The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-09
THE PAPAL CONCLAVE.
Cardinal Gibbons Describes the
Election Of Plus K.
he PLEADED AGAINST PROMOTION


sarto ImpIored His Colleagues Not
to Choose Him as Successor to Leo
xIII.-ABsoIute Freedom and Fair
ness Marked the Election.
At a service Of thanksgiving for the
election Of the new pontiff, Plus q,
recently held in the cathedral at Bal
tmore, Cardinal Gibbons, who preached
for the first time since his return from
Rome, gave an impressive description
Of the eonelave and OF the new pontif,
says the New York World. lie said in
part:
"The c0neiave marks new and inn
portant era In the annals Of the Amer
lean Catholic church. This Is the first
time ia the history Of the Christian
religion that the United States or any
part of this western hemisphere was
ever associated with the other nations
of Christendom in selecting successor
to the chair Of Peter.
II should not be at all surprised IL
/ iii the next conclave the Catholic
church Of tie United States win be
represented by several members of the
sacred college. so that the number Of
cardinals from our country may be
commensurate with the population, the
grandeur and the commanding infu-
ence Of the nation, and may be in keep
ing also with the numerical strength
Of our hierarchy and laity and the
splendor aud progress Of our religious
and charitable institutions.
Il was present at the eonclave and
took part in its proceedings, and with
out revealing its secrets can most
positively assure you and the AmeFi-
can people that the election Of the
pope was conducted with absolute free
dom, with tile utmost fairness and inn
partiality and with a dignity and So
| lemnity becoming the august assem-
blage OF the sacred college and the mo-
mentous consequences OF their suf-
frages.
Il have witnessed debates In the
British parliament, in the French
chambers and til both houses Of CON
gress, and must candidly say that III
sobriety of language and in courteous
department Of members toward one
another the college Of cardinals sur
I passed them all. And this is the more
noteworthy when we consider that
some twelve different nationalities.
swayed By as many national charac-
teristics, were represented in the as-
sembly. on leaving the III stine chapel
at the conclusion Of the c-nelaye and
contemplating the overruling action Of
the Holy Ghost on these heterogeneous
elements exclaimed, The finger Of
God is heres
The votes for Cardinal Sarto stead
| ily increased from the first to the sew
enth ballot, on which he was elected.
When the cardinal observed that the
SURFACES for him were augmendng. he
was visibly disturbed. and in fervent
speech he implored his colleagues not
to regard him as a candidate. Contrary
to his wishes the votes for him I'm
| creased. He then became alarmed. and
In q second speech in most pathetic ian
guage be again besought the cardinals
to forget his name. as he could not ac-
cept a burden too heavy for him to
( bear
IAN were moved by the modesiy and
I transparent sincerity Of the man. When
+ he resumed bis seat his cheeks we're
suffused with bushes. tears were gush-
Ing from his eyes, ana his body trem-
bled with emotion. It was only after
some Of the leading cardinals entreated
him to withdraw bis opposition that he
| finally and reluctantly consented to
abide by the win OF God and accept the
sacrifice. Never did a prisoner make
greater efforts to escape from lis con
i'inement than did Cardinal sarto to
escape from the yoke Of the papacy.
With his Divine Master, he exclaimed:
Father, if it be possible, let this ehallce
pass from me. Nevertheless. not my
will, bat thine be done.
when his election was officially an.
nounced. lis forid countenance assum-
ga q deathly pallor and restoratives
were applied I'd save him from faint
ing So little did Cardinal Sarto expect
to be the choice of his colleagues that
on setting ont for Rome he purchased
a return ticket to his home in Venice.
Plus y. IS in his sixty-nlnth year.
The virtues Of humility. sincerity, can
dor and beneyolence are stamped on
bis features. can characterize him fin
one sentence Pr saying that he ii a
man Of God and man Of the people