The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-20
LAST OF A GREAT TRIO
LEO ONE or THE GREAT STATESMEN
OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
His Work i'm Aid OF Peace and Uni
versaI Observation-Disclosures the
Condition of the Race.

great European statesmen OF the century
During recent years Gladstone Bismarck
and Pope Leo stood high above all other Iiy-
ing statesmen or Europe A little further
back come TO such men as Count Cavour
and Theirs and Guizot; further back still TO
such men as Canning. and then we are
among the great names that belong to the
earlier part or the century. In recent years
however, Gladstone. Bismarck and Pope
Leo stood alone, and now the last of the
great trio Is nearing his end
desire 10 judge Leo XIII only as a
statesman, and not as an ecclesiatic.
The Inspiration of his whole career may.
b. described as passion of philanthrophy,
40 adopt the words which Gladstone in my
own hearing applied to Daniel O'Connell:
TO improve the condition or the toiling
classes al over the world. to mitigate the
troubles of the overtaskeG, to abolish slav-
e.y in every form, white and black; TO light
the load of the heavily laden, to spread
the gospel of peace among all nations"
These were the great purposes of Leo's
career IT is doing no moro than bare JUS
tice 10 the motives which seem always to
have guided him when We say that his am
hitiOn was TO make the life of the Pontifr
a practical illustration o. peace, good will
and moral and intellectual advancement
among men.
Leo came 10 the throne of the papacy at a
time when the worldly foundat ions of that
Pope has had no temporal sovereignty left
70 him. and il must be owned that the sym
7athy Of the civilized world went for the
most part with that united Italy TO whose
its temporal possessions Leo's predeces-
sOr Plus IN, was man of pure and ex-
allied purpose, but he was almost altogether
an eccleS1aSt1c and he had few OF the quail
itiss of a statesman. He was not man en-
lowed with the peculiar capacity which
might have enabled him to regain for the
p2pacy that influence which the arising or
new conditions and the spread OF new ideas
seemed at the time to have taken from il
forever. Leo XIII appears TO have from
the beginning of his rule made up his mind
20 be recovered by a mastery OF the new
IDEAS and an acceptance as far as possible
Of the new conditions. The Pope has been
. student from his earliest years. There is
a distinct suffusion of the poetic in his ma
tUre. which has found expression, indeed,
in the composition of many fine pieces OF
given him that which has been of far
greater Importance to his career-that
quality OF dramatic instinct which enables
"A man to enter into the nature and Feelings
Of other men, and without which there can
DE no really creative craftsmanship.
LIFE OUTSIDE ROME.
The Pope has seen a good deal Of life
outside the papal city. He has been papal
nunciO at Brussels, where he had the OPP
pOrtunity OF conversing with statesmen from
all countries. He visited Paris. He visited
London, and was presented to Queen Vic
toria. He seems TO have very soon made
up his mind that not much was to be gained
for the influence of the papacy by it's set
ting itself into active antagonism with what
might have been called the revolutionary
forces. which. according to the pessimistic
views OF many of his fellow churchmen.
had taken possession OF all the cabinets OF
Europe When he became Pope he set
about what he conceived TO be the work of
the papacy. just as II nothing had hap
pened to interfere with its progress. He re-
solved, apparently, to make the papacy an
example TO the Christian world instead of
wasting his strength and his influence by
trying 10 contend against the physical con-
ditions which had left to the Pope but the
Vatican and its gardens as his worldly do
main. OF couse, he surrendered nothing or
his predecessor had done, TO recognize
the King of Italy's title to the. ownership
of Rome. But he spent little of his time
in futile efforts to resist the physical mas
terry Of the new conditions, and he made it
his task above all things to prove that the
moral influence of the papacy was not TO be
Circumscribed by the limitations of the
Popes earthly possessions. 1t must be
owned that during his time the progress
made by united Italy has not altogether
satisfied the hopes or all those who repoiced
over the expulsion of the Austrians, and
the Bourbons, and the abolition OF the petty
sovereignttes and the union or Italy under
one crown. Italy has her destiny yet to
her country terribly overtaxed, with a
population crushed TO an almost unex-
ampled degree by the expenditure necessary
-
great European power.
A LOVER OF HUMANITY.
Pope Leo has seemed to say to all the
world: MY business in life is the welfare
OF humanity. 1 am the apostle of peace and
universal brotherhood. 1 offer my media
ton as an agent of peace and of brother
hood in all quarrels where the disputants
are willing to receive my counsel and my
help" He has had some hard battles to
night, and for all his sweet, genial and pa
Cihc ature he has fought out his battles to
the end where compromise did not seem
possible, and by his principle or passive re-
sistance he has generally contrived TO come
or victorious. All the world looked on with
interest while he battled for what ne De-
ieved TO be the cause OF religious liberty
against no less an antagonist than Prince
Bismarck, the greatest statesman then Nv
ing on the European continent. Bismarck
had loudly proclaimed that whatever else
he and his colleagues might do they would
not 20 TO Canossa," alluding TO the FAMOUS
castle where Henry ~ of Germany SUB
mltted 10 the penance imposed on him py
GregOry VII. But, though Bismarck Ger
talnly did not go to Canossa, he was I'M
Goubtedly not the victor in the great kui-
turkamDf, or education battle, which was
WaSed between him and Pope Leo Kill IL
Is, perhaps, only fair TO say that the near
OF the old Emperor William. Bismarck
master. was never thoroughly with ne
great minister In this attempt 10 make the
SlL4loLlL} OF the state Overture OICtAsC.
OF private conscience. The arbitration o.
Pope Leo has been accepted more than once
BY disputing states. which Acknowledged nc
supremacy on the part OF the Pope but tina
given 10 him by the mora! influence or nj:
authority and his character.
Leo mas strongly recommended in severa
momentous Instances the recognition OF es
tablished facts in the progress of nations
For example, he recognized the French re
public 5 the established system in France
and used the whole force OF his authority u
Induce French Catholics TO accept th'
republican form OF government and u
make the best of il. He takes the closes
and most active interest in all institutions
70 whatever country they belong. which
have anything to do with the true organl
cation of labor and which tend TO promote
the education, the moral Improvement. tn
PERSONAL independence and the domestic
comfort OF the workingman. His was N
trSt voice raised in cordial response 10 tn
appeal of the Gar for a conference OF Eu
ropean states to bring about cessation II
the increase OF ornaments and TO estabilsl
some basis FOR international arbitration am
an end TO the reign of war. The Pope Ia
become SO pOular among certain Influential
classes of English Protestants that at on
time il seemed TO many not altogether I'm
possible that some terms of compromls
might be found between the papacy and IN
established church OF England. The Pop
however. could not compromise; Lord Hail
fax and his English colleagues could no
venture to stretch their idea OF compromis
TOO far, and 20 the world went on reyolVin
upon its own axis lust as before.