“Have you heard about the tracts, my lord?” the taller man was asking. “The ones the Anti-Slavery Society sent?”
“Nobody asked them to,” muttered his companion. “Meddling abolitionists.”
“Bags and bags of tracts! To people they don’t even know, because?—”
Rubbing his temple, Bishop England interrupted: “Gentlemen, what exactly is the emergency?”
“There was a mob, broke into the post office a couple hours ago, took the bags of tracts to the Arsenal square and made a bonfire.”
“They also burned effigies of the abolitionists. We were curious, my lord—we saw the light of the fire and went to investigate. They didn’t know we were Catholic.”
“Thing was, Your Lordship, we overheard the mob planning where they’d go next. ‘We should do here what they done in Charlestown,’ the men said.”
“They were talking about burning the convents, the seminary, the cathedral, and your house!”
“They said your name, Your Lordship! They said: ‘Did we not free ourselves fromEnglandfifty years ago?’ and ‘That Papist Bishop deserves Lynch’s law! Ain’t he been bowing to those bloodthirsty Haitians and teaching our niggers to put on airs?’”
Joseph was now fully awake.
What the shorter man said next arrested his heart: “We even heard the crowd saying one of your teachers is a mulatto!” He looked directly at Joseph. “Is that true?”
Joseph couldn’t breathe, let alone answer. Had one of his students betrayed him?
The taller man put a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “Theysaid it was one of the nuns who teaches thewhitegirls, Pat. I bet Deacon Lazare doesn’t even know her.”
“You mustn’t believe every rumor you hear,” Bishop England put in.
“We called up the Irish militia corps already, to protect Your Lordship, the nuns, and everything else,” the shorter man assured them. “They be here, ’fore you know it.”
“I appreciate your initiative, Mr. Cleary,” Bishop England replied. Castalio had appeared from the garret. His Lordship directed his slave to wake the seminarians and their housekeeper. “Joseph, would you follow me to the cathedral and help me vest?”
“Of course.”
“We must pray for God’s protection and guidance. God willing, these are threats only.”
When the mob returnedto the post office the next day for more tracts, Postmaster Huger scared them off with a shotgun. For two nights, armed sentinels stood anxious guard around the Bishop’s residence, the seminary, the convents, St. Finbar’s Cathedral, and St. Mary’s Church. Thanks be to God, the vigils proved without incident.
Finally, in the light of day, a committee came to demand that Bishop England close his colored school. His Lordship pointed out that the Protestants also had schools for free blacks. Why had his been singled out? The city then decided to closeallthe colored schools.
A few days later, while they dined together, Joseph gathered the courage to ask Bishop England: “Is it true, about one of the nuns being colored?”
His Lordship stared at his fish stew. “I spoke to her superior. At first, Madame Héry denied everything. Then, she admitted that the young woman’s papers were forged.”
“What will you do?”
“I can’t let her stay.” Slowly Bishop England looked up. His greyeyes added:You must understand, Joseph.“She’s in danger—and it’s against the law.”
Had His Lordship forgotten that Joseph directed the choirboys, that in the autumn, he would be teaching seminarians? In four months, Joseph would be a Priest. His colored hands would place the Body of Christ onto the tongues of slaveholders. At each and every Baptism, Joseph’s very breath and saliva would usher their children into the Kingdom of God.
Even if Bishop England believed the chrism of Priesthood would wash the color from Joseph’s body, did he really think Charlestonians would agree?What if someone starts a rumor about me?But Joseph’s mouth refused to ask any more questions with answers he did not want to hear.
Perhaps this explained why His Lordship had not assigned Joseph to St. Mary’s Church. On the surface, it would have been a better fit. Its parishioners were cultured; they would appreciate a Priest trained in Rome. Most of them were French Creoles; they would welcome a confessor who spoke their language. But most of them were also slaveholders, who knew intimately the signs of African blood.
The congregation at St. Finbar’s Cathedral was very different. It consisted mostly of lower-class Irish immigrants who could not afford to own negroes—and a small percentage of the communicants were slaves themselves. Perhaps Bishop England had reasoned:My negro Priest will be safer there.
CHAPTER 19
Adam was but human—this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden.
