THE PRUSSIAN CATHOLICS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 46, 14 March 1874, Page 6

THE PRUSSIAN CATHOLICS.

All the world knows how cruelly the German Government is persecuting the Prussian Catholics. The ultimate object of this persecution, as we pointed out before, is the destruction of the Catholic Church in the new empire. Never was there a persecution more unjustifiable. The Catholics of Prussia gave no cause and afforded no pretext whatever that could even excuse or palliate the injustice of which they are the victims. None were more loyal, none more zealous for the unification of Germany and the establishment of the Empire than the Prussian Catholics. In fact, it was their devotion to the Prussian Government that rendered the triumph of Prussia possible, and secured the Imperial crown for the King of Prussia. On these points we shall quote a passage from the 'London Tablet/ of the 3rd January :—": — " Another important pass?ge in the speech of Heer Reichenspekger, to which we called •attention the week before last, has been pointed out in a letter to the ' Spectator.' Speaking of the imputation of disloyalty to United Germany, which is the stock argument in defence of the Falck laws, Here Reichensperger declared that the electoral agitation of 1870 received the support of all German Catholics, which enabled Germany to unite and put forth all her strength, and thus prepared the way for glorious victor}*. The Left laughed, but the speaker went on :— ' Yes, Gentlemen, thereby was the resolution of the majority in the Bavarian Diet and the mobilization of the Bavarian army rendered possible. The majority of the Bavarian Diet had to decide on this point, and the efforts of my friends contributed to this important decision.' And as the Radicals still laughed — (this speech was delivered in the Parliament House in Berlin) — Here Reichensperger appealed to the Chief of the National Liberals. ' I have a witness,' he said, 'to what I affirm — ask Herr La.sker.' And Herr La&eer replied, ' Perfectly true.' The revelation has made no little sensation ; and the ' AUgemeine Zeitung,' itself a Bavarian paper, and therefore a peculiarly competent Avitness, though it prefers to ascribe the act of the Bavarian Landtag to the irresistible impulse of the moment, ' does not

affect to deny that the Catholic leaders in Prussia did use their influence in the sense indicated by Herr Reichensperger ;' and Herr Jorg, the leader of the Bavarian majority, in a letter which he has just published, though he does not recollect that the mobilization of the Bavarian army was promoted by any representations from Prussian Catholics, admits it to be a certain fact that the latter were favourable to the unification of Germany and the iastitution of the Empire, and asserts that their influence was used to obtain the adherence of Bavaria to the offer of the Imperial Crown to the King of Prussia, at Versailles. We have thus two perfectly independent testimonies to the truth of what we have so persistently asserted — namely, that previously to the recent anti-Catholic legislation, the Prussian dynasty and the new Empire bad no more faithful and attached supporters than the Prussian Catholics." And now behold the reward of their zeal and loyalty. The Emperor, whom they contributed so powerfully to exalfe, turns round on them like a viper, and calumniates them before the world ; and the nation and government to whose conquests and glory they helped at the expense of their blood and treasure, cruelly persecutes them, and as an excuse for horrid injustice vilely slanders them. The German Government has become an aggressor on the character, rights, liberties, and consciences of its own subjects, and best friends and benefactors. Were it not that the German Catholics are a long-suffering and in principle a loyal people, they would long since have risen in arms to repel the aggression of despotic power on their rights as men. It is well for the peace of Prussia and the security of its Government that its subjects whom it treats so barbarously belong to the Catholic Church ; for were it not that they are Catholics, there would be an end of their lojalty to Prussia.