The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-29

81 came to Rome,o the holy father
pursued calmly. without other hope
or ambition than to record my vote for
the most worthy member Of the Sacred
I should not have been presumptuous
enough to put myself forward as a cam
didate for the chair Of Saint Peter
1T appears that there were others,
with more worldly motives, who enter
tanned ambitions of the kind. For my
part, when I learned that some car
dinals had recorded their votes for me
l had no feeling but one Of surprise
and chagrin. 1 suspected that was be-
ing used as stalking horse on behalf
of others. I could not dream that lay-
man had dared to interfere in the elec-
ton at the bidding of usurper who is
outside the pale Of Christian fellowship,
under the curse Of the church,"
1 trembled as I perceived that some
had narrated my proceedings to his
holiness, no doubt with gloss which,
had caused Plus z to take the worst
view Of my action.
fortunately your rash and evil de-,
signs were overruled for good. Un---
known to yourself, you were an instru-,
ment in the hands Of others. While you.
were watching you were watched. Pious
and vigilant men, the faithful soldiers
of the church militant, who had no OBJ,
iect Of their own to serve, and who only,
sought the good Of the church. werel
your true employer, and his secret aims.
You sought to place in the chair off
Peter an obedient tool Of the house of
Savoy. The watchful guardians of the !
church resolved that you should be in
strumental in the elevation Of one who, q
however unworthy, is at least free from
the passion Of worldly ambition q
I would fam have spoken, but the.
holy father imposed silence on me by
a stern gesture. Z
"The candidature Of his eminencel
Cardinal Salvatierra was ruse, tcs,
which the jealous persons I speak of
were obliged to resort, in order to throw
dust in your eyes. From the first they
if it could be brought about without
the sacred college. They cbeckmateeE
you, without your perceiving it.
"Now. you may 60 and tell the rash
young king who used you as his agent
that his designs have miscarried. site
ture, but the duly chosen head Of the
retire retire from thet territories ' bestowed,
upon the church by Constantine.'
L listened with feelings OF stupefaet
tion and despair. The story which hac
been told the pope was SO nearly trud
that | had no scope for contradiction
it had been so skilfully colored that
realized that any attempt at explana
ton or denial would fail Of its effect
In fact I had been guilty Of very
nearly what / stood accused Of. Tho
reproaches Of Plus K were an echo oil
the whispers Of my conscience. I had
; elected pope, but my presumption il
doing SO has made that very pope az
served too well.
"Will your holiness condescend To
hear mes' I implored. "The Jesuit.
"Silence!" his holiness commanded
81 will not listen to word against
those devoted men, whose value, anG
} whose loyalty to the holy see, 7 nov
| master. the king Of Sardinia, desire
to learn the conditions on which he
, may obtain his pardon from the holy
: see, 1 advise him to apply to-Car
dinal Salvatierra.' /
, Cardinal salvatierra! I RECALLED thu
= cardinal s parting words" You have
3 chosen the white pope; it remains t.
=. the black pope.'
Saddened and subdued, I quilted tbs
. audience chamber of Plus K, and re-
> paired to that Ct Victor Emmanuel III
81 have carried out your majesty
instructions. Cardinal Sarto is tho new
, pope. And now can only render on
more service to your majesty. and tina
isl 8
"And that isl" the king exclaimed
"To advise you to make your peact
, with the black pope!" +
prefer to say no more. It would be
, imprudent on nv part to embarrass
= situation already bristling with diff
,, culties, by Indicating the steps which
still remain to be taken before peacs
can be restored between the two
mighty powers represented by the
, Vatican and the Quirinal.