The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-04-06
Recollection Of Cardinal Newman
Familiar Studies of Great English Intellectual of 10Th Gen.
tury--Vist of Mr. Gladstone, Love of Music, Facial
Resemblance to Julius Caesar, His Conversion and
"Apologia" Still Profoundly Engage the Attention of
Englishmen

Cardinal Newman's presence in
Birmingham during the closing years
of his life was spiritually discerned
rather than sensibly felt. Everyone
knew that in the red brick building
at Edgbaston there lived an old, old
man who in his slight frame, embod-
led chapter of the spiritual life of
England; but few of the seething
thousands of the Midlands had seen
him and fewer still had heard him
speak.
To the Faithful of the Oratory he
was a familiar figure; but to the
world outside he was an abstraction,
tradition. He was force which,
long quiescent, might spring into &C
tivity under the impulsion of some
national emergency.
l was reporter on one of the
Birmingham newspapers in those days
and it fell to my duty from time to
time to inquire of the Fathers con-
corning the Cardinals health. Tele-
phones the Oratorians had none; so
every day someone had to make a
visit to the Oratory. 1t was not a
pleasant duty. Father Neville would
wrinkle his brows anxiously, disturbed
to be reminded that his friend was
flesh and blood; Father Ignatius
Ryder would do his best to be ur-
bane; the Irish janitor waxed irasci-
BILE.
Leading their life of recollection,
the Fathers disliked the intrusion of
the world. To them the Cardinal was
a visible link with God and our visits
were so many reminders of the frail
tenure OH which that link was main
tanned.
On the rare occasions when the
Cardinal preached, a stenographer
would be present to take notes of
what he said. But he had to be
secreted behind pillar where the
speaker could not see him. But, hid
den or visible, the press did it's work
and the Oratorians tacitly recognized
that, though the accomplishment of
that work might disturb their quiet
of mind, it's neglect would be of much
graVer consequence.
For to the world at large Birming.
ham existed mainly as the home of
the author of the "ApOlogia." It's
steel and its jewelry would become
dust; but men knew that the words of
John Henry Newman would affect
generations yet unborn. The Card
inal was the city's one vital source
Of interest. John Chamberlain
might symbolic the activities of life;
but Newman typified the things of
life beyond life.
When the boys of the Oratory
School gave Latin play, people
would go there, regardless of the Slim
ness of their Latinity, hoping against
hope that the Cardinal, as the ar
ranger of the text of "Aulularia" or
"Phormio," whatever the play might
be, would be in his place. The papers
were never long without reference to
him. Now the Times would print a
rumor that he was troubled in mind
and contemplated a return to Angli-
canism; now the statement would go
forth that his sole joy in life lay in
the Mass. One editor, Henry J. Jen-
nings, since famous in financial jour
nalism, wrote popular life of the
Cardinal, bound in cheap red cover
like the Dolly Dialogues" Someone
showed it to Newman and, glancing
it through, he said it was clever, but
the work of literary scavenger."
The Athenaeum dismissed the book
as "platitudinous twaddle" and Jen-
nings' young scribes We'd with one
another in trying to get the phrase
into their own sheet One rash youth,
named Hands, afterwards wounded at
Mafeking, succeeded and we waited
trembling for the editorial axe to fall.
But it did not. Jennings was not the
man to show that the words had
stung him. Besides that, Hands was
valuable.
Happy were those of us who had a
copy of the precious first edition of
"The Present Position of Catholics, :"
for it contained the great Oratorian's
vivisection of the apostate. Achilli
eyes, Father Achilli,' said Newman,
in answer to one of the ex-priest' s
taunts, "the Church of Rome does
stand ashamed; she stands ashamed
that she should have brought forth a
son like YOU" And then came the
damning list of Achillis seductions
and ravishings. The English courts
ordered the paragraph excised from
the work; but the Times declared that,
if that was English justice, then trial
by jury itself stood condemned If
you wish to add the Achilli paragraph
to your Newman, you will find it in
Wilfrid Wards biography.
l we'll remember the famous visit
which Mr.. Gladstone made to Birm-
ingham at the time of the first Home
Rule bill. Between the engagements
of his political progress, the great
premier seized the opportunity to visit
his old friend and, in my minds eye,
can still see Hagley Road black
with noOn1o wofchino him, m I,;o mn =,