Just before and after the middle of the 19th century the Catholic Church received great ad ditions to its members by the immigration from Ireland, consequent upon the famine and intol erable conditions there, and from Germany be cause of political disturbances in connection with the revolutions of 1848. Undoubtedly the strongest American influence exerted over these newly-arrived Americans was that of the Church, and its effect was seen in the large numbers of Catholics of Irish and German de scent who fought splendidly and so many of whom -hed their blood in defense of the Union during the Civil War. There had been organized intolerance under the name of the Native American party, which led to the burn ing of the Ursuline Convent at Charlestown, Mass., in 1834, and of two Catholic churches in Philadelphia (1844) as the result of riots in which a number of people were killed. In the fifties the Know Nothings, so called be cause of their answer to all questions about the organization as directed by its rules was °I know nothing," led to serious disturbances, in cluding the killing of Catholics, the burning of churches and other outrages in some 10 States. The answer to this campaign of bigotry by the patriotism displayed in the Civil War was com plete.
About the same time the Church began to make large gains by conversion from among the educated people of the country. There was an "Oxford Movement') in America as well as in England and many distinguished converts were made. Among these the best known was Orestes Brownson, well known as a writer on serious subjects, and Isaac Hec ker (of Brook Farm), who gathered round him the group of men who founded the Paulist Congregation, New York, for the conversion of non-Catholics. There were a number of converts from among the Protestant clergy, the most distinguished of them being Rev. Dr. Levi Silliman Ives, the Protestant Episcopal bishop of North Carolina, Rev. Dr. Preston of New York, Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley of New Jersey, Rev. George Herbert Doane, the son and brother of Protestant Episcopal bish ops of New Jersey and Albany, and somewhat later, Rev. Kent Stone, president of Kenyon and Hobart colleges, who afterward became Father Fidclis of the Passionists.
The best proof of the recognition by Church authorities that the Church in the United States should be absolutely American in character and in sympathy with the republican aims of this country is to be found in the fact that a number of these converts were advanced to the highest posts in the hierarchy. James Roosevelt Bay ley became bishop of Newark and later arch bishop of Baltimore and is said to have been offered the cardinalate which he declined in favor of Archbishop McCloskey of New York. Other converts who became bishops were Tyler of Hartford. Wadhams of Ogdensburg and Wood of Philadelphia, who later became arch bishop. Father Doane became vicar-general and chancellor of the diocese of Newark and Father Preston became vicar-general of New York and both were made domestic prelates of the Pope. Dr. Silliman Ives
was founder and the first president of the "Catholic Protectory for Wayward Girls and Boys of New York" and was given as a lay man distinguished opportunities for the accom plishment of great good. Many other distin guished converts were made, among them Dr. J. V. Huntington, brother of Daniel Hunting ton, the artist, who wrote a series of Catholic novels; George Parsons Lathrop and Charles Warren Stoddard, poets; Edward Lee Greene, the botanist, Rev. Daniel Hudson of the Ave Maria, Molly Elliott Seawell and Frank Spear man, novelists; Rose Hawthorne, the daughter of Nathaniel, who afterward became Mother Alphonsa of the Cancer Home; Mr. and Mrs. Bellamy Storer and such distinguished phy sicians as Drs. Van Buren, one of the leaders of the profession of New York city, Homer, professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, Dwight, Parkman professor of anatomy at Harvard University for 25 years, Thomas Addis Emmet, of international fame in his specialty of women's diseases, Horatio Storer, vice-president of the American Medical Association and well known for his contribu tions to American medical literature. The number of conversions grew each year after the middle of the 19th century, increasing par ticularly in recent years, until it is calculated that about 25,000 converts are received annually into the Church at the present time. Perhaps the best evidence that the Church appeals to thor oughly practical men as well as to those of spiritual and intellectual tendencies is to be found in the fact that altogether of men who reached the rank of brigadier or major-general in the Civil War, 46 became converts before their deaths.
The Catholic population of the United States had been growing very rapidly during the dec ades just before the war between the States. The newly made citizens faced their duty to their adopted country bravely and with few exceptions whole heartedly. Archbishop Hughes more than any other gave the keynote to patriot ism for his fellow countrymen at the North. The archbishop of New York had long con sidered that slavery was a blot on this country and as a young man at college in lyrical mood had invoked Columbia to "chase foul bondage from her Southern plain." In his controversy with Breckenridge he had pointed out the absurdity of paying a compliment to our "memorable Declaration of Independence," coupled with an allusion to slavery. He had taken firm ground against the radical abolition ists, however, pointing out that they had com mitted the very crime of attempting to over throw the Constitution and government of the United States which they charged against the Southern Confederacy and urging moderation and conciliation on both sides. Once war was declared, however, there was no half-hearted ness about his support of the Union.