Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-07-27

church schools which would here cor
respond to our grammar and high
schools, and then he went to college
in Rome. There his course was turned
toward the ministry, and there he
was made a priest in December, 1887.
He was then q years old, an age con-
siderably in advance of that of men
who became priests at that time.
When he was born, James Madison
had been president of the United
States for nearly a year. Napoleon
was the Emperor of the French.
George III was King of England, but
the Regent acted for him. Victoria
was not born until nine years after
ward. Germany was an homogeneous
series of small states. So was Italy.
The changes which came over the
face of the world can be considered
when present conditions are contrast.
ed with those which then existed.
We have not only seen the influence
of his ancestry on the mind of Leo
XIII, but we can also see the weight
which that fact and his own manifest
abilities brought to bear upon the
first duties which he was set to do.
After a short service as domestic
chaplain near to Pope Gregory XVI,
| in 1887, young Pecci was sent to one
of the Italian provinces named Bene-
vento. He was sent there not only as
priest, but as governor, that being
province under the Pope, in the
days of the temporal power. There.
in point of fact, he put down brigand-
| age in as stern fashion as his military
father would have done. This led to
his promotion to Perugia, where
somewhat similar work had to be
done and was well done by him. He
wound it up about 1S43, and for it he
was promoted to post of Nuncio to
the Court of Belgium. Thus in six
years, he had made great strides, and
on the suggestion of high authorities
he was made Bishop of Perugia three
years later, in 1S4s, and FIVE years
after, in 1858, he was created a car
dinal by Plus TX, in pursuance of a
recommendation long before made by
the Pope's predecessor, Gregory XVI.
Thereafter, his life and his labors
kept him at Rome. He was recog-
nized as likely to be the successor Of
Plus TX because of his headship of
the party of Moderates in the Papacy,
! provided ne survived Antonelli. Plus
/ TX appointed Cardinal Pecci to be the
chamberlain of the College of Csrdi-
nails. In that character or capacity,
| it fell on him to attest the death of
his patron, and to become his success
sor. From the time of his institution
| as Pope to the end of his activities,
the world felt his touch and acknowl-
| edged his power. He certainly con-
tributed great deal to the history of
that world. Only religious students
or statesmen of high learning can
carry in detail and in succession his
significant acts. Some of them were
of local or provincial interest. Others
of them were of larger than local in
tere st, and some may be said to have
been of universal interest.
He first addressed himself as Pope
to the composure of Roman Catholic
conditions in Asiatic provinces or
communities. He gave to them more
power and required of them less re-
port to and dependence on Rome than
they before had had. Then he ad-
dressed himself to the reduction of
friction between the government OF
Italy under Victor Emmanuel and the
Catholic communion, as personified
by his own government, within the
Vatican. He relaxed in nothing his
claim of temporal power as a right
but he indirectly recognized the loss
or suspension of it as fact, when he
rescinded the order Of his immediate
predecessor that Catholics in Italy
should take no part in municipal cleo
tons under the royal rule. He told
them to take part according to their
interests and convictions, and then he
; brought about that state of things o.
which consequence has been peace
without a surrender of Theoretical
claims.
The various encyclicals which b.
, issued concerning 'Rationalism,
, "Christian Marriage" mature of tn,
Civil Power" "Christian Unity, "'Lib
erty," and the like, need not be dis
cussed here. Nor need one recall
, here the craftsmanship which b.
, showed in coming to an agreemen
, with Bismarck, in adjusting Catholi
cism to republicanism in France, il
arbitrating the question of the Caro-
{. line Islands between Germany an
d Spain or in establishing in the Unite
! SudVcS tuo OluCo Vi dpOSlOllC uol0SdUe
:. under which Catholic conditions hav
I here been unified, and American ques
: tons as affected by a relation t
. Roman Catholic conditions and hold
:, ings in the Philippines were put upo
q way of settlement.
q 1t is we'll to note as has been done
g the influence of his descent on his ed
q ucatior, the influence of that descer
and of mis- marked abilities upon th
q great tasks which were assigned {
a him, and upon the great honors whic
Y came to him, and the influence {
: his spiritual reign for the interests {
: peace order, civilization and sanel
q conservative progress in the worlt
d None will question his greatness, Jul
70 as none can question his essenti
q goodness, and the world has made n
- mistake in recognizing him-quit
J aside from any question of religio
l. whatever-as one of it's greatest me
is in the centuries in which he was Gale
, on To affect the affairs which fell