The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-16

THE World AT THa DEATH.BED on PoPE
P1ua lx.-In view Of, The serious ilnsss
OF Pope Plus. the following Atticie from
the New York Herald will be read with,
great interest:s {. S :: !:
Is Plus TX the last Of the Roman Pons.
tiffs2 The curious prophecy attributed
to St. Malachy, Archbishopgo gof Armagh.
in Ireland. and who died fn;t The arms OF
the 'last Of the fathers OF the chnrch,"
as the French proudly call Bernard OF
Clairvaux, distinctly -asserts--as will be
seen from the extraordinary document
itself reproduced In the Herald to-day
that he is. In that alleged inspired
dream. the Irish patriarch gave the nnm-
Der of Popes that. remained yet to come,
giving to each one OF them an epigram-
maiic mark by which he could be con-
cisely distinguished, and the sign he at
taohed to the Pontiff who closes his
hazardous enumeration corresponds, in
remarkable degree, with the venerable
Holy Father who, perhaps. at this in
stant. has the desth-rattle at the door OF
his ohamb'r. That sign is the three
Latin words, "Cruc de Cruce," which is
interpreted by some Catholic authorities
70 signify the persecution Q; tho Gross
from cross-that is, that the Pope
suffers crucial sflictions from O royal
power, which has the cross for the chief
emblem on it's escutcheon Of authority.
And this, as has been said, points the
finger at Victor Emmanuel. In his
kingly emblems, the CROSS surmounts
everything. II wo mistake not, Father
Gsresche. learned Jesuit priest, in
lecture which he lately delivered not fur
from New York, gave this Interpretation
as explicitly as the fine language could
make it to the "Cruc de Cruce" OF the
ancient metropolitan of Armagh. The
Herald does not pretend to settle the au-
thori.y of st. Malachy's prophecies. But
it is as clear as the sun in the meridian
that the words "C5ur ds Crucs' are in
singular agreement between Plus TX aud
the first monarch of United Italy. And
that being the case, it is an interesting
and serious question. is Plus I X the last
of the Roman Pontiffs?
1t is startling question. It's proper
form is, is the great Roman Catholic
Church sentenced to death? For, no
Pope, no Catholic Church. Catholicity
cannot survive the Papscy for one se-
oond. And Catholicity is a thing of no
small radius, diameter and circumfer-
ence. ;St. Malachy, therefore, or who
ever wrote in his name. gave ground for
putting question of tremendous mag.
nitude. A short time, however, will
quite solve the curious Interrogation; for
it cannot be long before the Holy See
will have new occupant, or cease to bo
tho great central religious altar of more
than three-fourths OF the vast population
of Christendom. In the meantime, Plus
1A is. in all human probability, on his
death bed; and the noble old man-with
face one Of the finest Rome has witnessed
for many d day-has the world watching
at his couch. Let as see who those
watchers are. The King Of Italy has his
mind on the spot with particular anxiety
of manner.
Prince Bismarck, who, by recent sta
tutes, has made the Emperor the High
Priest OF the German people. and who
ardently wishes that there may never be
another supreme head of the Catholics,
is attending to the Roman kilograms, to
the exclusion OF every other duty.
nj. Theirs, President of the French
republic, and, though Protestant, a
firm upholder of the Papaoy, is on the
Qui uiOe with all the activity Of an aged
statesman Of genius, for the first intelli.
gence Of an event which he knows will
movo Catholic France to floods OF tears
and signs Of true devotion.
Francis Joseph, of Austria, III in con-
stant communication with his Embassa-
dor at the Vatican on the fluctuations 10
the health OF the illustrious patient.
The Count dc Chambord, who once
had impassioned hopes that Plus TX
would place .the crown of st. Louis on
his temples and the sword of Henry the
Great in his hand, is in unfeigned grief
over tho apprehended dissolution of one
for whose rights the royal blood in his
veins was always ready to flow.
Tho Turk at Constuntinople--tke
Prince Of the Crescent, tho successor of
Mahommed-csteeme his octogenarian
Primate Of the Cross, rs if Rome had
never inspired crusades to fight against
Saladin for the recovery OF Jerusalem
as il there never had been battle at
IIepanto; as if there never had been a
Charles Martel and plains of Poictiers;
and he is listening for the first intima.
ton Of his death, that he may honor his
memory by putting Grape on the stand
ards of the Ottoman Empire.
The Gar of Russia, it is said, hated
Plus TX with n bitter hatreh and ha is