But these privileges were also used to advance their national cause among the Iroquois, and the King was compelled to modify his zeal for the propagation of the Catholic faith, which he professed.
This policy of the English government was entirely changed, however, on the accession of William and Mary. Trade with the Indians had been seriously affected by the influence of these French priests, and the alliance between the English and the Iroquois was greatly weakened in consequence. Even the toleration of Catholicism was now forbidden; not from any hostility to the faith in itself, but for political reasons which affected the nation and its interests. Severe measures of repression were adopted. Catholic priests who came into the provinces voluntarily were subject to the death penalty.
This practically was the state of affairs until after the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. Then, by the terms of the first State constitution, freedom of opinion was permitted to all who subscribed to the oath of allegiance. When Ireland was appealed to for aid in the war, and the subsequent assistance of Catholic France was asked, the prejudices of the people were materially affected. This made it possible to engraft upon the federal constitution of 1787 the full and complete equality of all religious faiths. This of course opened the door to Catholicism, and yet the church authorities seem to have made little effort to extend their faith until after the Irish rebellion of 1798. Then the Catholic immigrants began to arrive in America.
The first priest stationed in New York City was the Rev. Charles Whalen, an Irish Franciscan, who had been a chaplain in the French fleet. He settled here after the war, and his brother, Dr. Joseph Whalen, purchased a plot of land from the Schuyler patent in Montgomery in April, 1788. The Rev. Luke Concanen was the first Bishop of New York, but he died before entering upon his duties. The Rev. John Conelly, his successor, was consecrated in 1814. And the first thing he did was to establish missions in the Hudson River valley. He is said to have sought "to prevent the children of Catholics conforming to the persuasions of their neighbors."
[CHAPTER XXXVI.]
ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE.
By David A. Morrison.
The success and well-being of the American farmer is always a matter of vital concern to the entire country. The agricultural interest of any country, any State, or any county, being the fundamental condition upon which all other branches of human effort are based and must depend, is therefore of paramount concern to all classes.
In the county of Orange in 1899 the figures of the national census show there were 13,584 acres devoted to corn, which yielded 589,730 bushels of this cereal that year. Two thousand eight hundred and forty-four acres were sown to wheat and 42,430 bushels were gathered. The acreage of rye was 4,453, and the total yield was 79,980 bushels. Oats were grown upon 5,156 acres and the product was 126,540 bushels. One thousand three hundred and eighty-three acres were in buckwheat, and the pancake crop that year was 23,640 bushels.
The decrease in the rural population of Orange County homes is smaller than most other counties of the State, and the depreciation of farm lands is not so apparent. In fact the general property valuation of the county seems to be increasing something like two and one-half million dollars per year, being rated at $43,804,861.40 for 1907.