The evening times., 1899-08-25
POPE LE0'S SUCCESSOR
French Influence in the College of
Cardinals.
The Ambition Of RampOlIa Is an Al
lance Between the Papacy and the
Feels That He VIII Continue to
Live Till He Ia Ninety-Five Years
(From the Gaulois.l

well, the Pope Is Ill. You don't love
him very dearly. although you profess for
his genius the most sincere admiration.
ANY news from the Vatican?''
Yes. but nothing very favorable. How
ever, after all. do not believe that Leo
XIII will die in bed. He will die like Rich
elieu, leaning upon his political will. which
at last will reveal to US the spirit and the
essence of his nineteenth century policy.
Superstitious, like Napoleon / and Sextus
Quintus. he believes In horoscopes. and, ae-
cording to them, he will live to be as old
as his grandfather-that is to say, until be
reaches the age OF ninety-five. He is firmly
convinced that God will preserve him at the
head Of the Church until the day when he
shall have solved the Russian problem, the
Roman problem, and the French problem.
His doctor, Lapponi, said to me one day;
The Holy Father will go out like lamp
without oil or he will be carried away by
some violent emotion-a great Joy or
profound disappointment
That was also the opinion of the Able
kneipp, who saved the life of Cardinal
Monaco della Valietta, who died some
time afterward, but recommended the
honest and rustic priest of Woerischoffen
to Leo XIII. To the Able Kneipp the
Pope spoke of his infrmities, the pains in
his knees and mis- cyst. The priest eX-
planned TO him the great virtues OF his
treatment. and the Pope consented to be
treated by him. NJ. de Bahaine presented
the case to Cardinal Rampol!a, who
alarmed the Pope and dissuaded him from
following the advice of Able Kneipp. But
the Pope had already had time to take his
first cold bath. Instead OF taking the sec-
ond he made the Able Monsignor The
Bavarian was furious. 1 would have made
him live a hundred years. said he, with
Indignation, but, after all, uotwithstald-
ing the grave error which he has just Com-
mitted he will live very long time. His
infiTmities give perfect freedom 10 his
brain. He is happy man. He has no
body Just here l was about 10 repeat
what Nine. Reeamier said about JoIbert
but, as l suspected that Monsignor Kreipp
had not read French Cassie literature, l
swallowed my quotation. MonsigEo:
Kneipp went on: Yes, when the Pope
took his first bath under my Instructions,
| was startled. For the first time in my
life l found myself in the presence of a
phantom. That man can never die like
other men, and the Able went away
laughing heartily"
But suppose Leo XIII should die. what
then would happen? What would We do?
Who would be the White Man OF tomoF-
row. And the conclave?"
Now, you ask me grave and delicate
questions. 1t seems TO me that N. Del
casse foresaw the case. That Teridioaal
has Catholic blood in his veins. He uE-
derstaads the knot in the affairs o. Rome
and Italy. | do not know what NJ Nisard
has borrowed from our great ambassadors
of former days. from NJ. d'Estree, from
the Due de Nivernais. from Chateau
BRAND and from Behaine. But our task
is easy. We have the astonishing COOL
luck TO have in the College OF Cardinals
the abiest Frenchman or Francophi.e in
Europe, Cardinal Rampoila- a mystical
Sicillan, gentle and passionate ike ST.
Francois de Sales, with lofty ambition. he
is Secretary of State from duty and from
affection for Leo XIII, who has taught him
just as the Able Joseph taught Riehelieu-
Cardinal Rampolla has only one sentiment
the collaboration of the Papacy witl
France, and one interest. alliance with
France Although independent. he viii
constantly guide his policy on those lines.
Now, have patience, Whatever may be our
political sentiments, we must adnil that
in exterior matters We have enc ideal
only: The power and glory OF France.
Cardinal Rampolla is a worker for our
glory and our influence"
viii he consent 10 be the eandidate?
Il do not know. In politics tEera is 10
system; there is only tie mise en- scene.
To foresee to become strong. and TO pre-
pare, there you have the great political
art. II, in spite OF our efforts, Cardinal
Rampolla should resist what would happen
to US? If the Secretary of State should re-
fuse to be the candidate We would be
Obliged TO take his candidate. AS great
elector he would be even more powerful
There seems to be in the mysterious world
of the Vatican what we call combina-
zione presented in the candidacy of Cardi-
nal Pietro. Gentle and good, moderate and
pious, the former nuncio OF Madrid, who
succeeded Monsignor Rampolla del Tin
daro would be a new Plus VII, and the
present Secretary OF State would be his
Consalvi. And il God should give to
France new Bonaparte We will make him
forget the road to Fontainebleau. The
struggle will be lively? Who knows?
But, after all, the thing that is certain Is
that the duel will be full of interest Be-
tween France and Germany agreement is
not now so easy as it was in 1878. The
Kaiser it is true spoiled his chances. By
donning the helmet of Godfrey of Bouillon.
William ii brought out with too much
eclat his desire to take the lead il religious
affairs. He spoke to the stage wings like
a newly crowned tenor, in the imperious
style of Lohengrin. The b-inde5t see
now, and the most indolent are on the
alert. His great chaplain. Cardinal Kopp,
Will no longer find Galimberti. The Ro-
mans are suspicious; the Cardinals are
forewarned."
do you believe that the Cardinals o.
the crown in France would be with Cardi-
nal Rampolla? Would they not cross
themselves in silence on hearing even the
name Of the Secretary of State?'
do not become confused in sentiment
and hypothesis. Let US stand on solid
ground. Our Cardinals have preferences
That is their right. But they also know
the interest of France and they realize It,
That is their duty. The Rampolla faction,
the Kopp faction, and the partition wall
faction, or, in other words, the centre,
will all declare war against each other.
In the melee our Cardinals will have only
one motto France and Montjoie.' The
Gallic blood will put into the Roman
ballot box the vote Of the victorious. But
let us suppose the impossible. Let US ad-
NIT that We may be beaten. What then?
The next day the new Pope Will be our
friend He will court our friendship. Be-
tween Rome and us alliance is eternal.
Our Bishops, coming back from Italy.
have often said. in melancholy tones:
Everybody is anti-French in Rome De-
luded men, they only saw the great Ro-
man facade. In the congregations, during
the congressi, Cardinals always vote for
US and with US. They always act with
great tact. At the table in the ante-cham-
Der of the Secretary of State they follow
only one policy: the fundamental interest
of the Papacy and OF the Church. Some
times become angry when hear Partisan
| fools talking about the reaction that we
must witness under the future Pope,
There will be no reaction, because there
| Is no personal policy in Rome. AS the
rs..- ~