The sun., 1908-04-26

sHRA, the we'll known Catholic historian,
of the recognition Of the Confederate
States by the Governments Of Europe,
and after the Trent affair there came the
fear that England might 60 even fur
ther. The Washington Government
earnestly desired Archbishop HUGHES 10
60 to Europe as envoy Of the United
States He absolutely declined TO ac-
cept any official position, but expressed
a willingness TO use every effort to pre-
vent the prolongation Of the war and a
greater effusion Of human blood. In
Paris he had conferences with the MEM
bers Of the Ministry, and in an interview
with the Emperor NAPOLEON III. he
urged that sovereign 10 act should II be
necessary, as arbitrator between the
United States and England in the diff
Guilty which had arisen. The influence
exercised by the Archbishop in the coun-
ellis Of France at that junCture Is unde-
niable, and was fully recognized at Wash
ington. One Of his fast public acts was
TO address his flock in New York in favor
6f the Government at the time Of the
draft riot In Archbishop HUGHES, who
died in January, 1854, American Catho-
lies lost the most remarkable, most vigor-
GUS and most patriotic prelate that the
country had known since JOHN CARROLL
OF Maryland.
Between the second Plenary Council,
which met at Baltimore in 1866, and the
establishment Of the Apostolic Dele
cation from the Vatican 10 the Catholic
Church in the United States, Catholicism
underwent an extraordinary expansion,
in which the diocese Of New York con-
spicuously shared At the first named
date there were in the republic but seven
archiepiscopal sees and provinces. In
1895 the number had been doubled. The
multiplication Of archbishoprics pre-
supposed or entailed an increase Of
bishropics. As a matter Of fact in
1855, at tho second Plenary Council, the
Catholic dioceses Of the United States
numbered thirty-eight; in 1895 they
we're seventy-three, almost twice as
many. The figures bear witness to a
phenomenal progress.
At the close Of the second Plenary Coun-
Gil in 1866 the great see Of New York was
occupied by Archbishop McCLOsKEr
who on the death Of Archbishop HUGHES
had been transferred from the bishoprc
Of Albany. Four subsequent events Of
Importance marked his tenure Of the
arohiepiscopate; namely, his attendance
on the Vatican Council, where he had
a prominent position on one Of the COM
mittees; his promotion to the cardinalate,
when for the first time april, 1875
the honor was conferred on an American
citizen; his attendance, although he
arrived at Rome too late TO take part
in the election, on the Conclave Of 1878
that gave to the Catholic Church Pope
LEO Kill, ald the dedication in May,
1879, Of New York's magnificent cathe-
dral. The notable career Of Americas
first Cardinal closed on October 10, 1885,
He was succeeded by his coadjutor, the
Right Rev. NJ. A. CoRRIGAN, who had
been transferred from Newark five years
before. II well known that Archbishop
CoRRIGAN, after attaining eminence in
ecclesiastical authority and honor, died
prematurely on May 5, 1902, in the sixty
third year of his age, since when Arch
bishop FARLEY has presided over the
archiepiscopate.
StatistiCians differ as regards the num-
Der of Catholics in the United States col
lectively, and in the diocese of New York
in particular. The best Catholic author
ity on the Church's history in American
territory, the late DR.. Culinary SHEA,
working from the official statistics of
immigration since 1920, calculating as
best he could the percentage Of Catholic
immigrants and allowing for each decade
a natural increase OF one-third over the
total figures With which the decade
starts, arrived at the conclusion that in
1890 the number OF Catholics in the
United States was 1O,627,OOO. The per-
cer1tage Of Catholics among subsequent
immigrants and the ratio of natural in
crease adopted by Culinary SHEA would
make the figures for 1908 considerably
above $4,000, 900. 1t is reasonable esti-
mate that about one-tenth Of these are
concentrated in the archdiocese Of New
York, or at all events in that archdiocese
coupled with the diocese Of Brooklyn.
The astonishing multiplication Of Cath
olics in New York city has been paralleled
by their extraordinary advance in respect
Of wealth, political distinction, profess
sional eminence and general education.
We can only appreciate the phenomenal
progress by looking back a hundred
years and recalling the fact that in
1908 wise observers had good reason to
believe that the Catholic Church, driven
out Of northern Europe by LUTHER and
HENRY VIII. and thrown into terrible
confusion in Latin countries by the
French Revolution was in its death agony
and had not strength enough left to put
forth a new effort on the western side Of
the Atlantic. When the first Bishop Of
the New York diocese was consecrated
Catholicism was feebler in the city and
State than any obscure Protestant sect,
and in the opinion Of almost all disinter-
ested onlookers it was destined 50 to re-
main. As the Rev. JOHN TALBOT SMITH
.,si,., o,,t IL, HE hiatnrN, af sTha Cathoiin