The Irish standard., 1908-05-02
ARCHBISHOP HUGHES.

occasion of acuuainting the people of
the present generation with the work
performed during the Civil War by
Archbishop Join Hughes. His work
in putting down the riots in the city
of New York and encouraging and
stimulating his flock to enlisting and
marching to the front was, after all,
but small part of his service to his
country. At tile time that England
was about to recognize the Confeder-
ate states, tho Washington govern
Hughes to go TO Europe as an envoy
of the United States. He declined to
accept any official position but ex-
pressed his willingness to use every
effort to prevent TIL, prolongation Of
the war and greater sacrifice of hu-
man blood. He went to Paris and had
conferences with the members of the
ministry and an interview with the
Emperor. Napoleon III. The influence
exercised by the Archbishop in the
councils of France, in that critical
juncture of our national history was
fully recognized by Lincoln and his ad-
visers. His last public act was to ad-
dress his flock in New York in favor
of the government at the time of the
draft riot. He died in January, 1864,
before the conclusion of the war.
"By his death" in the words of the
New York Sun, "American Catholics
lost the most remarkable, most Wig
orous, and most patriotic prelate that
the country had known since John Car
roll of Maryland"
1t is noteworthy that Cardinal Glib
bons. in his sermon on last Monday,
selected Archbf fshop Hughes and Car
dinal McCloskcy. as the two men to
whose work the archdiocese of New
York is principally indebted.
They will,'' he said, compare fa-
vorably with the hierarchy Of any See
in Christ4ndom. They will shine as
stars of the first magnitude in the
galaxy Of deceased American prclates.
These two churchmen had each his
predominant traits Of character; Nc
Closkey. meek, gentle retiring from
the world, reminds us of Moses, with
uplifted hands, praying on the noun
fDit n..fi hn1 Syicr
aggressive, was like Joshua fighting in
the valley. The one recalls the prince
of the Apostles. blending authority
with kindness, the other reminds us
of the Apostle Of the Gentilcs, welding
the two-edged sword OF the spirit. the
sword Of the tongue and os the pen"
Something of the intense patriotism
of Archbishop Hughes can be gath
cred from a letter ho wrote in answer
to an invitation to attend a meeting
at Union Square Garden in April, 1861.
1t should he remembered that the days
that there existed in the United States
a political party formed for the pur-
pose of keeping Catholics out of Of
flee; that it was no uncommon thing
for Catholic congregations TO be at
tackled and Catholic churches to be
burned. The altitude of the Catholics
of New York was an important thing
to the Union in 1861. The Union need
cd the services of such regiments as
the 69th New York. Here are the
words of Archbishop Hughes. written
at that time:
II am not authorized to speak in the
name Of any of my fellow citizens.
think, so far as | can judge. there is
the right principle among all those
whom ! know. 1t is now fifty years
since, foreigner by BIRTH took the
oath of allegiance to this country. un-
der its title of the United States Of
America. AS regards conscience, pat
riotism or Judgment, 1 have no misgiv-
ing. still desirors of peace, when the
frONlucncc OIL (iOu Sl1aIl nave Drought
1t. l may say that. since tn, period of
my naturalization. | have known but
one country. In reference Il my du-
ties as Il citizen. no change has come
over my mind since then. The govern
mcnt of the United States WAS then, as
1t is now. symbolized by a national
flag. popularly called the Stars and
Stripes. This has been my flag. and
shall be to tho end. trust 1t is still
destined TO display in the gales that
sweep over every ocean and amid the
gentle breczes of many distant shore.
as I have seen it in foreign lands. its
own peculiar waving lines of beauty.
May it live and continue to display the
same waving lines of beauty whether
at home or abroad for thousand
years and afterward, as long as Hea-
ven permits, without limit OF duration.
JOHN HUGHES,
New York. April 21st, 1851"
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