The PCD was soon joined by Ion Luca Caragiale, who characterized Take Ionescu as "An indefatigable and wise patriot", by the future diplomat Nicolae Titulescu, by the doctor Constantin Istrati, the writer Barbu Ştefănescu-Delavrancea, the journalist Nicolae Xenopol, the former mayor of Iaşi Gheorghe Lascăr, the landowners Constantin Cantacuzino Paşcanu and Alexandru Bădărău, as well as by Xeni, who left a eulogistic account of his mentor. It became the target of attacks from both the PNL and the Conservatives, and was faced with the reticence of King Carol I. Nevertheless, Xeni contended, the new grouping profited from Ionescu's popularity with the lower strata of Romanian society, being identified as "one of their own". In this version of events, mainstream politicians allegedly convinced Carol that the PCD had an agenda to depose the ruling House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, and had depicted Ionescu as "a «Belzebuth» who was supposed to be removed from public life".