Evening star., 1903-07-20

been fairly we'll timed. for though the pc
| riod between the death of Plus TX and his
successor had been but short the eXcitemen t
over the election of the new pOntiff had
quite subsidcd. Our time was fortunate.
Cardinal McCloskcy was there and pre-
sented General Grant to his holiness. The
interview was of a most agreeable charac-
ter and left a very pleasant impression on
the general. The manners and habits of
Leo XIII of the simplest character, free
| from all pOmp and parade ana those who
had the honor to be present at this inter-
| view were struck by the quiet ease, dignity
| and impressiveness of his holiness.
1t is not generally known that Pope Leo
J was the younger son of an Italian count,
| and direct descendant of Rienzi, the IA
nous last Of the tribunes.
A Character Sketch.
F. Marion Crawford in a character
sketch of the pope. wrote:
| Born and bred in the keen air Of the
| Eclscian hills, he is southern Italian. but
| OF the mountains, and there is still about
| him something of the hill people. He has
| the long. lean. straight, broad shouldered
| frame of the true mountaineer, the mar
| velouSly bright eye, the eagle features, the
| well-knit growth of strength, traceable
| even in extreme old age; and in character
there is in him the well-balanced combina-
ton Of steady caution with an unerrng,
unhesitating decision, which appears In
| those great moments when history will
| not wait for little mems long phrases.
when the pendulum world is swinging its
| full strike, and when it is either glory or
! death to lay strong hands upon its weight
i But when 1T stops for time and hangs
| motionless, the little men gather about 1t.
and touch it boldly, and make theories
| about its next unrest.
| I'm the matter of physique, there is,
| indeed a resem bldnce between Leo XIII,
President Lincoln and Mr. Gladstone-long,
| snewy men, all three of bOny constitution
and indomtable vitality. with large skulls.
| L;.,l, ,l.aly hnr nd ito, iDu oil
| three men of great physical strength. of
profound capacity for study, of melancholic
disposition, and Of unusual eloquence.
| Born during the height of the conflict
between belief and unbelief Leo XIII.
! by a significant fatality, was raised
to the pontifcate when the kultur Kamnf
| was raging and the attention of the world
| was riveted on the deadly struggle between
the Roman Catholic Church and Prince
| Bismarck-a struggle in which the great
| chancellor found his equal. If net his mas
| ter
| Ranks High as a Peacemaker.
| "Straght- minded. honest and simple he
| is. yet keen, sensitive and nobly cautious;
| for there is nobility in him who risks a
| cause for the vanity of his own courage.
| and who, in blind hatred of his enemies.
| squanders the devotion of those who love
| him. In a sense. today, the greater the
man the greater the peacemaker. and Leo
|
| have helped the cause of peace in this CEN
| tury Leo XIII is the leader of great or
| ganZation of Christian men and women
| spreading all over the world; the leader OF
| a vast body of human thought; the leader
| of conservative army which Will play a
| large part in any coming struggle between
| anarchy and order. He may not be here
to direct when the battle begins. but he
will leave a strong position for his sue
cessor to defend, and great weapons for
| him to WELD, since he has done more to
simplify and strengthen the church's or
| ganiza ton than dozen popes have done
| in the last two centuries.
| Men of such character fight the cam
| paigns of the future many times over in
| their thoughts while all the world is at
peace around them. and when the time
| comes at last. though they themselves have
| gone. the spirit they. ca lied up stV lives to
| lead. the sword they forged lies ready for
| other hands. the roads they built are broad
| and straight for the march of other feet,
| and they themselves. in their graves. have
their sha1e in the victories that save man
| kind from social ruin"
Pope Leo as a Man.
Pope Leo as man-not as churchman,
but as plain everyday man. if one can
look at him in that light-deserves all the
| commenda ton in the world. for he has held
| back those inclinations that atflict mortal
| men and has kept in check his temper, his
| tongue and his appetite-mans three
! tempterS.
| In the twenty years of Leo's pontifcate
| he did not go from within the Vatican
walls. He regarded 1T as his workshop and
| his world. and lived in 1t.
When the pope accepted the high office
| to which he was elected. he did SO with
| constant prayer and with holy rejoicing
There was more of that sudden assunp-
| tior of power which marks many upon
| 4 rise to great worldly attainment. From
being Understanding preiate of the Ro-