The Irish standard., 1894-06-02
PRIEST VETERAN.
The Career of Rev. Walter Elliott,
of the Paulist Congregation,
Ably Sketched.
TWO OUT OF THREE BROTHERS

TWO OUT OF THREE BROTHERS
Perish on Southern Battlef1elds
While Fighting for the Preser-
walton Of the Union.
"see you the mountains look huge at eve?
so is our chieftain in battle.'
r This much, at least, of Thomas Davis's
picture Of O'Brien of Ara applies with
peculiar force to the impression of Father
Elliott, either as soldier Of the Church
militant or soldier fighting FOR the pre-
sergation Of the Union, says John j.
O'Shea in the Catholic Columbian.
Physically, he is son of Anak; intel
lectual]y, he towers, too, in his breath of
view, in his comprehension of the spirit
of the time, and the adaptability of the
Catholic system to it's need. in the selec-
tion Of arguments by which to reach the
understanding and the conscience OF
those whom he sets out to convince, in
the aptitude of his style and the stand
ard of eloquence which he adopts.
Purity, simplicity, directness, force, and
the following up of his premises with au
irresistible logic to their only true con-
clusion, are the salient characteristics of
the addresses which fall from hin. in pull
pit and on platform. They are charac-
teristics of the man ikewise-for mans
utterances, spoken or written, are, save
in the case of the Talleyrand epoch, part
and parcel of his own mental fibre.
Perhaps in these unmistakable marks
and tokens of his style we may trace the
leaven of an anterior habit and training
as we'll as the natural tendency of the
character upon which these requirements
have been superimposed.
Before he thought of joining the
Church Father Elliott had been q lawyer.
Education for the law needs special
system; definitions are as necessary as in
theology; a man must habituate himself
to dlrectness of statement all the time il
he would be successful lawyer, he is a
profound and subtle student and analyst
of the human mind. It is his very mas
terry and comprehension Of detail which
gives the power that is called subtility
and the power of,sXnthesie, as the great
est masters of "foadness' in painting
have usually been the most accomplished
in it's minutie in their earlier days. The
successful missionary must be able,
above all things, to state his case clearly
when requested to come down to partic'
ulars, he must be ever ready to meet the
exigency. The habit of threshing Out
knotty points of law, and the practice o1
extempore debating, Indispensable to al
lawyers must be found to be of vast ben
eft IN career whose aim it is to gair
over mems minds and souls by the simple
force of persuasion.
The law, however, was not the only
profession outside the priesthood il
which Father Elliott had the advantage
of disciplinary courses for nerve an6
brain, to say nothing of body, which, il
he but survived them, must be OF infinite
service later on. On the rough field O.
war he took out his degrees with honors
before he had gone in for any others
When the imperilled Union called tx
arms, three members of the family an
swered to the summons, and two of then
sealed their devotion to it with their lft
blood. On the immortal field of Gettys
burg Major Robert Elliott and hi!
brother William, met the soldiers death
but the future priest was reserved fol
conquest more glorious than those of th'
field of battle. Although he was engaged
in some of the most sanguinary and OBJ
stinately contested struggles of those
dismal days, he got through them scath
less, save for being imprisoned for some
months in Belle Isle, Richmond. Ate
while he was released on exchange
and then retired from military life, a
the death Of his brothers had thrown do
nestle affairs in such plight as de
manded his presence at home t.
help in extricating them. Soon after
wards, finding it necessary to decide upol
an ayocation for life, Walter Elliott be
gan the study Of law. Hisearlier educa
tion, which had been acquired in th,
schools Of the Christian Brothers, wa
good, so far as it went. He had llttl,
difficulty in mastering the additiona
studies required for the qualification Of
lawyer. He passed his examination in ,
short time, and then entered on the prac
itice Of his profession. I.
| This was In the year 1859. Walter 81
llott was then twenty eight years old
He was born in the year 1841, and swhel
The first shouldered . musket for 81,
Union he was bnt sniinet ;yeals of age
But he g . +. g rsrnarlk 81 lkahl.
Tor esrIy iiml,s T. = q g q lsvsol