Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-03-20
The Late Bishop Mc1Ivaine.

The Cincinnati Commercial contains some
facts of interest respecting the death of Bishop
Mcllvaine, and concerning his career:
''He died day before yesterday iu Florence,
Italy, where he was residing for the benefit Of
his health, that had long been failing. We
have no particulars of his last moments. A
cable dispatch from Florence to his son-in-laW
and daughter in New York, Mr.. aud Mrs. j.
H. Hewsou, conveyed the information that he
was seriously i'll ; and Il second dispatch, fol-
lowing 10 couple of hours tod OF his death,
aud mentioned that his daug ghter, whose h'lue
is in London, England (she having married a
gentleman of that city some three years sluce)
was with him iu his last moments. 1t is sup
nosed that he died Of apoplexy, as he had q
teplcpcy TO that disease, and had lost two
brothers by it. The dispatches We're forward
ed 10 the care of Mr.. Theodore Cook, OF this CITY,
and to Rev. Mr. locum was given the duty OF
converting the sad intelligence to the aged wite
and the Youngest daughter, 10 Clifton Atthe
Ienten serve. at ST. Paul's Church, last even
ing. the announcement Was made, ana the
PRAYERS of the congregation tOr Tie athcted
family requested.
bishop Mclivainc Was a n'an OF marked
character aud commanding position. Ills hlgh
position in this country was recrgniZel by All,
and in England, wicn couotry lie frequently
visited, be was always shown the greatest at
teutiou BY the highest people OF hc ini, botA
of the clergy and aity. lie never asked an au
deuce Of the Queen iu VAIN, even when
other foreigners were denied, Tor her
Majesty never forgot that he had always had a
warm friend 10 her mother, the Duchess OF Kent,
even when she (the Queen was but a
child. In England an American Episcopal
Bishop ranks socially with the nobility; aud
this gentleman was fortunate in being per-
soual favorie 1t was this distinction that led
to his appointment in the darkest days of our
civil war, in the gloom Of 1923, to the special
mission to England 1t was asked Of him by
President Lincoln, that he should use his in-
huence with the clergy and nobility Of that
country to conc late the feeling there that, ID
light of the AIason-Slidell business, was not
kindly toward u.s. That he succeeded IN q
great measure there Is no doubt.
An ex.Contcderate gentleman, IN co3versa-
ton on this subject, recently, remarked that
this was Que OF Mr. Stewards smartest pieces
OF diplomacy u getting Pesident Lincoln 10
send the Bishop ou this mission, and that the
COntederates ought to have sent Bishop Polk,
their only man WHO had the intellect and social
grace TO cope with Mcllvaiue. Among the
Bishops warmest friends in England was the
late distinguished banker Peabody, who named
him as one of the Trustees of the Peabody
Fund in this country 1t was in 1868, we be-
eve, that McIvaine enjoyed the distinction of
being the only American ever called to preach
in ST. Paul's Within the last year he QUO
day quietly walked into Westminster Abbey as
a mere spectator at the conservation of d
Bishop The Archbishop OF Canterbury OBJ
serving him in the congregation, immediately
sent for him, and insisted that be should take
part in the ceremonies.
ave believe be leaves four daughters three
of them married, one to an Episcopal clergy
man in Wisconsin, Rev George Dubois. He
lost two sons, aud has one Charles, a. clergy
man, living near Philadelphia. One OF his
sous, a lad, and his first born daughter died at
Gambler. His son Joseph, who was In the
Navy Department at Washington died three
years ago.