, ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁repe aling ▁a ▁law ▁that ▁disc rimin ated ▁against ▁Jewish ▁people ▁in ▁court ▁and ▁trial ▁procedures ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁Jewish ▁people ▁were ▁a ▁tiny ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁not ▁Jewish , ▁so ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁political ▁or ▁personal ▁advantage ▁to ▁his ▁position . ▁His ▁opposition ▁to ▁sla very ▁in ▁Maryland ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁for ▁dec ades ▁but ▁the ▁depth ▁of ▁that ▁opposition ▁went ▁through ▁an ▁evolution ▁from ▁m ild ▁and ▁more ▁econom ically ▁based ▁in ▁the ▁beginning , ▁to ▁being ▁stronger ▁and ▁more ▁mor ally ▁based ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation . ▁Kennedy , ▁an ▁Epis cop al ian , ▁also ▁helped ▁to ▁lead ▁private ▁char itable ▁efforts ▁to ▁aid ▁Irish ▁Catholic ▁imm igr ants , ▁who ▁were ▁experien cing ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁However , ▁he ▁did ▁also ▁advoc ate ▁setting ▁limits ▁on ▁overall ▁foreign ▁national ▁imm igration ▁into ▁Maryland ▁beginning ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁felt ▁that ▁the ▁she er ▁number ▁of ▁new ▁imm igr ants ▁might ▁over wh elm ▁the ▁economy . ▁ ▁O pp osition ▁to ▁sla very ▁ ▁Kennedy ' s ▁opposition ▁to ▁sla very ▁was ▁first ▁public ly ▁expressed ▁in ▁his ▁writ ings , ▁and ▁then ▁later ▁in ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁politician , ▁through ▁his ▁speech es ▁and ▁political ▁initi atives . ▁His ▁opposition ▁to ▁sla very ▁in