Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-01-16
Death of Arcrbi-hop muchcs.

/
Archbishop Hughes died at his residence
In Madison avenue on Sunday evening. He
was born In 1893, In the north of Ireland,
whence his father, o small farmer, emigrated
to this country in 1917. Young Hughes
was first placed with florist to learn gar
dening, but not liking this business, soon
entered the theological seminary at Mount
81. Mary's, Emmetsburg, Maryland, where
he acted for several years as a teacher. In
1916 he was ordained priest, and appointed
to parish in Philadelphia, and remained in
that city till 1887, when he was designated
| by the Pope as an assistant to Bishop
! Dubois of New York, then old and infirm.
In January, 1885, Bishop Hughes was con-
secrated, and almost Immediately took active
charge of his important diocese, his venera-
BILE superior suffering under repeated para
lytic attacks, which confined him to his
house on the death of the old prelate, in
| 1S42, Bishop Hughes, of course, succeeded
him. He had previously been appointed
administrator OF the diocese; had visited
Europe to obtain pccuniarv aid for it; had
established and opened st. Johns College,
| Fordham; had taken prominent part in
| the movement against our common school
system as applied to the Catholics, and was,
in fact, already the representative man OF
his church. In 1S42 he held the first dio-
cesar synod in New York. In 1S4S he again
went to Europe to procure the services of
some Jesuit teachers. In 1850 the diocese
of New York, including those countries in
this state south of 42 deg, and a part OF
New Jersey, was raised to the dignity of an
Archiepiscopal See, and Bislrep Hughes
again went to Europe to receive the pallium
from the hands of the Pope. In 1854 he
again visited Rome to be present at the Off
cal promulgation of the dogma of the I'm
maculate Conception, and returned interest
ed himself in the project of building a cath
edral in this city worthy of the place and
diocese; and in August, 1858, he laid the
cornerstone of the structure on the Fifth
avenue, which, however, has as yet reached
but little above the foundation walls.
The next visit of the Bishop to Europe
was on political father than an ecclesias-
teal errand for, as is generally understood,
with the sanction of our government if not
at its request. he went abroad with Mr..
Thuriow Weed to endeavor, by his personal
influence and representations, to advance
the cause of the North. This is, however,
not the only political reminiscence Of the
life of the late Archbishop. In 1916 Presi-
dent Polk offered him special mission to
Mexico, which he declined to accept and
during every administration since Mr.. Folks
| Archbishop Hughes has counted among his
political and personal friends many Of the
leading men in official positions at Wash
ington AS the leader of powerful church
he possessed immense influence, which lie
generally welded in true faith and loyalty
for the benefit of his adopted country
The only exception to this was during the
riots of last summer, when, in his notorious
address to "the men called rioters" owing
| to either mistaken apprehension of the
| circumstances of the times, or feebleness
of mental energy, probably engendered by
long illness, his Influence which should have
been used in favor Of peace and order, seem
ed misl!ltected. These events are 50 recent
that the reader will easily recollect them for
! himself; and while at the time the course
OF the Archbishop was strongly criticised il
these columns, we now prefer to pass lightly
over the injudicious actions of the late pre-
late. We believe that his address to the
rioters from the balcony of his residence was
his last appearance in public life.
Archbishop Hughes, while Il man of edu-
cation and taste, was noted AS a controvcr
sialist rather than as a scholar and theolo-
| Gian. AS long ago ms 1880 he accepted Il
challenge from Rev. John Breckinridge to
discuss the question, as the Protestant rcli-
gion the religion of Christ ga discussion
which was renewed in 1854 on a not dissinl-
liar question. In 1910, on the Common
| School question, the Archbishop wrote
! largely, often defending himself through
the press, and never shrinking from the
numerous discussions to which his action in
| this unpopular question led. In 1855 he
had another exciting discussion with Mr..
Erastus Brooks, then stvte Senator-a dis
cussion carried on in the newspapers with
considerable acrimony on both sides) and
relating to the disposition of certain church
properties i'll Buffalo, vested in Bishop
! Hughes personally, an arrangement which
was alleged as contrary to the law of the
state legislature vesting the titles to all
church properties in trustees. AS usual in
such cases, both controversialists claimed
the victory and though the friends of Mr.
| Brooks maintained the superiority of his
arguments, the Bishop on his side consider
ed his own so conclusive that lac published
the entire correspondence in volume, with
an introduction reviewing the trustee system
Archbishop Hughes was in no respect an
Episcopal recluse. He was an experienced
man of the world a worker of great perse-
verance an energy, and prelate OF undoubt-
ed ambition and ability. 70 him the Ro-
man Catholic diocese Of New York owes
very much OF its temporal prosperity and
with that phase Of its career, rather than in
its purely ecclesiastical annals, will the late
Archbishop be remembered. lie WAS, per-
haps, the very man needed for the position
tor his shrewdness and good practical sense,
rather than an abstract odor of sanctty,
was what the Roman Catholic Church in
America required. a personal friend of the
Pope, supposed candidate for the Cardi-
nails hat, the recognized leader of his church
on this continent, and man Of ability il
not of genius, his death will be regretted 10y
a wide circle Of friends both in this country
and Europe, and will be heard Of even in the
Vatican with no ordinary interest.-N y.
Ecehiag Post, JaRuary 4h.
The REBEL cRIsis, like the rebellion
itself is a paradoy A war without n tran.