THE 'STAR' ON RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION; EATING THE POPE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 122, 27 August 1875, Page 12

THE 'STAR' ON RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION; EATING THE POPE.

Your brother of the ' Star ' appears to entertain very obscure and misty ideas — very confused notions — on the subject of persecution for conscience sake, and on the legitimate limits of the civil power in relation to the ecclesiastical. The Catholics of the German Empire, ueoording to him, are not at present suffering any persecution,. They are only being punished, and justly punished for disobedience to the Civil Government in a purely civil matter. A man who says that, will say anything. What is the use of any reasoning with such a man as the editor of the f Star' on such a subject It is worse than idle, a mere beating in the air to do so. Happily, there arc many Protestants and some English conductors of Protestant journals, who regard B'snmrek's present line of policy to the German Catholics in its "true light, and look upon (> the man of blood and iron "as a barefaced persecutor — who wishes to "strangle" the Catholic Church by placing German Catholics, and if lie could, the Catholics of every other country under the thumb of tho Civil Government in religious mutters, lie appears to regard this as his " mission." lie will° run lo the end of his totlier in due time. Ho will no doubt find the Pope and his friends a great deal more difficult to " manage " than ho supposes, lie has only begun to feel his difficulties j when a man once enters on a course of lying or deception, he finds that one lie or trick only leads to the necessity for others and worse. So with a tyrant or persecute v— one measure of injustice or tyranny only prepares the way for othors of a more aggravating kind, until tho climax is reached and a " burst up " ensues. Bismarck began with fine 3 and banishment ; he has now proceeded to imprisonment ; byand-byo he may be forced to conduct his victims from the prison to .h3 block, since they defy his powei-3. They profor to obey God rather than Bismarck. For this every honest and consistent Proteslaufc, non-con-formists of all kinds, especially ought to admire and applaud them. 3lany Protestants, especially in Germany, do admire them for such

courage. The bright, particular ' Star ' of Dunedin does not, and is false to his own creed, as- a professed liberal and friend of liberty, by condemning their conduct and approving that of their ironhearted persecutor. It has been said with more force than delicacy that whoever eats the Pope will burst in the end. tr;^ Bismarck has been some time engaged in "eating the s Pope? and finds him rather tough food, and hard to digest. We shall in duetime see the effects of the meal, whether he • burst or not. History has many instances, and some even in times not very far remote of rulers who have oaten the Pope ; in other words, have treated him and his spiritual children with injustice and contempt, and tried to " strangle " tho Catholie_ Church. But history further tells how these- " great men " have burst" — how they came to a miserable end after a career of vice and cruelty, and entailed many calamities on their posterity and country, and sowed tho seeds of future wars. This remark will naturally recall to every one's mind the names of the English Nero or Bluebeard, our Henry VIII., and the modem Alexander, Napoleon 1., aud even the Third Napoleon — the modern Pontius Pilate. These two latter it is true, died in the faith of the' Church, and God is merciful to all truly penitent sinners, however grcvious their sins. But their history furnishes a memorable illustratiou of tho fact that he who eats the Pope- will burst at last. Even the Protestant historian, Alison, a man of a most religious and enlightened mind, could not record the terrible sufferings of Napoleon's army in the memorable retreat from Moscow, when the arms dropt ' from the benumbed hands of the men without adverting to tho fact of Napoleon having scornfully remarked on being excommunicated by the Pope, that he could not take tho arms from his soldiers. Alison considers that the dropping of the arms from the soldier's frozen hands in such circumstances, had a connection something more than " accidental " with the Pope's excommunication, aud Napoleon's derisive boast of his inability to take the arms from his men. The finger of the Almighty was visibly displayed on the occasion, and tho Pope proved more than a match for this proud and terrible conqueror of nations and kings. After such an example Bismarck would dowell to beware. He, too, like Napoleon, has entered on a lif j and death contest with the Pope. He, too, defies the Pope to his face, beards tho lion in his den, and tries to seize and strangle him. We have seen the commencement of this contest. The end has yet tocome. The youngest among us may not live to see its close. If Bismarck be wiso, ho will " come to terms " with the Pope ere it is too | late, though such counsellors as tho ' Star ' of Dunedin would no I doubt urge him to stand out and show no quarter to "Papists," totreat them on the Cromwellian principle, and deal with them "thorough," — smite thorn all with the sword of the Emperor, if they would not submit to place their consciences at his absolute disposal. In the meantime I believe we shall not see war. The Pope is peaceable, and England is bent on peace. The Pope and England rule the world, saving tho presence of Bismarck and the ( Dunedin Star.' England long ago eat thoPopo, and has good reason to remember the consequences. As time pas-es on, the Pope and the English Government, and people become better and better friends. Tho Royal Family of England have of late shown delicate marks of respect and reverence for tho vonerablo occupant of St. Peters Chair, i such as some pretended Catholic sovereigns have been far from. i showing, and which the Dunedin ' Star ' may think ought not have been paid. No doubt the ' Star ' considers the chastisement of females by the lash at the command of the Russian Government because they refuse to renounce their faith as Catholics is quite legitimate, and a very praiseworthy thing in vindication of the civil power. The abettor of persecution is as odious as the persecutor himself. Since writing the above, I have seen in your paper that theProtestants in England are now fully alive to the nature of Bismarck's policy to Cal holies. Their generous offering of pecuniary aid to Bismarck's victims is a memorable incident in the history of our times, and this remarkable struggle. Your brother of the ' EveningStar' might now well blush for shame at what he has written of Bismarck and his victims. Quern dens vult perdere clemsnbat. Those whom God has doomed to ruin, first run into mad and desperate courses. So it may be, and probably will be with Bismarck in spite of all his talent. His energy is the energy of a madman. Hehas gone to far, and cannot now either advance with safety, or retirewithout disgrace. To add to his other difficulties, he has now roused tho indignation and horror of English Piotestants against him. They have found him ont, as they found out Garabaidi. The c Slar' refuses to have its eyes opened as yet. Poor dupe, what will nofc bigotry and prejudice do to darken men's minds, and pervert their judgment. Laic.