Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-07
FATHER McGLYNN'S AMBITION
His Application for the Italian Mission
Said to Be an Affront to the Vatican.
The Relations of the Vatican and King
ing Gossip From New York.

Humberts COurt-sOme Interest-
ing Gossip From New York.
Holland the New York correspondent Of
the Philadelphia Press writing about the
reported effort of Father McGlynn to Sc
cure the appointment Of ambassador to
Italy. says: There are some things which
| indicate that DIR. McGlynn as far back as
1884. when he supported Grover Cleveland,
had political ambition in his heart. His
public speeches in favor of MIR. Cleveland.
the influence which he eXerted with that
great throng who afterward supported Hen
ry George for mayor, contributed very large
ly to the success Of Mr.. Cleveland that year.
Those who have known most of DIR. Nc
Glynns life have felt assuI ed that after
Mr.. Cleveland became President the doctor
was disappointed, although there has never
been any credible statement to the oc-
casion of that disappointment. But there
are many persons who were even then per
suaded that DIR. McGlynE expected that the
President would recog lize his services by
appointing him to a pest of high honor
and responsibility. These men are asking
today, Can it be that DIR. McGlynn then
expected or hoped that Mr. Cleveland would
offer the Italian mission to him.? His dis
appointment was SO great that it led to the
belief that in the campaign of 1883, when
1t was said that he voted for General Har-
rison, he sought by such means to repay
what he deemed to be the ingratitude Of
Mr.. Cleveland
DIR: McGlynn did not take a very active
pare in the campo ign of last year, but so
lar as ne used his influence at all it was
In favor of the return of Mr.. Cleveland to
the White House. During the election pc
Rod of 1897, DIR. McGyEn was engaged in
the ecclesiastical politics which resulted in
his securing the favor Of Monsignor Satolli
ana after the election to his visit to Rome
'. here he was received by the pope, OBJ
tanned me papal blessing and upon his re-
turn TO this country vas permitted to re-
sumo his priestly functions.
DIR. McGiynn's Application.
Dr. McGlynn must at the very time that
ne was in Rome have been cultivating his
ambition to represent this government at
the quirinal Yet he seems to have acted
with that political skill which, had he chos-
en- politics instead of the church as a pro-
fession, would have made him a master in
that field. The first application sent to Mr..
Cleveland was written and delivered before
CleVelands inauguration as President last
March. and DIR. McGynn has professed that
thls step was taken without his knowledge.
IL may De that there is truth in that asser-
ton. but the friends who took II must have
judged Or. McGlynn's disposition accurate
ly, since. when he learned of 1t, he did not
protest or repudate, but, still showing his
political skill, wrote a personal letter to Mr.
Cleveland. in which, while not seeming to
ask for the post, nevertheless he intima tes
that he will not disclaim if the honor is
rendered to him. That Is a sort of left
handed application, and Mr.. Cleveland must
nave regarded 1t as such, since he treated It
ana the direct presentation of Dr. Nc
GIynn's name, which had been made by the
rather SNlVpSrar oil nj
TWO others. with a curious and unusual
manner of slight
Not long after Mr.. Cleveland became
President. it was known to the other marty
IN the church here that DR.. McGlynn's
trends had made this applica ton and that
ne hau' In manner supported it, and for
some weeks diligent effort was made to
OBTAIN reliable statement of the facts, so
that the vatican could know that at the
very time that Father McGlynn had been
humbling himself before the pope he had in
fnlnd the acceptance of responsibilities
WINCH according to the view of the vatican,
no good Catholic, certainly no priest worthy
to perform priastly Offices would think for
a moment of mourning.
McGlynn and the State Department.
we come now to another feature of this
remarkable story, which may incidentally
throw side light upon the relations of Sec-
rotary Gresham to his own department.
Some weeks ago a gentleman representing
at least indirectly those who have the in
| terests of Archbishop Corrigan at heart
went to Secretary Gresham saying Il I'M
derstand that DR.. McGlynn has made appli-
cation. or did apply before the appointment
of Mr.. Van Allen. for the post of minister to
the italian court, and should like TO see
the Doctors application, as well as those of
his friends who Endorsed it
secretary Gresham expressed surprise
that such statement should be made to him
md hn Anll
error, since DIR. McGlynn had made no such
application, nor had any of his friends rec
commended his appointment to that office
Inc gentleman went away somewhat
amazed. believing Secretary Gresham to be
man of truth, and yet confident that his
own information was not Incorrect He
communicated with those who had asked
MIN to perform this mission and they as
sured him that Judge Gresham was either
ignorant of some of the records of the de-
partment made since he became its head or
else that his reply had been technically de-
ceiving.
Mr. Gresham Found the Letters,
80 this gentleman returned to the State
Department and insisted that the records
must show the application of DIR. McGIynn's
friends and letters of his own to the Pres
ident. Mr.. Gresham, being somewhat per
suaded. went to the proper room and soon
after returned, saying, with every mani
festation of surprise, that he had discovered
that there were such letters on file. but that
he had not before that known of their ex-
istence. He declined to furnish copies of
the letters for publication, but when his Wis
itor suggested that it was of the highest
Importance that copies of them should be
furnished for transmission to Rome AMI not
for publication, Mr., Gresham seemed to
give consent that such should be made of
them. Whether exact copies of the letters
were taken or whether mere abstracts were
furnished. have been unable to learn; but
this much | know, that sufficient summary
of them was secured, and that this was
cabled to Rome not many days ago and by
this time has been presented to the pope
incidentally, it occurs that MIR Cleve-
land. to whom these communications were
personally addressed, must, after reading
them, have dismissed them with contempt
so ignominiously, in fact that he caused
them to be sent to the State Department
without even referring them to Secretary
Gresham, and that they were placed upon
file by the proper subordinate of that de-
partment without ever having come under
the Secretary's eye.
But ii may interest Father McGlynn's
friends to know that. subtle as are his pol
itcs. keenly guided as he has been by some
factions of the church. there are men of
vast experience. great cunning and subtlety
watching and waiting upon the other side;