The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-06 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS

RUSSIA. in ° fra
The persecution, says the Journal des Debug ntio
cent number, against the Polish Cathoho'., is c;edit
with greater barbarity than ever, if we in cif-oas
following report, which we borrow tarieflY "- ,
Univer s vacs if
"On the 23d instant the Polish refugees in `,.,,-blof
tended a funeral service, celebrated in the Chn'"howere
Roth, in honour of the forty-seven nuns t-with„7
recently martyred in the town of Witebesk,
edit '"
refinement of cruelty that one would refuse to
had not witnesses in every respect worthy of beilifro.
A tee tested the fact. This convent had been eitablistle in'
dr
time immemorial near the town of Minsk, antics as °"
mates fulfilled, among the people, the same du"-in,lE
Sisters of Charity. They instructed the childr poet
vided for the widows and aged, and assiustaeciforttufoleoll'
by the fruit of their labours. They had,
for chaplain a priest called Miehelewicx, ably
selecs
creatures whom tyrannical governments invarinwto bar
to fill the chief offices of the church. This wreteiroleg!S
ing become bishop, apostatised, and wished to intheoi
is
his guilt the holy sisterhood. After besetting,eo; per
every kind of way, and vainly resorting to Prild pot °Atv;
suasions, and threats, perceiving that he 0011 overtyj
tams his object, he determined to punish by rooena,
During the night, by his orders, Cossacks. Or yoftino
the convent, seised the nuns with the most of, the
brutality, bound them with cords, and conduot7oo.;
thus to Witebesk nearly twenty leagues f1°133 At
compelling them to walk the entire distance:_,.oo7.,
place they were confined in a convent 0f scol:rope%
nuns, in the capacity cf servants, or !no% t'ob Pot
speaking as slaves. Those who are aecluai°„tend 014:of
profound ignorance, diseblute morals, „ to
fanaticism of these Or:ek nuns can form s°':-ters °its
the dreadful treatment which the Basilian sl loos; /le
compelled to endure. Forced to perform tliej
sesecel,„,
offices, supplie d with a quantity of black bre ouoreoyef
sufficient to support nature, each of them °le that
ccived regularly every Friday fifty lashes, otoi s°l4
attenuated bodies were covered with woneashoo
yet they showed even more courage under feree,,l
of
circumstances than their enemies exhibit `he Ogle •
Encouraging each other to suffer patiently for The 11,011
God, they persevered in the Catholic religion., ,bese
of then postate Suinayko increased. He cause,esleet to:et
and self-devoted creatures to be ironed and ensisteuto
galleys. Their nourishment had latterly ere of Illicit
half a salt herring daily, with a small incased of bbitA
This diet was now changed to half a PnuAlithes, 0, a
bread, with the same quanity of water, ania oppebetio%
suffering from hunger and thirst, they were C
e 0 nor Ile jog
act as labourers to the masons employed in t, arieentiota
the Episcopal Palace. Several of them wer..o3, te.aor
the river up to their necks, and from i';ted in 'los,
plunged under the water, because they 13.211,00 uloraro
ing to apostatise others condemned to lab et, sad had
were plaoed where danger was most inuttneef tbealefett
in many instances killed ; eight these
their eyes torn out. Their faith surnamn towha
trials, not one of them gave way, though 'sl`oveoteellb of
sunk under their sufferings. Among the,,,e trinlcieo ,
yet survived, after the death, or rather a. ore
these thirty martyrs, three only poss.o7-o,bien rose
strength to avail themselves of an ocea'kainseet'iosers
sented of escaping their unmerited pefil'becoree„,oo
schismatic nuns who guarded theta having, s cosiee4, to
sible from ebriety after one of the orgr
eneb,etslears
upon certain of their fetes, they weti tho4t thefc
climb over the door of their prison, ° t tbi,ory (,)
unobserved. It was not without reg'ed g` their
abandoned their companions, and renonorleseeriice OpeditX4,ol
dying with them, but they
faith and to their country ; tenoreover,c2,t.„itb toe
hoped to be 0.09 ocosy
that Europe should be made acquaint :Id danr;l
transpired. After encountering a the: sand *,,eot P;
hardships, they succeeded in enterin- et tb,.
is aCtnal'lls,,,,e gal Fobs°
of them, the venerable superior,
Paris. It is this lady from whom we the
above facts, and which we also tak4 " Jour° io
jiatrflui the Troi4Mai." ,es the
obser• I" '0 r"
" These facts appear startling,,'' nuss eror 1 geS
des Debuts, 'abut, uarortunately. rvue,rho le
concerned, everything is credible.
solved to bring all his subjects to the,o fe7o;eo_,.
Chureit. The Autocrat will not tolern;il retro ocf
his European states except his own. weer, u,ror,,,
bo wor
treated as rebellion. We will II", t theagates id
Europe to loin in a crusade 11,gomn_s„e returntbrottirs
Russia, and" we have no desire t sh" others the sPos,
times when God's creatures cut earl' to sef cooeq,
the name of religion. We would,;`,:!l
civoiseo_e bac! nj
of tolerance, which has tr;urnelledelt„,. 61.0,70.
take the place of th. •se odious excis:troyed to;etie
the period when Catholic armieoS, "A iby, OPreifig
sword the Christian sectarians Isecuti°l's
bad means of preventing the Eer
Russian policy and ortis Locar-Goilbc11;
kit.DEn3fA s;Doeo,
INDISPOSITION OF Ma. , stlttlr so, V
TOZrOt to state that letters were rTai.,
be aosy-
retien °f le to VII
pre'' rrang'
hill
t
it is so serious as to prevent toy a
amnalgrni's'tnrcaitneg. irt s sodden
character in.(l4P diag
_,L00.7
Police-court next week,
Time&
as prey].) -

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