The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-04-23
Christian Martyrs In Japan.

Christian Martyrs In Japan.
The following statements are taken from
the japan correspondence of the Northerr
Chrisftan ADVOCATE, that journal vouchine
Tor their complete reliability. In the face
OF facts SO convincing as these, there are
bigots who have the audacity to deny the
true conversion of the heather by our mis-.
sionaries. A few weeks ago Beecher's
paper, the Christian Union, accounted fol-
the number of CaDholic converts in China
by stating that no change of heart" is re-
qalred-that the people are baptized in q
Wholesale way, and thus thousands are
classed as converts who remain as much
heather as before. This is a mere pretext,
to account for the small number which the
1'Evangelicals" can claim as their. As will
he seen by the name of the paper from
which we copy, the account below is de-
rived from Protestant source, with every
disposition to undervalue the work of Ca
tholics, and yet, what are the facts therein
stated "The Government built house
for the reception of those who might re-
nounce their religion, but 1t has not had a
single tenant" "These wretched sufferers
for Religions sake meet their fate ,cithout
a sign Of any deposition to allure thei,
faith" Can Professionals show such con-
vertsf Shame upon such degrading per-
version of pablicly acknowledged truths.
The article we allude to is as follows:
1T is we'll known that some thousands
of Japanese were arrested at Nagasaki and
Its vicinity last year, and, against the re-
monstrance of Sir Harry Parkes and the
cOnsuts, hurried on board of q number of
steamers and carried off to different parts
of the country. to be put in charge of sun
dry princes. The offence these natives had
committed was their profession of the Ro
man Catholic faith. Their particular des-
tination and distribution amoug the princes
remained secret to most foreigners till
quite recent date. Even now it is pro-
oable that few among the Japanese, outside
of official circles, know what became of
these poor people, so rudely torn from their
homes. Within few days past reliable
rum0rs have been current in this place re-
specting a portion of them, their where
abouts, and the manner in which they are
treated by their oppressors. According to
q statement copied from the Neqasoki Err
press into the Japan Gazette, it appears
That forty lone men, women and children,
who had previously undergone an inQuisi-
ton at Miyako, lately passed through Ma
gasaki, on their way to the island of Sado,
where, doubtless, they are destined to
penal servitude for life. Another party.
consisting of nearly two hundred, of ali
ages and both sexes, are credibly reported
to be in one of the southern provinces of
Nippon. Through the exertiOns of their
prosecutors ten of them are said to have
recanted, and are now employed as agents
OF the Government to work upon those
" rnen nj 1,o1y ~, r,sk
order to induce them to renounce it, but
hitherto without success. A still larger
party is said to be imprisoned, or rather
ENGAGED, in one of the provinces, on the
west coast of Nippon. At first they were
about seven hundred in number. All the
arrangements as to their place of i'm prison
ment, and their treatment there, show
plainly that it is the object of the Mikado's
government to (exterminate them. The
spot selected, we are credibly Informed, is
a crater-iike hollow in the top of a hill,
within and at the bottom of which a build
ing OF two stories has been erected for the
confinement of native Christians. This
prison is 80 far below the top of the crater
it Is not seen until one reaches the top of
the hill. Standing there, one might easily
drop stone upon the roof of the prison.
1t is not quadrangular in shape, enclosing an
area where the prisoners might occasionally
get breath of fresh air. By a refinement
ferers are all crowded into the upper story
of the aforesaid building, like pigs in a
sty. For Il year they have been shut up
there. When they first arrived there we're
q good many infants among them, but the
small pox, which is raging among the pris-
ons on has (may ! not say happily y put IN
most of them are dead. Some adults have
also died of this disease, and report says
that the corpse of ope of them was left in
the prison tor two days after his decease.
No medical attendance is allowed the sick.
Their only food is u ball of dirty Saigon
rice to each prisoner. Their keepers are
heggarly set of ruffians, in whose bosoms
there seems to be not even a smoulderng
spark of humanity, and who, therefore, are
utterly reckless of the sutferiugs of those
whom they have under their charge. The
government built house in the neighbor-
hood of the prison for the reception OF those
who might renounce their religion, but as
yet this reformatOry has not had single
tenant. These wretched sufferers for reli-
gion's sake meet their fate without sign
of HisDoSifinp fO OH fbn;v f,;t IL,