RUSSIAN INTOLERANCE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 139, 5 June 1880, Page 3

RUSSIAN INTOLERANCE.

A correspondent writes from St. Petersburg under date of the 10th of January, as follows: —Tho Ceentml Court at Eliznbetgrad was occupied on the Bth of November with tho trial of a group of lo peasants, ringleaders in a melancholy series of cruelties whinh have disgraced the town of Vosuossensk, in the Government of Khorson. 11l this Government thero are considerable numbers of a sect called " Stundists," who deny tho ceremonies of tho Greek Church, and base their religious views solely on theteachings of the Bible. They hold' meetings for the Scriptureand prayer,but have noollieiating clergy. They aresaid to bo the descendants of Russian soldiers who at some rather remote period were quartered for a time at Potsdam, and who wore converted from the Grook faith by the offorts of Gorman missionaries. Returning to Russia, they wcro banished to ono of tho military colonies in tho then almost uninhabited South, and their descendants arc now numerous in that district. Under tho direction of the Government, efforts havo recently boon made to bring the** poeplo back to tho Grook faith, but thnir sotrnd Biblical doctrines havo been proof against all tho seductions of tho Greek priests. It appears that the discomfiture of tho clergy excited the fanaticism of the Orthodox peasants, and a mooting wns held under tho presidency of• tho chief man of Vosnesscnsk, before which some loading members of tho Stundists wero arraigned. Tho meeting called upon them to sign a declaration of recantation, publicly to conform to tho ordinances of fhe Greek Churoh, and to express* their

readinesstoieceiveoOOWoWsiftheVshonhl relapse into StuudistLsm. Under iutimidadon th» declaration was signed by some, but many stoutly lipid out. It was then determined tluit those who refused should to publicly Hogged, the next day being Used for the execution. All the country people in the neighbourhood Hocked in to witness the performance, and about a thousand spectators were gratified by aspectacle of groat suffering. Zenovi and Frascovia .Shimenko, man and wife, wero particularly distinguished by their firmness under persecution, and consequently by the severity of the torments inflicted on them. Yhdmir FoderoflT and others, holding the woman by the hair, gave hor fifty blows with roils. Thun Efeom Slinsarenko commenced boating the unfortunate creature. Fatigued at last, be called upon the half-fainting woman to ask forgiveness of the crowd, to kiss the cross, and to repent a prayer. With death apparently before bur, this frail creature's courage and conlidenco deserted her not. She refused to ask forgiveness, she rejected the crucifix, saying that it was not lawful to make a representation of God, and for a prayer she said aloud, " Odd, fdrgivc them ; for they know not what' thuy do!" Such desperate constancy was not to go iiHpunish' !. Since rods were of nn nvail a id ministered by a young ;■ asnni, named ceased when she was too far gone to exhibit any sense of pain. Although medical evidence testified to a very narrow eseape from death, Prasodvia lias recovered; and when called as a witness before the Court; she said, "I mil ah Evangelist ; I and lliy co-reli-gionists know no oilier source of religion than the gospel. We cannot reeoguise the lanctily of images, but we do not refuse intercourse with the Orthodox in affairs which are not contrary to the principles of honour and faith." The example of intolerance shown by the Government in its treatment of the'' Molokkuni and-other sectarians is not unnaturally followed by a half barbarous and fanatical people.—Pall Mall Gazette.