New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-14
THE UNIVERSITY OPENED.
DISTINGUISHED COMPANY IN ATTENDANCE
UPON THE EXERCISES.
THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY BLAINE
AMONG THE SPEAKERS AT THE BANQUET
WORK TO BEGIN on MONDAY

| Washington, Nov. 13.-The Catholic University was
opened with appropriate and solemn ceremonial w.
day. steady downpour Of rain greeted the open
ing day. as IL had the occasion OF the laying Oh 'no
cornerstone; and necessarily the celebration' con-
fined as Il was entirely within the building was
shorn of much of the pomp and ceremony by which
| IL would otherwise have been accompanied. Inc
OCCASION nevertheless, of the deepest ineres'
60 all Catholic citizens OF the United states, ana ono
which no American citizen can regard with indher-
| ence. -
In the record of the occurrences crowded into the
opening day the most striking perhaps, to the sen'
of history we'll to the artist, was the entry INTO
the banquet hall of the President of the United states,
which took place as the Cardinal Archbishop Oh
| Quebec the venerable Taschereau, was responding
10 the toast Of Our Universities murmur was
heard rising from the lower end Of the hail. whlch
caused the aged Cardinal to pause. Almost ins'an
taneously the assemblage had r,sen and burst
Of applause repeated again and again, announced the
| entry of the President AS he proceeded up the
| long room, under the guidance Of Dr. Garrgan VICE
rector Of the University, priest and preaIe grce'eu
! with respectful reverence the chief Of Marion OF
6b, 900 900 frcemen. As President Harrison reachen
| the head of the room he was warmly grce'cd
by Cardinal Gibbons, az whose side seat had peeh
reserved for him. At this table were already scared
| the two Cardinals, Gibbons and Taschereau, and
Monsgnor Satolli the Pope's delegate; Secretaries
Blaine, Noble and Rusk; the Archbishops OF Phla'
delphia and New-York the Archbishop of Montreai'
Bishop Kcane rector Of tho University; the Minister
of spain De Muruaga; Judge Leo Knott exAssistah'
Pos General the black vestre CT the laymen
contrasting strongly and picturcsQuely with the purple
of the prelaes and the brilliant scarlet OF the car
nails
The banquet hail. the President took his seat pro
sented, indeed, picture which must have impressed
even a chance observer Some fourscore prea'eS'
representatives from five different countries as
many ecclesiastics, including monsignori supcrors
of religious orders and the heads of educational In
situations, and few of the leading laymen OF Ile
Catholic Church. nonCatholic statesmen and dvines'
among the latter such men as Patton of Howard Scott
of Ohio. and Potter. at Hobart colleges, invited Dc
cause Of their standing in the educational wofid-ah
assembled under the presidency OF man spare VI
form and pale of face, man who, in capacity, ana
above all in judgment, has few peers In this country
and who Is known as James Cardinal Gibbons, Arch
bishop of Baltimore. solemnized the opening OF
great institution of learning devoted to the higher edu-
cation of American Catholics, both lay and clerical.
Mingled sparscly with the black coats OF lay and
cleric, and the gorgeous vestments Of the prelaes
were TO be seen whose names as munitcent
bcnefactors of the Institution will be forever identified
with II, among them the Misses Andrews, OF Boston,
and the Misses Drexel. Of Philadelphia
No less noteworthy, from tie artistic point OF view,
at any rate was the scene short time previously In
the chapel when Archbishop satolli was celebrating
the solemn high mass at the extemporized altar SO
laden with flowers and lights that It's temporary char
acter seemed almost completely cfaced. Conspicuous
among the prestly vestments were the blue and gold
of Generals Rosecrans and Vincent both present in
full uniform. Around and Just within the grounds
dense mass of humanity struggled for
vantage ground. and vainy wished the college
authorities had provided a chapel OF more ample
dimensions.
The religious services began with the blessing Of the
building. the grand procession around the exterior
walls having necessarily TO be abandoned and the
blessing and sprinkng Of the walls being limited TO
the long corridors. While this was going on. choir
OF supplied students mainly from Baltimore and
Washington, chanted the hymn "Veni Creator" fol
lowed by the cxxth, cxxth and exist Psalms, and
concluding with the Iitany Of the Saints. during which
the students stood the broad flight of stairs leading
up to the chapel doors, the Cardinal and attendants
meanwhile knoeng at the altar within Then began
the solemn high mass, celebrated by Monsignor sa-
toli the Papal delegate; the musical portion of tho
service being rendered by choir of tweny-sx male
singers, under the leadership of Dr. Joseph Graf The
mass by Francisco Witt, follower of PalleStrni
the introt, laudate and ona being Gregorian
and the gradual and Ofertory composed by DR.. Graf
After the mass, Bishop Gilmour, of Cleveland, IN
spite of the serious indspositiOn under which he
had labored during the last few days, preached an
eloquent and earnest sermon. The strong scotch
face of the venerable bishop, of the Oldest peates
of the American Catholic Church, lighted up with
enthusiasm as he dwelt, with all the ardor OF an
earnest lover of education upon the great celebration
of the day. II his audience was small one II GER
tainy made up in character what It lacked in Numbers.
for rarely has preacher addressed more illustrous
body. in its ranks was Ryan, Of Philadelphia, OF
stately presence and silver tongue, the orator OF t1e
sunday celebration Baltimore Ireland, OF ST. Paul,
whose vigorous and imprisoned oratory DIVIDED tho
honors Of last Sunday with his brother of Philadelphia
,Ia In
man and firm churchman; Elder. of Cincinnati. so
we'll remembered for his zeal behalf of his yellow
fever-stricken flock when Bishop of Natchcz; the
scholarly face of Bishop Virtue, representative OF the
British hierarchy the genial countcnance Of Monsgnor
Fabre Archbishop Of Montreal; the Bishop Of San
Luis Potosi, tho Mexican prelate-all these, and
many more less distinguished, dIscernible in
that small audience. The only representative of the
Cabinet in the chapel was Secretary Rusk, who
entered soon after the services had begun.
While the services were In progress in the chapel,
Father Fidelis erstwhie the Rev. James Kent Storm
president Of Kenyon College, Passlonist monk
preached to a crowded audience closely packed into
the largest lecture hall of the building. The
of Dr. Fideis without, and Of Bishop Gilmour within
the chapel closed the religious exercises for the fore
After them followed the banquet, prior TO which,
however, Secretaries Blaine and Noble appeared. fol
lowed soon after by Secretary Tracy, and later by
President Harrison whose arrival has already been
referred to, and who was in his turn, followed by
Vice-Prcsident and Mrs. Morton. The toasts follow
ing the banquet, and in Offering which Bishop Keane
showed himself a most graceful toast master, were
His Holiness, Pope Leo KILL" response by Monsignor
satolli; Our Country and her President response
by Secretary Blaine Our Sister Universities response
by Cardinal Taschcreau; The Hierarchy"
response by Cardinal Gibbons; "The Press
response by John Boyle O'Reily.
Monsgnor saton spoke In Latin but with such apt
gesture and facial expression that even novice In
Latin could catch the purport of his remarks In
mpancc with the earnest request of Bishop keanc,
President Harrison addressed few words of
graduation to the audience, declining, however, in
compliance with a previous understanding, 10 make
speech. lie said: