THE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN GERMANY,-SERIOUS RIOPS.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 39, 28 February 1846, Page 3

THE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN GER-MANY,-SERIOUS RIO PS.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald.] The religious movement in Germany, that originated and hare been mainly carried on by John Ronge, a priest in an obscure town in Silesia, ha 9 now assumed a most formidable aspect. Ronge, it will be remembered, became disgusted with the impious doings of Arnoldi, Bishop of Treves, in exhibiting in the Cathedral a vestment which he pretended was the coat worn by JesuiChrist, and by the touch or even the sight of which miracles were wrought. The humblelpastor, indignant ai the blasphemous audacity of his ecclesiastical superior, addresied to him a letter of bold and fervent remonstrance. The effect of this address,' copies of which were immediately circulated in great numbers thionghout all Germany, was quite astonishing; and following it up, aided by the co-operation of many influential parties, both lay and clerical, John Ronge has already made wonderful progress towards the attainment of the great object which he was induced to undertake— the establishment of a German Catholic Church. We deeply regret to have to record, however, that serious and fatal riots have arisen during his recent proceedings. The population of Liepsic, that had shown already great sympathies for the new German Catholic Church, took advantage of a review of the Rural Guards to make a manifestation, which led to deplorable tumults. His Royal Highness Duke John, only brother .of the King of Saxony, Commandant- General of the Rural Guards of the Kingdom, arrived at Leipsic on the 12th instant to inspect the militia. The Prince is, it is said, a zealous Catholic, and passes for having contributed, in the Council of Ministers, to the measures taken against the Abbe Ronge in Sa*ony, who has been prohibited to open churches or to celebrate publicly divine service. When the Prince presented himself before the Rural Guard the commandiug officer, according to usage, cried the first, " Prince John for ever ! " {Vive le Princa Jean). The cry was received by a general murmur ; nevertheless, no other manifestation troubled the review. It wai when the troops filed off that symptomsof violent animosity broke out against the person of'the Prince in the ranks of the militia, and among the population assembled on the spot The Commandant having repeated the cry , " Vim le Prince Jean!" there arose from all parts a confused cries of " Ronge for ever ! ' " Down with the Jesuits !" "Down with the hypocrites !" The Prince after the review went to the Hotel of Prussia, and was followed by the whole population, who did not cease to repeat the cries of " Down with the Jesuits !" " Ronge for ever !" The guard of honour of the Prince used their efforts to maintain order, and to clear thesquare, but they were forced back by the mass of the population that in»aded all the adjacent streets. The Prince then gave orders to a battalion of infantry of the line to take np their position before his Hotel. During this time the population continued their turbulent manifestations, and sang first the celebrated chorus of Luther, " Eine feste burg ist unser Goth," (Our God is a fortress), and afterwards a strophe of a song from the Brigands of Schiller, •• Em freis leben fuhren wir." (We lead a free and charming life). The population,' growing more and more excited, began to throw stones at the windows of the apartments inhabited by the Prince, and broke several of them. The commander of the troops, (then about halfpast ten in the evening) not having been able to disperse the population, gave orders to fire on the people. It is asserted that this discharge took place without any previous notice having been given to the people, or that it was given in such a manner as not to be heard but by those nearest the troops. The bullets, in fact, struck, in particular, inoffensive persons, who stood at some distance from the scene of disorder, and on the parade in front of the hotel. The number of the wounded has been estimated at thirty, seven of whom have already died- Among the latter was a Government officer, a police agent, and the father of a family, standing at the time before his door inquiring what was the cause of the tumult. This event exasperated the population : and to prevent more serious consequences, the authorities assembled tl*e rural guards, who succeeded at about 2 o'clock in the morning in dispersing the crowds. The Prince quitted Liepsic in the in >rning, but was again hissed by the populace in the streets be parsed through, and and stones were also thiown at his coach. The troops were oidered to the barracks, and the authorities 6ent for a battalion of infantry to reinforce the garrison. This battalion was received bv the hiises of the populace, who manifested the greatest animosity against the troops. The municipal council ordered the severest measures for the maintenance ol' order. It was occupied at the depaiture of the courier, in drawing up an energetic proclamation addressed to the inhabitants. A letter from Halberstadt, dated August 10, gives the following particulars of the preaching of John Honge:-On Wednesday afternoon 4he Aube lionge. who has numerous partisans* in this place, delivered his first sermon at Halberstadt, in th# open air, and in the yard of the ea« theural, before several thousand persons of every age and sex. As soon as he had pronounced the last wo.ds of his sermon, which were these — " Yes, brethren, Rome ought to fall, and she will fall !" a rustling noise was heard among that portion of the audience nearest t lie pulpit, when ka salesman, well known for the feivour of his 'religious .belief, rushed forward after Abbe Konge, who had just left the pulpit, and endeavoured to thro\r a stone at him. The persons who were near this fanatic held him back and prevented him realising his culpable intention; but at the same instant it >oung man struck, with a heavy stick, a violent blow on the back of Abbe Ronge, who immediately fell on the ground The Abbe got up and ran away, but soon after - wards was further ill-treated by seveial other men ; and it was w itli great difficulty, and through the protection afforded him by a number of Ins friends, that he succeeded in gaining the hotel he lodged at. Some moments after, a crowd of his pai tizuns walked through tue streets of the town, and threw btones at t).e windows of the Louses they thought to be inhabited by Roman Catholics. Tlie police put all their agents on

foot to appease the tumult, but their efforts were useless; the rioters breathed only rage and vengeance. The military were called out, some detachments of infantry and ca'valiy appeared, and after having ordered the rebels to retire, which was not obeyed, the troops chained them, and blood flowed in sbuudance. The German Catholics went in crowds jo the Rue de la Digue, where dwelt the salesman who had endeavoured to throw a stone at Abbe Ronge : they barricaded themselves in this narrrow street, and demolished from top to bottom the house of this individual. It was only then they separated, and tranquility was re-established in Halberstadt. The number of the killed and wounded is not at present known ; that of the persons arrested it upwards of 15*). The Royal Court of Magdebergh has instituted an enquiry into the affair, and will judge it when than enquiry has terminated. A letter from Heidelberg, August 15, says— '•Yesterday took place the first burial of a member of the German Catholic Chuu-h. As this church has not as yet any ecclesiastics, the Catholic clergy wereappliedto to officiate, and at once complied with the demand, requesting merely that no allusion to the German Catholic Church should be made over the grave of the deceased." The latest accounts from Leipsic are to the 15th, upon which day the corpses of the fourteen persons killed by the troops during the recent riots were solemnly interred. Contrary to previous expectation, no disturbance took place on the occasion, and the peace of the town is no longer in danger of further outbreaks, The funeral was attended by the whole of the communal gnatd, both cavalry and infantry, by the students of the University, and by the members of the Corporation. Several speeches were made over the graves and at the entrance of the cemetery. The crowd was not admitted into the interior of the cemetery, a« it was feared that some disorder might take place.