The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-21

: In Leo a truly great and good man
passes from earth. The extraordinary, the
unparalleled interest with which the
world this last fortnight kept vigil around
B the Vatican where the old hero battIed
dramatically with grim death is the mag
nif1cent tribute to Leo which nothing
could ever have evoked, save unusual
grandeur of soul and unusual feats the
offspring of that grandeur. In the death
of Leo humanity realizes that an orb of
light such as is seldom seen to dominate
b the high skies of its moral and intellec-
D tual armament. has fallen. making
mighty void which soon again may not be
D filed
D Great and good Leo truly was, fashion
ed so by nature and by grace divine.
What a mind Loftiest it was in Wis
ion, reaching out to vastest horizons,
B thought and truth. To have sat at his
knee and heard him tell of the sights he
saw, of the dreams he dreamt. or pur-
posings, of plans begotten of his sights
and dreams, was to be made to forget for
moment earth's common limitations and
I to behold human life and destiny as
action that mind of Leo was, how piercing
4 in. glance. Hours wc~.d have been spent
with others in setting a problem before
them and detail had to follow detail, be-
fore they had grasped it's bearing A
few minutes with Leo, few brief ex-
plantations, a reply rapid questionings
from himself, the problem was understood
and the solution given. How rich and va
ried the store of knowledge. He was we'll
versed he would travel from literature.
art and science, theology and diplomacy,
where the cultured scholar.
And then he was ambitious to
put to profit his talents; am
When he assembled the pontifical throne
) he resolved that so far as opportunity
came his would be a historic pontifi-
md To thot nn6 nn rod
} sciously his life during:
His greatness included good or at least
without goodness, greatness is no boon to
humanity Leo was good man. He
} shone in every virtue. His life was I'M
sullied. He was deeply imbued with the
spirit of faith He lived and worked
minded disinterestedness OF purpose, most
absolute enduring of self to his Office
haracterized by. his thoughts and acts.
Made he was to win the hearts of men,
He was simple and loving as a child in
his intimate relations with people who
came into his presence. Considerate and
tactful, sweet of temper and kindleSt
word He met kings and peasants, men
of highest social rank and of lowest-an
bowed before his graciousness and whis-
pered to him words of affection and de-
votion. great man requires besides
his native greatness, greatness in set
ting, greatness in opportunities. All this
was given in superabundance to Leo
There is no other post of honor and duty
so elevated, SO sublime. as the Roman
pontificate, the treasury of centuries of
inspirations. the worlds chair of moral
authority, ruling directly 100000 900. of
every tribe and every nation, ruling indi-
rectly by tile silent prestige of it's name
!, and power, by the vast spiritual force Of
its life and teachings. entire humanity.
, Into that pontifcate Leo entered In it
he reigned as only two of his predeces-
sors reigned. quarter of "a century
leaving posterity to say, as he closes the
last pages of his record, that in him
the Catholic church has had one of the
) most wondrous of her wondrous sover-