GERMAN PERSECUTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 117, 23 July 1875, Page 10

GERMAN PERSECUTION.

Ik another column will be found an extract from the ' Sydney Freeman's Journal' in reference to this subject. It appears that the wail of starving men in G-ermany reached England, and that many persons, both Protestant and Catholic, contributed funds to relieve the dire distress of the excellent priests whom the German Government plundered of their property. But Bismabck interposed and would not allow this money to reach the hands of his .victims. The Government of their country has cruelly robbed them, because they are faithful Catholic priests, and then uses its power to prevent all others, whether natives . a? foreigners, from giving them bread. This is worse, tfran, cruel, worse than brutal ; there is no wor.d in our language capable of designating such outrageous conduct. -And. this is not persecution, not it! says one of , our contemporaries. In Germany, men are compelled to starve or aban-

•don their faith and violate their cons&iences. The outer -world is closed against them unless they perjure their souls. And a contemporary has had the hardihood to tell us, the Government, which has placed them in this dilemma, is not a persecuting Government. The charity of the humane throughout the world is prevented by Government from •reaching them, and it-is said this is a just and human Government. These devoted priests are in the last stage of want, and the humane and excellent Government of Bismarck makes it a crime even in their own countrymen and relatives, to raise funds to relieve them. And yet the Reptile Press, and its dupes and imitators, persevere in repeating there is no persecution in Germany. Truly, this boastful nineteenth century, in which such hypocrisy and falsehood are tolerated, is after all a contemptible century. We recommend the extract from our Sydney contemporary to the notice of the editor of the ' Evening Star.'