Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-20
CAPEL'S CAREER.
A Life of Extraordinary Brilliancy, Not
wlthstanding His Bright Star
Has Had Its
Periods OF Gbscuration and Has Passed
Through Many Storms-The Po.
sition Occupied by
His Church in England-The Secret Of
Cardinal Manning's Dislike for
the Great Preacher.

j., !. Londol correspondence Chicago Inter !
Ocean: Mgr Capel still fingers in your
mlosSts, and his presence and labors will |
no doubt have awakened curiosity as to |
the position occupied by his church in the |
country whence he hails-this Protestant |
nation of England. Capels personal ca
reer here has been one OF extraordinary |
brilliancy, but the bright star has had its |
periods of observation, and has passed |
through many storms, Tie circumstances
of hia birth were not favorable in such a
country as this to the highest success. His
father, understand, was -coastguards-
man. His mother is still living,
and presides over fashionable board
inghouse at Hastings, one Of the
most popular seaside resorts. Sterling
people, but with no blue blood in their
veins. That they managed to afford their
son thorough education, and that he,
from such humble beginnings, has pushed
his way into the highest circles of English
society, are two facts which are highly
cred:table to all concerned. He started
in public life as schoolmaster at Ham
mersmith, but his great
ATTITUDE 1s rREAcH1NG,
tosethei with his fine character and gen.
tlemsnly bearing, marked him out very
Ordained to the priesthood, he developed
at once into a popular orator. For some
years his winters were spent at Pau, in the
south of France, and his preaching there
was all the rage, particularly among the
upper classes. 1t was here that Capel
found his way into the confidence and
affections OF the prominent members of
the British aristocracy, such as the Mar
quis of Butte and others, with whom ever
since his name has been so intimately as
sociatcd in the public mind. His polite
manners, fine culture, and broad lib
erality "a. rare thing then in
ports to This high social circle, and while
these personal qualities implied respect,
his eloquence enabled him to both charm
his new friends and win them over. When
Butte entered the Catholic Church, Capel's
fortune was made, alike in social and in
a churchly sense, for, whether wrightly or
wrongly, everybody gave him the credit
of this conversion. and Il %as not likely
either that Rome would fail to rewg..rui
such signal service, or that the man who
was supposed to have done
SUCH A WONDERFUL THING
could be other than g great character in
the estimation of the people of England.
Capel became private chaplain to the
Marquis of Butte, and was handsomely rec
ompensed. But the shining talents OF
this great Roman diplomat were not to be
buried in a private chaplaincy. .Capel's
own ambition forbade this, and, moreover,
the way to a wider field OF usefulness and
reDown seemed TO be pointed ont by cir
! ycumstances. The Catholic bishops had
Issued protest against tho attendance of
Catholic young ,aen at Oxford and Cam
bridge, eiid there appeared to be an open
ing Tor great Catholic university. Lord
Brave and other Catholic noblemen OBJ
| Jected, but the bishops were incorrigible,
and Capel seemed just the man to lead
this movement. The institution was
, started, and as everyone knows, it came
! to a speedy and ignominious end. Capel
| lost everything and became bankrupt
! everything, that is il The way of means.
/ But he still retained the confidence OF
| Rome, and was still the pet of the Catho-
/ lie, and many OF the Protestant, aristoc-
racy. Butte is his fast friend to-day, and
would not hesitate to again, il necessary,
| help him out OF difficulty. Mgr. Capel
krowa We'll from experience that troubles
do not come singly, for at about the time
of his financial embarrassment
CARDINAL MANNING sHoWED DISLIKE
for him. The bona tide facts in the case
/
ileged few, but there were secret meet
ings of the bishops at the cardinals
house, aud Capel was supposed to be the
subject OF conversation. The career OF
such a man was certain to set envious
tongues to wagging. Drawing to his min
istrations immense crowds OF the best
people in London, followed and almost
idolized by lot of women belonging to
the first rank in the social world, it was
inevitable that somebody would become
jealous of his influence. This, 1 am as
sured, was the secret of the trouble be-
tween Capel and the cardinal, for Man.
ming, with all his real greatness of charac.
ter, has the small falling of not liking to
be overshsdowed.
For several years Capel did not preach
in London. But the Pope, am told, ha:
always sustained the great preacher, anc
Capel had habit, whenever anything un
pleasant arose, of proceeding to Rome anC
taking his holiness into his confidence
The last time he went he said so much a.
to make it necessary for Cardinal Manning
to follow. There are thus few Catholic
in England who are not sorry to learI
that Capel's visit TO America has been
comparative failure. ! am sure this fac
causes no regret at the
PALACE OF THE CARDINAL.
Many more. however, would be glad il hi
lecturing tour should even yet prove
success, particularly in a financial sense
for the money realized would be relief Il
the great propagandist. There are rumor
that upon his return your brilliant and dis
I tinguished guest will settle down to tn
quiet exercise of his priestly functions some
where in Italy, a country he greatly loves
Roman Catholicism had hard struggle Il
/ England for several centuries, but inch b
, inch it gained ground while it was endul
ing the severest prosecutions, and sine
the fetters have broken and a fair chanc
2 has been give it, the progress made ha
been simply marvellous. That this countr
! should look upon it with distrust for
: long time after the Reformation was pc
r fectly natural, and just as natural was
, that eventually distrust should give plaC
( to the broadest toleration. The tradition
: of the country are Catholic; a large an
glorious part of its history was made III
der Catholic dominion; the priesthood ,
its established Church traces its successio
through Catholic lines, and the grande
| of its church edifices are monumen
:, alike of Catholic art and of Catholic libe
: ality. The influence of these things W;
:, sure to sertitself after season. .Meanwhi
with indefatigable zeal, with consumma
0 diplomacy, with that active benevolent
: which always distinguishes its operation
!. the Church itself has gone steadily TO
a ward, doing its work, pressing its CLAIM
/ to recognition, ministering to the wants
its own people and making converts fro
/, the outside. Such policy could not ia
:, to succeed, and it has succeeded, l shoul
/, say, beyond the expectations of the mo
sanguine. In its later trials it has bee
l. helped not a little by the Ritualistic part
i With so many Protestant churches
l. rLAUNTING A CEREMONIAL
SO near akin to that of Rome, and so mar
Protestant clergymen declaring the r
u formation to have been a blunder. no
could the people do otherwise than beg
to look with favor on the old faith al
forms? A fact worthy of note is that IL
chief clerical strength of the Roms
hierarchy in England has been won ov
from the National Church. Cardinal Ma
n ming, the great administrator, and Care
y nal Newman, the matchless writer, a
: both proselytes. The same may be Sc
Il of q number OF its bishops, and of maj
= of the notable among its priests.
= course, the bulk of its strength lies in Il
large Irish population of the countr
u Those, however, who imagine that its i
> fluence is by any means restricted to tn
d class are woefully ignorant ofthe true stu
l. ton.
From the best sources | learn that the
is steady influx into the Catholic TO
i from not only the lower but the midd
d and upper ranks OF society that is pure
It English. The favorable attitude of Il
h British government is too well kRown
It need comment. There is, perhaps,
e country on the globe where the Pope
Rome would, in case of need, find saf
asylum or be treated with more courte
It than in the land over which Queen Vi
II toria reigns. It was thought not lol
= ago that the court OF Great Br