The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-02-13
Chr Bulletiu
The Dead and the Coming Pope
N. Y. Herald.

ue Dehu duu INC SOlulDS IoP0'
NY. Herald.
The cable dispatches from Rome indi-
cate that tie italian government will WISE
/ ly abstain from any interference with the
freedom Of the Conclave about 10 assemble
In the eternal city for the election OF suc-
cessor to Plus X. King Humbert indeed
could afford to treat the result, lift should
prove to DO q continuation Of the late
pope's isolation and opposition to accom-
plished facts, with Indifference. Inasmuch,
however, as It is leslreable Tor the good OF
all concerned that the question should be
settled in some way, little courteous
recognition Of the sad event which just
| now occupies the Catholic world will he
as polite as 1t viii be meet. 70 the little
band Of would. be martyrs and grim reclu.
ses who surrounded the late pope the
cautious but deciked advance toward
friendly relations between the Quirinal
aud the Vatican viii not be welcome. Still
the logic OF things is dead against them. A
| little persecution would help them for
while, but when your whlom enemy sends
round polite Offers and sympathetic re-
CARDS in your bereavement; when lie
marches his soldiers up and down, not as
prison guard, but Is 4 ~ ard of honor, 1t
! is bad season TO reopen old sores. All
| this will have its weight and give want
OF excuse to the party which seeks TO per-
petuatate the policy Of wordy opposition
to state OF things which there Is no hope
! to remove. The determination to bury the
pope, with all the solemn pOmp OF the RO-
man ritual, in the great basilica Of st.
Peter indicates, how even the most ardent
OF the non-comlromise cardinals will be
compelled TO 20 with the current OF the
times.
OF the deepest interest upon this ques-
ton OF the papal succession will be found
the series Of interviews with the members
OF the College of Cardinasl, which our Ro.
man. correspondent has collected with
marked Industry and presented with fine
skill. Adording as they do glimpse OF the
inner life, OF the personal appearance, the
peculisrities and in a larger sense the
qualities o. these distinguished ecclesias-
ties, they furnish a means OF information
! OF which all students of the age We live IN
will gladly avail themselves. The stately
princes of the Roman church in the full
flower ofther authority, the hnmb!er mem
beers of the Sacred college living piOusly in
the shadow OF the Holy See, the young
cardinals with their dreams OF the triple
| crown, pushing its phantom aside as Cesar
did the golden circet on the Lupercsl, the
aged mitred priests beyond the reach OF
ambition drawing bent. bodies toward the
grave, the stu 1ious cardinal porting over
dusty cannonical tones, the cardinal monk
pacing the gloomy monastery! corridor,
the dynastic cardinals, the Bonaparte and
the Hohenlohe dreaming and plotting
without appearing to plot, all pass in pro-
cession before the eyes OF the reader. As
picture of the splendors of the church
typitied In the persOnages who make
popes and of whom popes are made, it vii!
instruct and fascinate.
But who will succeed Pope Pms: Our
correspondent in that portion OF his cor
respondence published yesterday selected
five names-namely, Peccl, Bllio, La Val
letta, Simeoni and Franchi. In the portion
published to-day he finally fixes with Ger.
tain reserve upon Cardinal Pecci. From
the description of this prelate we conclude
that he is good administrator, not pessi.
mist, and "moderate." With such man
in the papal chair the influences OF the
age might be allowed some sway. The
favorite of the "non-compromise" party
is said to be Cardinal Bilio, q young and
ardent priest, OF whom, unfortunately,
much.progress cannot be hoped, if his past
Is any guarantee; but with in these lmita-
tons he would doubtless make brilliant
head Of the Roman church. Panebianco,
the taciturn monk, would, we fear, prove
nothing more than a pronounced church
man. SimeOni and Franchi are of the same
strain as Bilio. We cannot lind much that
is encouraging in the possibilities of Car
dinal Ferrieri becoming pope, although he
is spoken OF by cable as a "liberal" candi-
date. Cardinal de Pietro, also SO CLASH
fed, is seventy-two years old and posses.
ses some possibilities. Taken in connec-
ton with the significant action attributed
to the Portuguese government in the
matter Of the veto, we think on the whole
there is some prospect of "moderate"
pope. ltwould have been difficult to hope
for this much twelve months ago. But the
world moves, and even the Vatican cannot
stand still.