The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-02-15
History Of Piass TX.

/ haustive review in Fridays New ork Suj
! of the long life and wonderful achievement
! of the great Pontiff whose eventful caree
! has jnst been brought to a close, we mak
! The following copious extracts:
The life which clos, yesterday in he dea tn o
! Pope Plus TX. has Deen one of the most event
! fui aud memora Die among all those of the sue
| cessors Of ST. Peter. There have been greaie G
Popes than Pro Mono; men his superiors u
} genius, in learning, in eloquen2e, III extraordl
/ nary gifts OF sauctity. The dead Pope was neiih
/ or a Gregory the Great. nor a Hildebrtindt
| nor SixtusV. But he lad, nevertheless, dis
! tincIive features OF character which gave hlin
! both as Il man and a Pope, a separate place
/ among the Roman pOntiffs.
Giovanni Maria Masfai Ferretti was born a
I Sinigagla (thc ancient Send Gdlitcd, a seat oi
/ the Call Senones), ON May Is, 1892. His father
was Count GIrolanO Mastai- Fcrrett, gonfalon-
icr or chief magistrate OF tho city, aud he head
of family whose nobility goes back as far as
saw the light on the borders OF the Adriatic
the whole ol Europe was stITred to its depths
10y the hrst rev NolutIon IN France Italy III par.
ticular was thrilled with the mighty pulse OF
what her patriots considered as popular liberty
awakening to new life.
His mother was a woman OF uncommon intel
ligence and piety, and wOnld trust to none but
herself the first education of her boy. From
her he learned the first rudimentS OF knowl-
edge, aud her sweet, mOtherly virtue gave his
whole character the stamp of plcty and straight.
forwardness. After acquiring his first train
ing in this excellent home school. Giovanni was
placed at the age OF twelve, III the college
OF VoIterrs, where he had ms schooImate the
eloquent Padre Ventura, destined TO exercise
such decided influence upon his after ite. He
left college at the age of eighteen, and, resoiv-
ing To devote himself to ;ne military profcs-
zion, entered the Papa! Guards. However, a
nervous illness likely one of those epilcp-
tic attacks to which common report throu gh-
out Italy has desert bed him rs always subject -
compelled him TO give up his new career.
He went to Rome anG began the study of
theology. White thus occupied, his del ight was
10 spend his leisure hours III instrIctIng the
numerous orphans of hospital founded by Il
poor Jonrneyman mason biOEanni Borgl, aud
popularity dvsignated after him, as Idtd GiO-
rGHiu. Plus ' H., charmed win his spirit of
charity gave him chaI ge OF the institution while
yeta mere student. HIS epilcpuc nts continued,
to his own Infinite distress and to the dismay OF
his family, during his thcUiUgi icai studies. is ut,
according to the general bcleI in ROme, whcu
once elevated to the priesthood, aud alter his
first mass, the attacks of the tell disease never
again occurred, While yet in the glow OF his
first priesIly fervor. he was chosen by MOnsig
more Muzzi Delegate APOSTOLIC to Cam. To ne
his companion on nis journey to South America
1 hey lett Rome in July, le23 and spent two
years in the little republic. The young Mastai
visited lar and near the posts established 10y
the early missionaries, and would fam have
spent his lite i'll continuing their good work.
1 he purity OF bis lie and the prIestiS qualities
he had displayed in his distant field "a labor,
caused hIm to be raised To the prelacy.
On May 2l lS2S he WAS made ArchUishOp of
SpOlcto; aud alter a brief aud usciu ui acniInis-
trution OF that see, he was, i'll September Is
Translated to the see of imola. His unaffected
aoodnuss, his religious Zeal, and his sympathy
Tor suffering i'll every shape, soon won uIi
hearts, aud aid much 10 elIay the bIttcTuesS OF
polItlcal passion and popular dIscontent. His
administration raised him 50 high III the est
of all, that IN December, 1910, he WIS proclaim
ed Cardinal in tuIi cOnsIstur!. AT tina; very pc
riod, and during the six fkllowing years, tue
voice alike OF people ard Clergy designated
him as the successor uf Gregory XVI
When the Roman see became vacant, Padre
Ventura, his old scnoOlmHte, then General OF
the TheaIines aud the most eloquent man in
Italy, hastened to the influential Cardinals and
represented to them the necessity OF doing
away with the conviction, growing wider daily
among all classes, that the Church, the Holy
See IN particular, was tae enemy OF freedUn
progress, and reform. y pope must be chosen
whose appreciation oil the wishes OF the people
and the needs oil the Times would bring ABOUT Il
hearty reconciliation between the Church and
the iiberty-lOVing masses. W Nhateyer may have
been the effect OF such representations, certain
IL Is that on June l6, 1876. two day alter tue
opening OF tue cOuc'aNe, Cardinal Mdstal was
eieGteu pS acCIahatioil, ana assumed the name
OF Plus TX, in gratitude to tue memory OIL the
seveuth Plus. VINO had also been, like himself,
Ventura, who, 1t Is thought, had been instru-
mental in his elevation, now became one of his
most trusted councillors. They both ardeutly
desired to make every reform which could pro-
mote the pesce and prosperity OF Italy, W ell
the good OF rell2 ion. But 1t WAS no easy task
to frame such course O1 conduct as would
satisfy alike eNtrem me rHdicaiIsm and extreme
conservatism. The new Pope thought, at any
rate, that he could no longer continue the
policy Oi his predecessor, HnJ govern US rCIuS-
ing every change to the popular ,icnItn,.s or
reprcss by force the manifestations OF public
dissatisfaction. He began his reign Oy paying
the GeUts OF ali the prlsOncrs IN the CapItaI, anu
he gave sl3,UGU III one Cay to furnish marriage
do" ers for poor giils. A month after his eIG-
vGuOn, he pardUned Internationally ali poiItI-
restored to liberty. The condition OF the jew
ism race in Rome and throug out the PenInsu a
had long appealed to his CHRISTIAN sy mpaIhy.
He began 10y granting To the heads OF Jew tsn
families all the privileges bestowed on Chris
tan fathers ana masters, ana next lie swept
away forever the dbomnlaoic restrictions oI
the Ghetto.
\ large public debt had accumulated and me
reserved II snouid he paid For t1aJ purpose
lie cut down the expenses of his hUuschOIG 40
the vi most limit ot decent economy, and has
tabic became as frugal as that of h TrappIsI
monk He decreed moreover that every con-
ventual establishment should pay an annual
tax ten Roman sCudi. ami every parish pl +, 81
one. The pension list was subjected To Il most
searching scrutiny, uud every name eXpungpd
that hau not a. pressing claim of strict l,ih,i,.,,
and real poverty. Cardinal izzi, his Secretary
ot state, uUSIy seconded him III these financial
reforms, which soon helped to repienish the
pubnc treasury and restore credit.
lie set his heart on doing tOr the Intellectual,
moral aud material Improvement oi the work
ing classes all tnat father ana a ruicr could
90. IA hotne ana everywhere III the fapaI
states asy !ums were opened where the needy
could iind meals and lodging tor the n3ghi,
ana central schools were toundcd Tor the pur-
pose Oi giving II practical education to me-
chanlcs and wo:kiuEtncn. at the same time II
circular letter invited all governors and mgiS-
traIcs to study attentIVeiy the peculiar wants
OF the ldooiIng Classes AROUND them, aud to
communicate 10 headquarters their Ideas ON
Improvement. SIuigaE iia and AHcOnH, on the
Adriatlc, were made Tree ports. and the most
active measures were instituted To encouracc
agriculture as well rs trade. Tine valley OF the
IIDer, between Usta and Porto d nzio, vas
then barren waste. But ITS level soil was
rice, II properly irrigotcd. A decree was issued
approprlatlng II to that purpose. and a com
MISSION appointed To use the waters OF Lake
NeIul Tor the purpose OF irrigation. No cX-
pcnse was TO be spared in carrying on the
WORKS. One-haif the harvest TO be sold for
the Oentht OF the public treasury, and the
otner was to go TO the poor. Meanwhile the
mIiitary commissions which mad misgOVerncd
Tue hoinaxua were suppressed, railroads were
10 ne quit without delay, and foreign capital
was invited 10 help in carry ing on these Iuaul-
fold undertakings.
Rome and Italy could scarcely credit their
senses. Ii was one vast concert of praise one
fever of enthusiasm. The Pope could not 90
into The streets OF Rome without being subject
TO ovaifons. But how came il to pass that This
career OF reform, begun so generously by a. SOW
crelgn solely bent on doing the very best for
MS people and age, for Italy ana for the
Church, should have been compelled To stop
shortI The answer is TO be found n the pOiti-
cal coEhition o. Europe in lSiS. The Radicals
OF Italy. headed by men like Mazzini and Carl
baldi. would not toe satisfied with anything
short of the establishment OF a iederativ. Re-
public, and the total abolition OF the PAIN, Y ::
while the monarchicai and conservatives par
ties declared IL to be the new Potif's duty to
push reaction to its extreme limits. PINS
them in the light of n dangerous reyUlu ZIONIST
One of his very first steps on his accession to
power was to proclaim the freedom OF The
press This raised perfect storm OF anger in
Austria, Prussia, and Russia. Even here in
New fork, where our citizens held a most en-
thusiastic meeting in honor of the liberal Pom
tiu. II was thought 10y some that he was going
too fast. Cardinal Gizz, W ho had been trai n ed
as rigid Jurist wish, d so to frame the law on