at the expense of the family for their own satisfaction; as well as for the use of future historians. These, with some short sketches mainly in state histories and religious books, comprise all that has been told of a man who certainly deserves to rank as one of the very greatest of his own or any other age.

In telling the life story of one w^hose time was so fully given to the public, it is necessary to recount much of the history of the days in which he lived. Any one doing this kind of work will be struck by the many discrepancies encountered in what he had been led to consider reliable authorities. Where such differences are found, it is necessary to go back to original sources of information when this can be done; and where this is not possible, one must be guided by the weight of authority taken in connection with all the surrounding circumstances. This I have endeavored to do. I realize too, the danger of writing history not found in the school books; being fully aware that the most confident critics are those whose knowledge of history is derived from the books they read at school. A historian once said, "After one has spent weeks trying to settle a point to his satisfaction, he is likely to meet a man at dinner who can tell him all about it in five minutes with one hand tied behind him."

Studying Mr. Carroll carefully and weighing his letters, documents and the records of his whole life as seen by his co-temporaries one is likely to think of him much as Mr. Latrobe did. Endowed with a fine mind he had every advantage which good health, great industry and unlimited means could give. When he returned to Maryland in his twenty-sixth year to take his place in the Province, he not only knew books; but he had studied men and conditions in the principal countries of Europe, and he was a well educated man in a much broader sense than is implied by that term today. The position of leadership which he won as *' First Citizen " on entering public life, he held to the end of his career.

In personal appearance Mr. Carroll was a small man, with bright blue eyes, and clean cut rather sharp features. It was noted that one of Marshland's signers was the smallest man physically of the group, and another the largest. Mr. Carroll weighed about 125 pounds and Chase standing six feet two weighed over 250; and the two were the closest and most inseparable of friends.

Though associated so closely and so prominently with colonial and revolutionarv days Mr. Carroll's

INTRODUCTION 23

long life brought him closer to the present generation than one would think., He had not been dead thirty years when the civil war began. Many of the old people of my younger days, had met him and some like Mr. Latrobe, Judge Chambers, General Tench Tilghman, Governor Thomas and Governor Sam Stevens knew him well. ' Lewis A. Leonard.

AiiBANY, N. Y., December 1, 1917.

THE MARYLAND CARROLLS

During the revolutionary period of the province of Maryland there were six members of the Carroll family in active political work on the side of the patriots.

They were Charles Carroll of Annapolis, and his son Charles Carroll of Carrollton ; Daniel Carroll, who was a member of the Maryland assembly, president of the Senate, member of Congress and one of the makers and signers of the federal constitution; Rev. John Carroll one of the United States Commissioners to Canada and the first Bishop and first archbishop in this Country. He was the brother of Daniel and cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Then there was Charles Carroll, Barrister who was a member of Congress, of the State Senate and of various Colonial and State Committees. The sixth Carroll, was Henry James Carroll who married Elizabeth Barnes of Kingston Hall, Somerset county. He was the son of Henry Carroll of Susquehanna Manor in St. Mary's but moved to the Eastern shore just before the breaking out of the revolution and was an active patriot in that part of the State. His grandson Thomas King Carroll, was governor of Maryland in 1830-1831.

LIFE OF CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON

CHAPTER I

THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND AS THE FIRST CARROLL FOUND IT

The government which Lord Baltimore gave to the Colony of Maryland was not only the most liberal and the fairest that the world had known up to that time, bnt it was peculiar and novel as well as most fascinating. It was the fascination of this government as well as its liberality that caused settlers from all directions to flock to the province.

George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was no novice in either statecraft or the work of planting a colony. He had the advantage of experience in both lines of work before the Mar^dand undertaking was considered.

Although his conversion to the Catholic faith had caused the forfeiture of his official positions, it in no way seemed to lessen the regard and confidence that his Sovereign had in him. It was, therefore, mainly by reason of his high standing, lofty character and great ability that he was enabled to secure a concession or charter for the territory, which became the Province of Maryland; of a nature different from any concession that had ever been made. He became the absolute owner of the territory. All titles had to come from him. He arranged the plan of government and was the source of all power, and the maker of all laws. No one, not even the King had to be consulted in the management of the Province and its people.

Although George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, died before any of his plans could be put into operation, the whole scheme was the result of his experience and deep thought.

Previous to the Maryland charter, Lord Baltimore had established a settlement in Newfoundland. First, this was merely an estate, then a settlement and finally a colony. This effort was a kind of experimental school. He called the settlement Avalon and its capital city was Annapolis; the first Annapolis. Though the climate was hard, and the soil rough and unproductive, the colony flourished, till news of the beautiful location, rich soil, and mild climate of the Maryland concession caused dissatisfaction and made many of the colonists want to move south. They were humored in this desire and nearly two hundred of them were brought down the coast under command of Nathaniel Leonard, cousin of Lord Baltimore, who had succeeded John Wyatt as Governor of Avalon. These reached Maryland two months after the Ark and the Dove had brought Lord Baltimore's first settlers to the Chesapeake, and there formed the first considerable accession to the new colony. But Avalon survived the loss of so many of its people and was made a division of Maryland to which it paid fealty of a bushel of grain and twelve arrow heads each year as long as the proprietary government existed, or till about the time just previous to our Revolutionary War.

The death of George Calvert left the colony as an inheritance to his son, Cecelius Calvert, who appointed his brother, Leonard Calvert, Governor of the Province and manager of his affairs. The first Lord Baltimore had matured his plans so carefully, and had so fully arranged all the details of government and management, that it was only necessary to consult

THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND 27

instructions and be prepared to meet new conditions as they arose. And the new conditions did arise thick and fast. The colony was assailed from without and within by enemies in London and neighbors in Virginia. But a detail of these is not necessary for the purposes of this effort. In spite of all these obstacles the colony grew and developed and the laws, customs and manner of living were carried out, much as outlined by the original Proprietor. The Province was divided into counties and the counties into hundreds. Grants of land were made to gentlemen and the size of the grant depended on the number of followers, attendants or subtenants which the gentleman could command.

There was no idea of democracy as we understand it; yet the charter provided that the Governor should consult the people in the making of laws. The manner of this consultation was left entirely to the Lord Proprietor or the Governor appointed by him.

But the Governor seems to have been fair and liberal iu all things and no conflict between him and the Assembly occurred. The Assembly was elected by the gentlemen who were the large land owners and known as Lords of the Manor. Each manor was a tract of many thousands of acres, not less than 2,000; either cultivated by the Lord of the Manor or let to subtenants. The Manor House was the head of the settlement and the owner as Lord of the Manor, was a kind of magistrate. He held Manor Court for the settlement of disputes between the Lord of the Manor and his tenants or followers and Leet court for the adjustment of matters between these tenants.

The Manor House was the social centre; and the Lords and Ladies of the Manor engaged in such sports and social accomplishments as they learned in England and Ireland or bad been developed as a result of conditions in tbe new world. Tbese social doings took sucb a bold, tbat after otber features of colonial life bad been supplanted, tbe people beld fast to many of tbem. Tbe bouse party at tbe Manor, tbe bunt, tbe regatta, tbe riding tournament claimed places in tbe social life of Maryland till after tbe Civil War.

And tbese Manor Lords bad eacb bis coat of arms and tbe province boasted of its own flag, as artistic and pretty a banner as any people ever unfolded to tbe breeze.

Tbe introduction of slavery wbicb warped tbe plans of Manor life in many respects did not materially lessen tbe social features. Lord Baltimore did not contemplate an ideal republic nor conceive of a democracy ; but bis ambition was to found an aristocratic state wbere tbe people would be prosperous and bappy, and wbere all would enjoy tbe full measure of tbat liberty for wbicb eacb was fitted. It is believed by many tbat be contemplated conferring patents of nobility. His laws provided tbat tbe Lord of tbe Manor sbould be addressed as Esquire and otber landowners as Mister.

But above all be made it clear tbat tbe fullest measure of religious liberty sbould be enjoyed. His motto was '^ toleration for all religion tbat accepts tbe divinity of Jesus Cbrist; but tbe establisbment of none."

His laws also provided tbat no cburcli or religious body sbould become tbe bolder of a large tract of land nor sbould any minister, priest or preacber be eligible as a member of tbe Assembly. Tbese principles took sucb a bold on tbe people of tbe colony tbat tbey were grafted on tbe laws of Maryland after tbe Revolution, and tbeir influence is seen on tbe statute books to tbe present day.

THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND 29

While Massachusetts and the other Puritan colonies were persecuting Quakers, selling them into slaverj^ in Jamaica because of their religious belief, and persuasively using a hot iron on the tip of the tongue to convince them of the error of their beliefs ; and while Boston was going so far as to tie a clergyman to the tail of a cart and whip him through the streets as an argument against immersion as a religious rite, and the Colony of Virginia was expelling the Puritans ; the Province of Maryland, through its Assembly and at the instance of the Lord Proprietor was proclaiming religious liberty ; the motto from the first, being ' ' toleration for all religions and the establishment of none."

While these principles had prevailed from the first, on April 21, 1649, the Assembly at the instance of the Proprietor passed the following law to make the matter entirely clear :

No person professing to believe in Jesus Christ shall from henceforth be any ways troubled, molested or discountenanced for, or in respect of his or her religion ; nor in the free exercise thereof within this Province nor in any way be compelled to the belief or exercise of any other religion

The act further provided that " if any person shall willfully wrong another person because of his religion, he shall be compelled to pay treble damages to the person so wronged. And if the wrong doer shall refuse or be unable to pay damages, he shall be publicly whipped and imprisoned."

The enunciation of these principles brought to the Province people of all shades of religious views and it isn't to the credit of the new comers that as soon as they found themselves in the majority and had temporarily wrested the government from the hands of the Lord Proprietor they made laws disfranchising and oppressing the Catholics. The ups and downs of these struggles make a story too tedious to be told in this connection, but no part of it reflects discredit on any of the early descendants or followers of the Lord Proprietor. Loyal and intelligent Marylanders of to-day and of all opinions regardless of religion, are proud of the records of the early Calvert family made in carrying out the views and wishes of the first Lord Baltimore.