The Irish standard., 1901-06-29
AS Champion of Catholicity He Entered
the Polemical Arena with
Great Success.
Went on Diplomatic Mission to Europe
for the Union Cause During
the Rebellion.

United States Bishop England, Of
Charleston, and Archbishop Purcell, Of
Cincinnati, were also celebrated in
controversy.
But Father Hughes among them all
was facile princeps. His treatment Of
Breckenridge, the Presbyterian Coli
ath, of Philadelphia, can never be for
gotten. The Catholic priest not only
defeated him in argument, but excelled
him in good temper and courage. Cour-
age counted for much in those days,
for it was sometimes as much as a
mans life was worth to face an audi
ence as champion of the Catholic
church in many Of our cities. When
Father Hughes gallantly challenged
the most popular and the most fashion
able anti-Catholic preacher in Philadel-
phia, met him on the rostrum and dis
comfited him in the presence Of his ad-
mirers, many feared for the life Of the
daring priest. But he feared no one.
1t was shortly after this event that
he was made bishop of New York. He
came first as coadjutor to the old
Bishop Dubois, who, owing to the in
irmities Of age, could no longer gov
ern his diocese. His people were nearly
all Irish. A bad spirit prevailed among
many Of them, and factions were nu-
merous in the different parishes. They
were controlled by laymen, by trustees
who assumed the right not only to ad-
minister the church and school funds,
but to rule the priests and even the
bishop himself.
It required then and there man Of
courage, tact and eloquence to restore
church law and order. Such man
was the young bishop. He rushed into
the thick of the fight, carried the peo-
pie with him by his eloquence, defeated
the trustees wherever he. met them in
opposition, and in a short time re-estab-
lished ecclesiastical discipline. No
bishop ever held such sway over a
flock in America. His word was law.
Priests and people followed him, and
for long time most Of them would
have followed him to the death.
He found them despised and hated
minority in the American community.
He lifted them up, healed their dissen-
sions, commanded their obedience, and
then he turned on their enemies and
with tongue and pen, by lectures, by
pamphlets, by articles in the newspa-
pers, he attacked and exposed their
ignorance or malice and stood ever in
the front rank fighting for his beloved
church and people He was man Of
wonderful activity and vigor, travelling
constantly through. his vast diocese,
which at one time comprised the two
states Of New York and New Jersey,
|dedicating new churches, administering
the sacrament of confirmation and or
ganizing schools. Wherever he went it
thundered, and the lightnings struck
the foes of Catholicity.
The greatest proof of his wonderful
foresight and ardent zeal is found in
the fact that nearly every great work
now existing in the diocese was begun
by him. He began the cathedral, he
established seminary, he founded the
Protectory; he introduced the teaching
orders-the Jesuits, the present Sisters
Of Charity, the Ladies' of the Sacred
Heart, the Christian Brothers, and he
founded many parochial schools. For
them he fought a great battle, but did
not win a complete victory because Of
the cowardice or the greed of the Cath
olic politicians who betrayed him.
His four hours speech in defense of
Catholic education against the most
prominent lawyers and Protestant cler-
gymen of the city was probably his
greatest extemporaneous effort He
saw his diocesan city grow in size and
population and he grew with it in
grasp and power. Rome, Of which he
was always loyal son, raised him to
the dignity Of archbishop and if he had
lived longer would probably have con-
ferred on him a cardinals hat.
The civil powers recognized his value