The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-10-31
Basil 8. Elder.

The death of this venerable patriarch was
known to us before the issue of our last mum
Der. 1t was not noticed at the time, because
we expected heightened obituary, which
would do Justice % his many eminent virtues
Disappointed in this, we copy the following
feeling article from tho New York FFeemdn's
Journal, whose editor is always awake to do
Justice to the Church and its belongings:
A veritable patriach has deceased. An old
and honored landmark of the earliest days
of the Catholic Church in the United States
has been removed The record of it touches
our heart, who knew him only through his
honorable and honored family, who are nearer
our own age.
On Wednesday, Oct. IS, in the evening, Basil
s. Elder departed this life ut the house of his
daughter, Mrs. A. G. Baldwin, in Baltimore,
wanting sixteen days of seeing 90 years of age
Mr.. Basil s. Elder was in his third year when
the Declaration of Independence was signed,
in 1776. He was IL years old when DR.. John
Baltimore. What changes this old patriarch
has seen in the condition of the Catholic
Church in this country, since then!
1t is for those that knew him, personally, to
speak of his virtues We, looking on from
distance, only know that, in whatever part of
the country we have met, or heard of, one of
the family sprung from Basil S. Elder, we have
known such a sincere and open-hearted Ca
tholic. 1t is n family that in most trying times
has "kept the faith" Let poor men of
later growth pause, salute with honor the old
they should go; and then, before the Altar, let
us all commend his soul to God, in a fervent
supplication that God will shorten the term of
his detention in the Purgatory where the weak
nesses and faults of a long life in the world
must, for all of us, be cleansed before ws-can
endure the presence of the everything God.
1t was the happiness of Basil s. Elder to
have a son ordained Catholic priest, more
than twenty years ago. We met him during |
the Council of Baltimore, in 1e49, young and |
fervent priest in the house of distinguished |
gentleman of that city, in the company of, |
among others, six bishops. OF these, five are |
dead. The sixth was then the most recently |
consecrated of all the American Bishops-now |
tho revercd Archbishop. of Baltimore. The |
then young Father. Ever is now the expert
enced and sorely tried Bishop of Natchez. Mis-
sissippi, who has so well executed the office of
n bishop and gained, by his unremitting labors,
so many souls to Jesus Christ.
Bishop Elder was photographed, but the time
was too short. The aged servant of God, after
all his trials and sufferings during life had not
the satisfaction of receiving at the moment of
death, the absolution and blessing of his Right
Reverend son. The latter was denied the sad
ilial duty of physical presence, and potent Off
,es, at the death-bed of SO good n father.
Among men of all creeds and all parties; dur
ng his long and unsullied life, Basil s. Elder !
maintained the respect and kind regards of all {
who knew him. His death will cause grief to 4
though he had out-lived by more :
han three half decades the extreme terIa spok-
N of by the Royal Prophet. t
May his soul be in peace and his good deeds !
ollow himl