The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-13

bethan persecution. Schiam aud heresy o
various kinds spread wide, Presbyterian
ism and Pnritanism were creeping in, bu
On tho whole men had but exchanged q
higher religion for a lower, and did not yet
dream of casting it off altogether. The
case is very different now in Germany, foI
whatever hold Lutheranism may still have
on the population, and whatever gIouud
the " Old Catholics may gain, it is inf
deity which mocks at both, that is really
advancing and sapPing the foundations OF
all belief in revelation and the supernatn
raj. Nor can this influence be wholly ex-
cluded from the Catholic body, onsiderng
how many Catholics are in the service of
! the Government and compelled to assist in
| the execution of its laws.
There is no persecution 80 dreadful as
lega! persecution. Popular violence is soon
over, and often easily avoided or overcome,
but legal cruelty acquires u certain respec-
liability in the eyes of the majority, wears
to many the appearance of justice, and
places the recalcitrants in the dangerous
position of rebels and trstore. The fact Of
the Catholic Church in Prussia being u CO.
times and in some places by the State only
makes them more Immediately it's victims.
They would agitate in vain, as some of the
Anglican clergy are beginning to agitate,
for dsestablishment, seeing that the Prus
sian Government is resolved to keep them
in the most independent condition possible.
Nor would they, perhaps, erjpy any
more freedom even if they were wholly
severed fEom the State, for it is hardly to
be expected that tie arbitrary Prnssian
Administration would consent to free
Church in free State" The pressure put
upon the Catholic population is the more
astounding because their number is 80
great, and one cannot help fearing that
there must be among many of them "a want |
of firmness in their attachment to the |
Church, or of courage in asserting their |
Ia Prussia they form 80. Sc per |
cent or the entire populations; in Bavaria |
more than seven tenths are Catholics in |
Wurtemburg they reach 30 per cent in
Baden they are two thirds OF tho Grand |
Dnchy; and in the entire empire the census
of 1871 gives the following nnmbers:
Roman Catholics. s67 464
christians Of various lemon tions s2 I55
'eWs.'..-.. 52, l5s
In the census of 1864 there were more
Catholic priests than Protestant ministers
nn the iiRt, the number of the former being
) FOG, and of the latter 6 53I. 1t lie, there
ore, matter of great surprise that majo
'ity of Protestants in the State, which is by
10 means overwhelming, should be able to
Practise such outrages on the liberty of Ca.
holics as the list which we publish to day
Exhibits. The clergy are not everywhere
tipendiaries of the State. On the contrary
no "oNOIb"cbO III SouoIdl OOeS NOT guar | :
ntee their salary or that of the Protestant :
The incomes of the clergy arise
iostly from endowments, but in some par
'hes of the Rhenish provinces they are
rovided for by the State. The Catholic {
ishops are paid by the Government, and ..
! some cases largely, but several of them
ave already braved imprisonment and the d
ss of revenue rather than sacrifice con- {
ience and submit to laws which they feel
tolerable. The Press laws in Prussia G
ave been made more severe, expressly to I
,tain conviction more easily against ..Ul- q
amoutane" journalists Not content with q
'osecuting the publisher, the Government =
sists on knowing the writer, and retains 1
Prison those who refuse to give evidence =
/ this point. Not loug ago itconfirmed ii as =
lest of his parish renegade named +
lszcuyski, who had proclaimed himself an I
Did Catholic" aud taken u wife. Even I
nong the Liberal mem bers of the Pfus. I
an LaDdtsg there are those who take the l
art of the prosecuted Catholics, who re I
onstrate with the NJ iDisters and point out .
% lnexpediency of continuing Il policy at =
,riance with the sentiments of humanity =
III the practice of the age. Still the per- s
cution continues in full vigor, and none t
IN foresee what will be tho end thereof. f
Gmors of war are a1oat, and if the Enpe- {
II of Germany shou'd again REQUIRE The a
rvces of his Catholic subjects in arme, he 3
sy not think it expedient to alienate their
fections end weaken their allegiance by :,
ntinued vexation of the most cruel and
anton description. +
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