St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-25

the fallen and the poor the outgroWth Oh
spirit of humanity and tenderness, which
shows mercy even to brutes; when | call to
mind the many million homes where purity
and love are as stainless and sacred as though
the flaming sword Of an angel barred the way
to the tempter; when think of the multi
tudes who in cities and in the
open country where the air is purer and
heaven nearer, lead patient, unthought of
lives of toll, made glad by the sense of duties
fulfilled and illumined by faith in higher
world when all this, like a celestial vision,
rises before me, my whole being bows in
thanksgiving to the eternal and all-good God
and as the gentle heart of st. Francis, loved
the sun as brother and the moon as sis
ter, so feel that in the bond which unites
me with my age, there thrill thousand forces
which received their impulse in Bethlehem
and Nazareth, on Calvary and on Olvet.
There is evil enough indeed in the
age and in ourselves, in the world and in
the church. but love, not hate, faith, not
doubt, sympathy, not contempt, is the rem
edy for evil, aud If our blessed Lord, in the
presence of world in which Phariseeism
had destroyed religion, and paganism had
destroyed virtue, and the tyranny of Rome
had destroyed hope, saw only the whitening
harvest waiting for the hand OF the reaper,
how can we lose heart? Rt, Rev. and most
Revered Bishop, the part assigned to me in
this ceremony, so full of sweet memories
and deep and tender feelings, had been more
wisely given to another, to some one whose
privilege it has been to dwell more init
mateiy with you, and TO watch with increas-
ing thankfuness the course of so beautiful
and so benefcent a life bungler can
tlatter, but he who knows how to praise is
master, and for this reason | have not
trusted myself to enter upon formal euiogy,
which, though | should succeed in avoiding
offensive awkwardness, could not fail to
prove distasteful to you. All that have thus
far said has indeed been inspired by my
knowledge of your character, and | am con-
scious that however Imperfect or inadequate
the expression, the tone of thought and
sentiment, must meet with at least measure
of commentator, because it is in harmony
with the purpose and tenor of your life. But
this audience OF archbishops, bishops, priests
and people, who in such numbers have gath
cred around you to-day, drawn from many
places by the opportunity of testifyiDg their
admiration of a noble and venerable charac
ter, whom to know is a greater privilege than
to live in the company of kings, would justly
accuse me not only Of the lack of the sense
Of what is beftting, but of want Of heart and
Of intelligence, were | to find in this occa-
sion only the suggestion of thoughts which,
though inspired by the virtues of him whom
we have met to honor, have at best but re-
mote relevancy to the anniversary which we 4
celebrate and the memories it awakens. For
their sake then, right reverend bishop; lest |
put them and myself to shame, permit me to
inflict upon you word of more personal APP
/ ! I
diocese on which the eve of one who loves
the church can rest with more complacency
than on this of st. Paul. In this fair state
of Minnesota, where the echo of the Indian IS
war cry has but just died away, and whose
boundaries the waves of infowiug
multitudes of civilized men touched but yes
terday, there has been neither time nor OPP
portunity to erect costly churches or to make
palatial edifices the herads OF charity,
which is sweetest when it is most concealed,
or to put forward a snowy and ambitious
style of architecture as symboical of the Gull
ture of mind and heart, which, when it sreal
is modest Little Of this kind Of progress, if
truly, where there is question of religion, it
be kind of progress has hitherto been pos
sible But whatever was needful or
proper has been done to build churches,
schools, asylums, refugees, sufficient not orly
for the wants of rapidly Increasing Catholic
population but also for the claims of the
largest charity. But while you, Rt. Rev.
Bishop, have been the inspiration, both for
your clergy and your people, Of an activity
which has kept pace with the feverish energy
of our eager-hearted western world, yet have
YOU, with the composure and self-possession
Of one who stands afar from the smoke and
the noise of the battle, been master light
to guide all hearts to that which is really and
everlastingly good, to piety, to virtue, to
morality, to the love of God and the help of
men. Your generous heart guided by
mind thoroughly trained and enlightened,
has been an unfailing source
of strength and Of courage
to your priests and people, to whom by word
and example. you have preached sobriety,
Justice, charity and unsefsh devotion to
the interests Of religion and of civilization.
The sympathy, which is instructive in gener-
GUS natures with all who suffer wrong or do
wrong, has not led you to false notions of
clemency. He is the friend of men who helps
them to rise above the lower self and who
when power is given him saves them from
the scandals which shake faith and weaken
the ability to resist the tenn ptations of the pas
sions and the worst fatality that can befall a
nation or church is to have men in author
ity who, not vicious themselves, lack the will
or the courage to see that the laws are obeyed
and evil doors punished. AS man is weak
rather than malicious, they who encourage
his fraity are more to be dreaded than they
who give him the example Of an unholy life.
If righteousness is health and JOY and peace,
and II death is the wages of sim then has he
the best heart who labors most strenuously to
cause morality to prevail. To understand
how completely this has been the purpose of
your life, Rt, Rev. Bishop, one need but OBJ
serve the body of priests whom you have
gathered about you, and, if | may be per-
mitted to refer in a special manner
to one among the number, who, but
yourself, has been the friend, the counsellor,
the guide of Bishop Ireland, whose name is
synonymous with zeal, energy, courage; with
loftlness of purpose and devotion to every
noble causel
Nor do know, In the church Of the United
States, preate, who more ardently desires
to elevate the standard Of intellectual cul-
ture, than yourself, RI Rev. Bishop; or
one who holds, with firmer grasp, the con-
viction that in the present world wide men
tai conflict between revealed religion and
'naturalism, between spiritual faith and ma
tetalism, all that we need to secure, before
the tribusa of the best reason, final tri-
umph. is that our cause rest not in unskilful
hands. The issues of all things are, as
suredly. in the hands of God, but among
men, He acts through men, and if we may
serve Him by living ourselves and helping
Others to live in obedience to His eternal law,
may we not also serve Him by trying to
bring our own and the thoughts of others into
harmony with His infinite truth!
When l, if q not unworthy motive may be
some extenuation of the uuseemliness of
thrusting myself forward in this connection,
when l, though feebly and not without hest
talion, found courage to speak word that
seemed 10 be of import to our whole
American church, upon which the future of