The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-31

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NELL-ELABoRATE MOURNING DECORA.
TIoNs-A LARGE AND INTERESTED CON
GREGATION. &C., &C.
:. st. Peters Cathedral was yesterday the
scene OF most solemn and impressive me-
mortal ceremonies in honor OF the late
Prince Imperial OF France. The native
Corsicans and descendants OF Corsicans in
Richmond, wishing to show their sorrow
and to add theirs to the general expression
of regret at the sudden and unhappy de.
mise OF the royal Prince, whose great an.
cestor had come from their native isle, had
made all possible preparations for the so
lemniZation Of so distinguished commem.
oration. The ardent Corsicans turned out
in full force, and these, together with many
of the congregation and large number OF
non-Catholic citizens, comfortably filled the
Cathedral.
SOLEMN REQUIEM MASS.
At 0 o'clock A. NJ. procession OF AGO.
lytes, seminarians, and priests filed into The
sanctuary from the sacrlsty door, and i'm.
medately thereafter the celebration OF i
solemn requiem mass was bcgun, Rev.
Father w. 3. uaney officiating as cele-
brant, with Rev. DR.. d. j. O'Connell us
deacon and Rev. Father A. Habets as sub.
deacon. Mr.. &. Donahoe acted as master
OF ceremonies.
DIR. O'CONNELL's EULOGY.
At the conclusiGu of the mass. Rev. DR..
D. j. O'Connel assembled the pulpit, and
in clear, rich, and musical voice pro-
nounced the eulogy. His gestures were
graceful in the extreme, and reminded one
that his education was received in sunny
Italy. lie spoke, in effect, as follows:
Seldom, il ever, beloved brethren, have
we come together to pray for and honor the
bearer OF so great name as the young
Prince Imperial Of France, the heir of a
name so grand that we never hear it with
out awe. Eugene Louis Napoleon, born in
the Tullleries IN March, 1856, and killed in
Zululand on the 1st OF June OF this year,
was welcomed on the day Of his birth by
the thunder Of cannon and the rejoicings OF
France, and as his father pressed him to
bis happy breast he felt that there was
an heir to bear bis great name and
TO rule that country which he bad
made so glorious. In those days there was
no such happy mother in Christendom as
Eugene, and as she held her infant son in
her arms and showed him to bis father, who
was reviewing his troops, she enyied re
one in the wide world. This child was the
heir to the great name OF Napoleon. Ma.
poleon! What magic in that name! Like
the wand of an enchantress, it brings before
us giant who, with his arms folded on bis
breast and his lips compressed, reyolyes in
his mighty intellect the destinies of Europe.
Napoleon! \ genius who so far surpassed
the heroes OF antiquity that the Greek con-
queror OF India, dying in drunken
debauch, and q Cesar in his ambition,
are as nothing to him who tossed the crowns
OF Europe as pay-.hlngs to bis infant SON
1t was permitted by the Almighty genius
who rules this world that the great Napo
leon should play his part for time, but
when he raised his hand against Plus the
Seventh the mantle OF Divine Providence
fell from his shoulders, and the words Of
the venerable Pope were not spoken IN
vain. And yet the Church has Away:
loved France, which is her eldest daughter
and the Napoleons, who have at times beer
her greatest friends. But the Church loved
best OF all, beloved brethren, this pure
young life which was taken by al
unknown savage in Zululand; thi:
godson OF Plus the Ninth, whose
body, stripped Of its clothing. was left ;
prey to the dog and the raven, like some
poor beast shot for its hide. This was tht
young life in which the Church placed it:
hopes for the religion OF France, and by
which France hoped to see the stain re
moved from its tri-color, and to be herse
once more restored to her natural bounda
ries. This was the pure and b!ameles:
youth whose body reposes beside that OF hi:
father in England, and beside which sits tht
disconsolate. eyiled, and childless widow
Eugenie. Alas alas! who shall comfor
her in her sorrow? She is the last o.
that illustrious trio in whom France
once eloried, and she is to-day tht
guest Of its ancient enemy-EngIan1, the
country which in Il moment OF pride PLACED
the mitre on her own brow, and set price
on the life Of priest. And to-day, in the
obscure village OF Chselhurst, which often
sheltered the prosecuted Catholic on his
way to France. there lie in the Church oi
st Mary the fuei ives from France-the eld
est son Of the Church, and the sodson OF
Plus the Ninth-and there stand between
elizabeth and the altar the weeping and
worshippng sons and daughters OF roy
atty. This shows, dearly-beoYed brethren,
the greatness OF truth, which has at last
prevailed. You who have seen the
mangled and bleeding bodies borne
from the battlefield can imagine how
the body OF her young hero was
received by his weeping mother. The brave
young boy, so needless Of danger that he,
like his grand-uncle, courted its presence,
the sage young man who would have hon
onored the Senate, was no more, and naught
was left Of him but his disfigured body
and the childless, husbandless woman has
no consolation save that she led him in the
straight and narrow path; that in infancy
she Joined his little hands in prayer; that
she led him to confession, to communion,
to the altar OF his God. Mostpeople would
say that his destiny had not been fulfilled ;
but she it was who led her son. noble not
only by birth and blood, but by an inherit
ance OF grace from his pious mother
sue it was who taught him that he was
borne to know, love, and serve God in this
world and to be happy with Him forever
in the next; and in that beautiful prayer
the outpouring OF his heart, written shortly
before his death. be begs, not that his: enc
mics may be disarmed, but that hf. ma,
learn to conquer himself. His PRAYER wa
heard, his destiny was fulfilled, an d had
to write his epitaph it should be-. "Her
lies the greatest OF the NapoIeons -
The religious ceremonies werf. then con
cluded by the officiating priest reading th
prayers for the dead and pro nouncing th
abSolutIon according to the Cdurch rubrics
THE MOURNING DECORATIONS.
The only mourning d'fapery visible O
the exterior OF the ebur. ch was that abou
the main portico, tho; large columns Q
which were covered from base to apex wit
black cloth, relieved by white strips. Th
interior Of the Cathedral, however, ws
deliberately and t,lstefully draped. The pi
lars supporting the galleries were wrappe
in sombre black, while along the front
! the galleries swung graceful festoons {