The Irish standard., 1897-10-30
REV. DANIEL w. CAHILL, D. D.
One of the Most Eloquent and
Profound of His Age.
A FAMOUS cONTR0YERsIALlsT.
An Enthusiastic Admirer of the
American Republic.

The island of saints and scholars has
produced few more eloquent or devoted
sons than the Rev. Daniel William Ca
hill, whose name has been for half a
century a household word among the
Irish people everywhere.
He was born in Queens county iii
1876, his father being an eminent en-
gineer and surveyor. From his earliest
years he studied with earnestness the
pure mathematics, as we'll as the pop
ular sciences.
It would appear that his father in
tended him either for his own profess
sion, or for the army. And, indeed, as
regards physique, spirit and nobility of
presence, it would not be easy to find
better material for soldier. He was
of Irish and Spanish origin, and in his
bearing, temperament and splendid bod
lily development, combined the promin-
ent characteristics of both races. AS
he humorously remarked in one of his
lectures, he was as tall sitting as most
men standing, He was six feet five
inches in stature, of majestic and grace
full proportions, and every movement
denoted grace, energy and power. His
head" says his biographer, "was like
that of Canova's best masterpiece,
model which a phrenologist would Sc
lect as a specimen of perfect develop
pent and when he became animated in
the course of lecture, sermon, or pub
lie address, the great intellectual power
of the man beamed from his counter
ance, and especially from his dark, deep
eye-the reflex of his genius"
And the triumphant success of his
eloquence attended him in the broader
arena of religious controversy, of polem-
ical and political fitting; in historical
analysis and research; in short, every
department of literature in which he
took the field he was general in tao
tics, as we'll as a giant in combat. Nat
urally gifted with uncommon fluency Of
speech, he cultivated it into a style of
unsurpassed clearness, flexibility and
power In this style are presented
throughout his career some of the no.
b1est productions of genius, whether we
regard poetical inspiration, logical acu-
men, depth of erudition, or power of elu-
cidation.
After studying at Carlow College fol.
some time he entered Maynooth, where
he studied philosophy and theology un-
der the late Archbishop McHale. After
his ordination, in 1924, he was for some
time professor of philosophy in Carlow
College.
When Ireland was emerging from the
horrible famine-years of unparalleled
misery-Dr Cahill passed over to Eng
land, and spent four years, from 1851 to
1855, almost wholly in that country. 1t
was at this period that he commenced
his series of public letters to Lord John
Russell, and his eloquent denunciation
of the free-trade policy forced upon the
people of Ireland, resulting in the deci-
nation of the people by emigration and
starvation, created a profound impress
sion throughout Europe.
DR.. Cahill was an enthusiastic admir-
er of America and American institu-
tions. He visited the United States in
1860, and received an enthusiastic re-
ception from Americans of every race
and creed. After four years of constant
travel and lecturing for charitable pur-
poses, DR.. Cahill died at Boston, on
Oct. 27, 1864. His remains were inter-
red in Hollywood cemetery, in that city,
where they rested for twenty years.
= In 1885 some gentlemen in ireland
wrote to the editor of the Irish World
that the last request of DR.. Cahill should
be gratiied-namely, that his remains
should he inferred in his native land.
In response to this letter, the Irish
World opened fund for the purpose of
carrying out the last wishes Of this
illustrious priest, to which it's many
readers very generously responded. The
contribution having reached a. sufficient
amount, and the many details having
been perfected, the remains of DR.. Ca
hill were exhumed and attended by
many Irish patriotic societies and civil
ians, were taken, on Feb. TO- to the
Catholic cathedral in Boston, where
Archbishop Williams, assisted by many
priests Of the diocese, celebrated mass.
After the ceremony was finished the re.
mains, attended by large concourse of
people, were conveyed to the station,
and by special train were brought to
New York. Upon arriving in New York