The Daily Dispatch: April 4, 1862., [Electronic resource]

Before Hughes as Napoleon's preference for the Papacy

‘ Of all the projects said to the agitating the Imperial brain, that of nominating Archbishop Hughes to be the successor of his spiritual advisor, is the newest, and to some the most astonishing while to others it is only a Further proof of the resource and penetration of the Third Napoleon. The project has not been widely circulated as one fully decided by the Emperor. But is in sufficiently talked of in some circles to be worthy or attention, however, under all the reserves which must be made in respect to the on dits of Paris. The different interview which the Irish American prelate has had with Iris Imperial Majesty, would, in themselves, have been sufficient to give rise to an extraordinary amount of gossip; but when it is generally understood that he was asked several times to lunch at the Tulleries and positively blessed the Prince Imperial, what sensationalist could resist the temptation of speculating upon the chat ches of the Archbishop of New York finding himself some fine morning the successor of a Cardinal's hat, and a little later the occupant of St. Peter's chair.

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