The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-03-24
TIE AMERICAN CARDINAL.

1OFh WAS eiefateu To tiiS CeaiAAHaIaeC
in the Consistory held at Rome on
the 18th inst. The event is note
worthy as he is the first American
who has attained that dignity. He
was born at Brooklyn and is sixty
five years old. Many years ago his
predecessor in the Archbishopric of
New York was destined, it was said,
to the same elevation, but the advice
of Chief Justice fancy, the most dis
tinguished Catholic layman of this
country was against it, because he
thought it would be distasteful to re-
publican simplicity to have an Ame
rican among the Princes of the
Church, or to have a Prince Of the
Church among the Americans, and
his advice prevailed. We have out
grown that fastidiousness, and there
is no doubt the Red Hat will ee
welcome present now.
The College of Cardinals is restric-
ted to seventy members, of whom
fourteen are cardinal Deacons, fifty
are cardinal Priests and six are car
dinal- Bishops. The College is how
ever rarely full. At the beginning of
last year there were only forty-two,
but little more than half the permit
ted number, and Prince Bismarck
more than insinuated that the Pope
did not appoint to the vacant or
shall we say, empty Hats for sim
lister motive, viz. that he might con-
troll the election of his successor
The Pope's answer to this intemper-
ate accusation was the immediate
creation of three French Cardinals,
the nation that of all others Bismarck
desired should have as little as pos
sible to do with the election Of new
Pope. Nine more were added to the
Sacred College later in the year, and
six this month, and five more are IN
petto, that is to say, are reserved for
future appointment, but are to take
part, says the Pope in his Allocution,
in the election of his successor
should he die before the completion
of their elevation.
1t was conjectured after the sus-
pension ofthe sittings of the Vatican
Council in 1870 that no Prelate would
be raised to the great dignity of the
Cardinalate by Pope Plus who had
not voted for the dogma of Infallibil.
ity, but several of the recent promo
tions prove that such is not the case,
Archbishop McCloskey voted place1
juGtH a,odam which is conditional
Eyes," the unqualified affirmative be-
ing plaoet and the negative non placet
The pontifcate of Plus Ninth is
the longest in the heightened history
of the Papacy, being the only one
that has extended beyond the tradi-
tional limit of twenty-five years,
which is said to have been the dura-
ton of St. Peters reign. The pres
ent Pope will complete the twenty,
ninth year of his reign next June
He has also created more Cardinals
than any other Pope, a necessary con-
sequence of long pontifcate, and il
he lives few more years, will have
appointed every member of the Col,
lege that elects his successor. There
are only seven survivors who were
Cardinals at his election; and though
now eighty-two years old, his simple
habits and herculean frame give fair
promise of another half score OF
wears, He is the two hundred and
fifty-seyenth of that dynasty that
Macaulay in his gorgeous diction not
very accurately said had its origin in
the twilight Of fable, and was DIES.
tined to endure to that remote time
when the lonely traveller from some
now unexplored cline should stand
on broken arch of London Bridge
to view the ruins of St. Paups.
Many Of the reigns of this long
list of Popes have been short
Twenty-Five wore the triple crown
less than year each, one hundred
and ninety only ten years or less, and
nine alone have reigned more than
twenty years. They have exhibited
every variety of character and OF
ability, and though some of them
have been vastly superior to Plus
Ninth in mere intellectual vigor,
there is perhaps not one who presents
to the world character so worthy Of
love and veneration as his. His
countenance, made familiar to every
one by photography, beams with the
light of celestial graces, full of be.
nevolence and kindliness, not unmix.
ed with o spice Of sportive humor