New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1874 THE 'OTAGO DAILY TIMES' TRUCULENT AGAIN!

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 66, 1 August 1874, Page 5

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1874 THE ' OTAGO DAILY TIMES' TRUCULENT AGAIN !

For truculent bigotry, groundless assumption, and absolute ignorance of facts, an article which appeared in last Tuesday's issue of this precious journal exceeds anything that has yet appeared even in its columns. This article begins with a reference to Prince Bismarck's crusade against the Catholic religion, and the reported attempt on his life. The writer goes on to say that the Prussian Premier's policy is generally approved of "amongst Protestant communities." ' The writer, perhaps, knows that such is the case, though if his knowledge in this particular is nearly as accurate as is his information in reference to Catholic and Prussian affairs, we may take leave to doubt, nay disbelieve, his statement. We should be sorry, indeed, to think that Protestants generally approved of a policy founded on a lie, and directed to the destruction of the rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, of German Catholics. Prince Bismarck has succeeded in inducing a nest of bigots and Freemasons, on the morrow of a victory mainly won by Catholic blood magnanimously poured out like water in defence of his master's cause, to uproot the very Constitution on the faith of the maintenance of which the Empire had been established, and the Imperial crown offered to William of Prussia. As we have already said, we should be sorry indeed to think that Protestants generally approved of such treachery and tyranny. But bad faith, and hatred of Catholicity are so manifestly displayed by Bismarck's policy and recent German legislation, that the Prince's admirers are for very shame driven to find excuses for both, and failing facts, to scatter utterly groundless falsehoods broadcast through the nations. For example, the ' Daily Times' says, "We are of opinion that the steps taken so vigorously to eradicate the undue political influence of the priesthood, and to put a stop to the machinations of the Jesuits, form a line of policy dictated by a bold and lofty statesmanship." Here are two statements which are entirely devoid of truth. The Catholic priesthood possessed no more political influence in Germany than other citizens ol' education virtue and position. To sich influence they are as much entitled as their fellow-citiiiens, and the attempt made by Bismarck is not to lessen 1 hat in/luence, but to iestroy the Catholic Church and reduce the ]:riesthood to the degra-^ -iw position ol certain ministers who are made to fetch and

carry for any Government that may happen to be in the ascendant, no matter how vile it may be, and to at least pretend to believe and certainly to teach the doctrines that may be agreeable to worthless politicians. The Catholic priesthood, in defiance of every Minister and Government, teach Catholic doctrines -without any admixture of courtly error, and at all hazards obey the law of the everlasting Roman Catholic Church ; this is their crime, — the only real cause of the persecution, at once cruel and contemptible, to which they and their flocks are now being subjected in the vary Empire cemented with their best blood. It is a mere pretence and a shallow hypocrisy to say that the object in view is to lessen their undue political influence. What right, even if they had undue political influence, has Prince Bismarck, or any one else to make laws prohibiting men to obey their Christian faith and conscience, for the purpose of eradicating political influence. If the Catholic clergy of Germany possess political influence, they have as much right to possess it and exercise it, too, as Prince Bismarck and his tyrant, yet slavish, followers, have to possess and exercise their influence. Why should all political influence be concentrated in them 1 why is it that Catholics, merely because they are Catholics, should have none as nil ? why should they, because from the nature of things they cannot help having political influence which is absolutely necessary for the preservation of their lives, properties and rights, be compelled to receive sacraments from suspended and sacriligious priests, or religious instruction from wolves in the clothing of sheep 1 Y«t this is precisely what Prince Bismarck and the German Government is endeavoring to do. They are endeavoring, whilst imprisoning and banishing their legitimate pastors, to force the Catholics of Germany to receive religious teaching from heretics, and accept the ordinances of religion from the hands of men without power to administer them. The German Empire is busily engaged in an unholy warfare to compel fifteen millions of her very best subjects to foreswear their faith and their consciences, and to revel in sacrilege. The ' Times' calls it a tremendous crusade, and so it is indeed.

The ( Otago Daily Times ' tells us one of the objects of the German policy is "to put a stop to the machinations of the Jesuits." This is very pretty writing — machinations is % beautiful word ! but unfortunately all this is a very common place ; any school boy could write the sentence, he has met it a thousand times in his school-books, and so often have the words been dinned into people's ears, that they have come to be accepted as Gospel truth. Prince Bismarck himself, though by no means a common-place man, could not divest himself of the habit acquired from his early associations, and had the vulgarity when endeavouring to justify his tyranny, to assign the machinations of the Jesuits as his reason for banishing peaceable citizens from their native country. But he was promptly brought to shame. He was asked by members in the Parliament House at Berlin to give a case in point, to prove any one machination on the part of Jesuits, to state any breach of the laws or Constitution of the country by the Jesuits, to bring them, if he could, before the tribunals of the laad: but he was absolutely unable to answer one word to their point-blank challenges. No ; the Jesuits entered into no machinations, violated no law, made not the slightest attempt on the Constitution ; they were peaceable, loyal, useful citizens. But they were learned and virtuous Catholics— this was the crime that stunk in the nostrils of Hcsmakck and other German bigots and Freemasons. Bisma.HCß and his followers ! they are the criminals ; they are the law-breakers ; they are the men who have not only attempted, but have/ actually violated the Constitution, broken faith with fifteen millions of Germans the moment they had got what they wanted by means of their help, and trampled on the rights and plundered the property of good citizens. We now say to the ' Otago Daily Times,' give up wild writing, abandon vague charges, come to facts, descend to particulars. Come, now, and give the public even one instance of the machinations of the Jesuits — state even one violation of the law by the Jesuits in Germany. We defy you. And until you do, we denounce your charge as wreckless, untrue, unjust, and calumnious.

The ' Times ' continues, " Probably there may be cited instances in which ejection of rebellious priests by the civil power has assumed the appearance of religious persecution ; but these are exceptional cases. Generally speaking, the ' persecution ' has, on examination, resolved itself into due punishment for offences against law and order." Th^ae words have no application to Germany or Bismarck. The priests banished had broken no law. This Bismarck, had

been compelled to confess. Such writing, therefore, on the part of the ' Times,' is merely beating the air, a sort of tangent, devised for the purpose of riding off from the consideration of the real point at issue. But here is the true liberal and Freemason principle — the 'Times' says "The Church must learn that she has no inherent right of being in the land, and that she only stands there by permission of the civil power." There is the reality. The State is the Deity —the absolutely supreme — the rule of law, conscience, religion. The Church is nothing, except by permission of the State. Christianity, then, is a myth. Christ never lived on carth — never founded a Chureh — never gave a mission to the Apostles. This is, in effect, what the < Daily Times ' blasphemously asserts. It is truly shocking that in the midst of a Christian community, even though it is mainly Protestant, a journal of such wide circulation as the ' Times,' should inculcate a principle so utterly subversive of Christianity.