The Irish standard., 1901-06-29
The subject of this sketch, Archbish-

The subject Of this sketch, Archbish-
on John Hughes, was born at Anna
loghan, county Tyrone, ireland, on
June "a, 1897, and died in New York
city, it's first archbishop, Jan. 3, 1864.
The sixty-six years of his busy life
may be divided into three periods-the
period of preparation from his birth to
his ordination as priest; the period
from his ordination to his conservation
az bishop of New York, and the period
from his conservation to his death.
Let us briefly consider these three Pc
RODS, says the Irish World.
In the first we find all the qualities
that made him great in the second and
third. He had great talent, greater
application and eminent Christian vir-
tue. That he had talent is shown in
the facility with which he learned, the
grace and force with which he wrote,
the eloquence with which he preached
and the skill with which he ruled men.
Although poverty prevented him
from enjoying the advantages OF
liberal education in his youth, still
such was his love for letters that he
soon attained degree Of excellence in
literature, in the classics and in the
ology by his own unaided efforts. At
last he entered college, Mount st.
Mary's, at Emmitsburg, Ind, and
there trying his pen both in verse ana
in prose he succeeded fairly in both.
Seldom do we find f1rst-class college
graduate able to write poem so good
as ..The Slave" the "Ode to Death"
or the lines "To the Home of My Fa-
thers," written by him while he was
struggling in early manhood with the
classical authors whom the young COLI
lege boys at Mount ST. Mary's had al
ready mastered. 1t is true he had not
the poetic genius Of a Moore or
Byron, but he had imbibed their spirit,
and had some Of their poetic talent.
In prose the early writings in the
Centinel of Gettysburg gave promise
of the force and sarcasm which were
afterward characteristic Of the clear,
sharp cut phrases Of the ''Letters to
Kirwan." Those letters remind one Of
Junius, and contain sentences Of
which even Thackeray might be proud.
The directness, clearness and humor
of the archbishop's mind are here fully
revealed, as we'll as the strong sarcas-
tic, controversial and imperious tone Of
: his character.
That the second period of his life
would show not only great qualities Of
intellect but Of will, was evident to
those who had known the man in
early youth. He had an unbending
will. He had made up his mind as a
boy that he would be priest, and so
through poverty and toll he hewed
away the impediments that barred the
realization of his purpose. How Rem
brandt would have loved to paint the
young farmer of Tyrone pouring over
Virgil and Cicero by the light Of 4
creased rush, to fit himself for the
priesthood. His constant application
to study lasted to the end of his life.
Few men burned more midnight oil
than he. Even in old age he did not
lose his love Of books. but studied
them with the ardor of youth. All
through his priestly life, even when
administering large parish, listening
to the complaints Of the people, sooth-
ing their sorrows or settling their dis
putes, his pen and his tongue were
busy teaching them Christian doctrine.
explaining and refuting error.
His lance was always couched at the
enemies to the church and woe to him
who felt the thrust of the strong and
fearless knight Of the unerring aim. 1t
was the style at the end of the eigh-
teenth and the beginning OF the last
century to have public oral discussions
in religion. Ireland had many of them,
Of which the most celebrated are those
Of "Pope and Mcguire" and "Gregg
and Mcguire" Great were many of
the Irish controversialists. In the