The Irish standard., 1891-04-25
RUSSIAN PERSECUTION. N.
The Insutferable Tyranny Of the Gov
ernmeut of the Czar over
His Subjects.
CATHOLICS ALLOWED NO REST.
Ali the Monks of d Monastery are Ex
lied For Trifling
t}ffense.

lied For a Triiing
t}ffense.
Thomas Stevens writes thus Of Rus
sia and the government of the Gar, II
! the New York World:
| Horrifying to the person who has
been brought up in an atmosphere Of
perfect religious liberty is the crude
barDarlty Of the Russian government
in It's treatment OF those Of it's subj
outside the pals of the orthodox state
church. There are many things in
| Russia that carry one back down the
centuries; hut it is ON its prlestly side
| that the whiteWash OF civilization is
laid on the thinnest and the hide of the
mediaval inqu1sitor is scarcely covered
at all.
Religion is as dangerous subject
for Russian to talk about in his own
country as politics. He is as liable to
be boxed Off to Siberia for expressing
himself incautiouslg about the former
as the latter subject. Broach either of
these subjects to the average Russian,
and, unless he is we'll acquainted with
you, he Immediately suspects you of be-
ing a secret agent CT church Or state
approaching him with sinister intent.
Seeking information ON the subject
of religious persecution, was recon-
mended by friend to certain Mr..
B., who was known to be well up on
all such matters. Armed with an in
PRODUCTION l sought out MIR. B., and
explained to that ge1tln1an who and
what [ was. MIR. B. was delighted,
he declared, to make my acquaintance,
and was ready then and there to give
me any information in his power. Hav-
ing delivered himself of this pollteness,.
Mr.. b, whom l had been told was a
Liberal Of the most pronounced type.
assumed the mental attitude of an ex-
tremely wary fencer, and replied to
every question put to him precisely
as he would have done had the head of
government spy been visible behind
every chair in the room.
Mr.. B. was foreigner who had
lived in Russia long time, had val
liable business interests there. and
simply cOulh not afford to run the risk
of being sent out Of the country On
tWenty.fOur hours notice. This is
about what would have happened to
him had ha told me the simple truth IN
reply to my questions and the source of
my information revealed in any way to
the authorities.
Nothing could bs learned from Mr..
B.. Others were tried with no bet
ter results. for to ask a an to express
himself On such a subject is equivalent
to asking hun to run great personal
risks. [ eventually found willing
tongue, however, in thes head of a Gath
olic priest in ST. Petersburg, Now as
ever, and in Russia no less than in all
other parts Of the world, the priests of
the Roman chu rch are the most fearless
and aggressive Of the clergy. In CHINA,
in Africa, III the most barbarous quar-
ters of the earth, the Roman Catholic
missionary wins the admiration of all
who have had opportunity to observe
bis fearlessness and d0gged persever-
ance in the face of difficulty and dan
ger. Their audacity is splendid; and
the writer was, therefore, not particu
|arly surprised 10 find them rlsking ST.
beria and all manner of evil conse-
luences in Russis, as fearlessly as fever
in Africa and mobs In China.
After relating several racY stories
about the performances of orthodox
POPS, my informant plunged eloquent
II into the subject Of religious pe1secu-
Ji0n in Russia, treating chiefly OF the
Catholics The audience chamber was
the fathers comfortable rooms in the
college attached to Catholic church
IN the Nevskv.
The Catholic religion, was assured,
vas gaming ground in Russia, not only
n spite of the persecution directed
against IL. out as QlfeGG result OF 1t. |
Religion thriyes on persecution now
sdays, as it has always done; and while
t gains strength with every blow that
'alls upon it, the arm that delivers the |
blows grows feeble in pr oportion. The
absance of bitterness in his tones when
;elling Of the manner in which the gov I
+ oE
ion. was striking. He talked like oneI
,ure Of his ground and confident Of ul-
innate victory.
a hundred Catholic priests, he said, |
lad returned from Siberia during the
present year, having served out their
;erms Of exile. Ninety Of them were
disqualified by the government from
fearing confessions and performing