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APPENDIX X

POLITICAL PERSECUTION OF THE NON-MAGYARS [1]

(A) Roumanian Political Trials (1886-1896)

I.  (December 15, 1884) at Hermannstadt. George Baritiu, editor of Observatoriul, accused on the ground of an article attacking the Government for its prohibition of the Rou­manian Church Council; argued that the Ausgleich was a crime against the Roumanians, and dreamt of a Magyar Plevna. Acquitted.

II.  (February 3, 1885) Hermannstadt. Cornel Pop-Pacurar and Joan Slavici accused on ground of article in Tribuna, which dealt with a recent trial in which two Saxon peas­ants were tried and condemned for murder. Though neither of them knew a syllable of Magyar, the entire proceedings were conducted in Magyar, and this in a town which had for 700 years been a centre of German culture. Acquitted.

As a result of these two acquittals, the Press Jury Court was, by Ministerial Order of June 27, 1885, transferred from Hermann­stadt to Kolozsvár, which being a Magyarized town, could be depended upon to give severe sentences.

III.  (May 12, 1886) Kolozsvár. Cornel Pop-Pacurar was sentenced to one year, and Joan Slavici to 200 crowns, for two articles published in the Tribuna (Hermannstadt) in November, 1885, and January, 1886, which contained polemics against the assertion that the Hungarian State can never be any­thing but Magyar, and can take no account of the nationali­ties, since it would thereby only injure itself. "To save Roumanian society and the whole country from the convulsion to which the ill-considered policy of the Mag­yars is leading, is the aim of our whole activity." For other extracts, see Chapter XV, p. 299.

IV.  (March 24, 1888) Kolozsvár. Stephen Bobancu was sentenced to four months and 100 crowns for an article in Gazeta Transilvaniei (August 24, 1887, i.e. seven months before) which talks of the persecution of the non-Magyars, and of the resolve of the Magyars that the Roumanians shall not preserve their nationality. Aurel Muresianu acquitted.

V.  (April 25, 1888) Kolozsvár. Joan Slavíci sentenced to one year and 200 crowns for an article in Tribuna (November, 1887) commenting on the speech of General Doda, M.P. "From day to day there are increasing signs that the Roumanians are awakening and understand the patriot's voice." "Our discontent is great, and we can no longer endure our wrongs," etc.

VI.  (August 30, 1888) Arad. Stephen Albu sentenced to one year and 1,000 crowns (reduced on appeal to three months) for two articles in Rumänische Revue (July and August, 1887, i.e. a year previously) attacking Magyar Chauvinism. "The Magyars no longer see in the other peoples comrades in their State, whose strength adds to its strength: they merely see in them opponents whose strength means their weakness." " The State as at present governed only assures protection to the Magyar national interests," etc.

VII.  (September 17, 1888) Arad. General Trajan Dodá, M.P., sentenced in absence to two years and 2,000 crowns for his electoral address in Karánsebes (October 14, 1887, i.e. eleven months previously). "By violence and intrigue the Roumanian people has been ejected from all its posi­tions in the constitutional struggle." "We are preparing for a severe and exhausting struggle." "To-day it is no longer a question of a seat and a vote in the Hungarian Parliament . . . the national honour of the Roumanian people is at stake." Gen. Doda was afterwards, owing to a paralytic stroke, pardoned by the Emperor-King.

VIII.  (March 20, 1889) Kolozsvár. Septimius Albini, editor of Tribuna, sentenced to one month's common jail and 200 crowns for libel against Cosma, a Magyarophil Rou­manian.

IX.  (July 4, 1889) Szatmár. Rev. Basil Lucaciu was arrested for an electoral speech, in which he expressed the hope that the Roumanians would at last show signs of life and take action. He was at once arrested and detained five weeks in a common jail previous to trial! The court acquitted him.

X.  (July 31, 1889) Temesvár. Valerius Barcian, charged with an article in Luminaiorul entitled "The Birth of Our Lord" — a Christmas review of the political situation. "If we demand the possibility of progress in culture and science, the cultivation of our national language and the exercise of our national rights, then the Magyar language and culture are forced upon us; and if we raise complaints, we are sent to prison; if we demand the observance of existing laws, and the grant of true legal equality, then we only meet with words of scorn : we are called enemies of the State, and are driven across the frontier." Ac­quitted. On appeal of the Public Prosecutor, a second trial was ordered, and accused was sentenced to six months and 1,000 crowns.

XI.  (August 14, 1890) Kolozsvár. Trajan H. Pop, as author, sen­tenced to one year's imprisonment, and Dr. Aurel Muresianu, as responsible editor, to six weeks' common prison, for two articles in Gazeta Transilvaniei (March and April, 1890). " This country is not Magyar, and this State is not ' Magyaria,' but common to all the nationalities — and let usurpers take this to heart." He further talks of "lords and rulers on the one side, political slaves on the other," and adds that "with the dawn of the coming century the day of universal freedom will break."

XII.  (September 11, 1890) Kolozsvár. Joan Macaveiu, as author, sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, S. Albini, as responsible editor, to six months common jail, for two articles in Tribuna, attacking the idea that the Mag­yars alone are the State. If they only have a future in the State, then we Roumanians may demand the abolition of the Law of Nationalities, "and then we shall be com­pelled to regard ourselves as subjects of another State." "So long as one drop of Roumanian blood flows in our veins, we shall not permit it to mingle in the same bowl as the blood of Arpad's descendants. So long as our beloved Monarch calls all nationalities under his sway 'my beloved peoples,' so long have we the right to call ourselves his loyal subjects and not strangers." "Europe and Europe alone is called upon to solve the future of this country." "The State and the idea of the State may not belong to the Magyars alone, for it is not to the Magyars alone that the State owes its existence." "This 'idea of the State' (i.e. 'a Magyar állam eszme') must be erased from the political lexicon of the Magyars." Ma­caveiu returned from prison broken in health, and died soon afterwards.

XIII.  (November 13, 1892) Debreczen. Rev. Basil Lucaciu sentenced to eighteen months for an electoral address praising the spirit of the Roumanian Memorandum to His Majesty, referring to "the brutal violence" with which Roumanian national culture is hindered in Hun­gary, and urging all true Roumanians to assemble for a discussion of the situation.

XIV. (March 17, 1893) Torda. Rev. Basil Suciu charged with introducing politics into one of his sermons ! Acquitted.

XV. (June, 1893) Szatmár. Rev. Basil Lucaciu sentenced for libelling the Government to four months' common jail. This was combined with his previous sentence and con­verted into thirteen months' common jail !

XVI.  (August 31, 1893) Kolozsvár. The "Replique" Trial (see p. 301). Eugene Brote, as proprietor of the printing press in Hermannstadt, Nicholas Roman, as manager, and Aurel Popovici, as disseminator of the pamphlet. In 1891 the students of the University of Bucarest published a pam­phlet on the situation of the Roumanians in Hungary, which provoked an answering pamphlet from the Univer­sity students of Budapest and Kolozsvár. The Rou­manian students at the Austro-Hungarian Universities then published a third pamphlet, entitled a "Replik," as answer to the Magyar students. This Replik was printed in Hermannstadt, was not challenged by the authorities, or confiscated by the post office. After a whole year had elapsed, the Public Prosecutor in Kolozsvár confiscated it on the ground of "incitement against the Magyar nationality," and took action against the printers and Popovici, who was a member of the students' committee. Brote did not appear, and has thus made Hun­gary impossible for himself. Roman was sentenced to one year and 600 crowns, Popovici to four years and 1,000 crowns.

XVII. (August 18, 1893) Kolozsvár. Andrew Baltes, as editor of Tribuna, sentenced to two months' common jail and 1,000 crowns, John Popa-Necsa, as printer, to one month, for an article containing the sentence — "If we stand out­side the law, if those whose duty it is to protect the law commit illegalities, must we not defend ourselves with the same weapons with which we are attacked?"

XVIII. (September 12, 1893) Kolozsvár. For an article pub­lished in Tribuna ten months previously, entitled " Politi­cal Retrospect," and recounting the past oppression of the Roumanians, with extracts from the well-known historian Roumanian Xenopol, Sept. Albini was sentenced to three months and 200 crowns, J. Russu-Sirianu to two months and 100 crowns, R. Baltes to one month and 60 crowns, Dordea to fourteen days and 40 crowns. The editor had declared himself unable to remember the name of the author of the article in question, hence the indis­criminate sentence. Eugene Brote was accused, but did not appear after so long an interval of time.

XIX.  (December 16, 1893) Hermannstadt. The Public Prosecutor complained of the non-appearance of Brote as editor of the Tribuna, and demanded that his paper should there­fore be suppressed. The judge complied with this demand, and further imposed on Brote in absence a fine of 1,000 crowns. Sentence was at once carried out, but the court of second instance several months later revoked it as illegal.

XX.  (December 22, 1893) Kolozsvár. For an article in Foaia Poporului entitled "Roumania on our Side" (which argued that the more the Roumanians in Transylvania were illtreated, the more sympathy they would receive from the kingdom), J. Russu-Sirianu, as editor, was sentenced to twenty days' prison, J. Popa-Necsa, as printer, to three months' common jail, and the paper to a fine of 1,000 crowns. E. Brote, as proprietor of the paper, was also charged, but did not appear.

XXI.  (February 2, 1894) Hermannstadt. The Public Prosecutor raised a fresh complaint against the absence of the new proprietor of the Tribuna and Foaia Popomlui, J. Popa-Necsa (he was in prison !). The court ordered the pub­lication of both papers to cease. Decision reversed on appeal.

XXII.  (March 13, 1894) Kolozsvár. Foaia Poporului published an article by George Petrovici, a schoolmaster, severely attacking a colleague who had accepted a prize of 50 crowns from the State as a reward for his success in spread­ing the Magyar language. Petrovici was sentenced to two months, Russu-Sirianu, as editor, to fifteen days, and Popa-Necsa to 200 crowns.

XXIII.  (March 29, 1894) Kolozsvár. Andrew Baltes, as editor of Tribuna, was sentenced to four months' common jail for a poem entitled "Michael the Brave" (in honour of the great Voivode of Wallachia) which he had published in his paper. Popa-Necsa was fined 1,000 crowns.

XXIV.  (April 18, 1894) Kolozsvár. Tribuna published an appeal to the Roumanian schoolmasters, not to accept the state subventions offered by the new Teachers' Salaries Bill (not yet passed into law), because the Government will thereby gain control over the Roumanian schools and will seek to Magyarize them. For this appeal George Petrovici was sentenced to four months' jail and 200 crowns, George Craciun to three months and 100 crowns, A. Baltes to 600 crowns, Popa-Necsa to 400 crowns, and the paper to 1,000 crowns more

XXV.  (April 23, 1894) Kolozsvár. Tribuna published a con­gratulatory address to those condemned in the "Replik" trial. For this Simeon Bratu was sentenced to twenty days' jail, A. Baltes to 120 crowns, and the paper to 600 crowns.

XXVI. (April 24, 1894) Kolozsvár. For a similar congratulatory address published in the Tribuna, Aurel Lazar and Munteanu, two school teachers, were sentenced to six weeks' jail, Rev. Babutiu to four weeks, Geo. Lupu to two weeks, Popa-Necsa to twenty days or 400 crowns, and the paper to 1,000 crowns.

XXVII.  (May 17 to June 4,1894) The Memorandum Trial. Kolozs­vár. On March 26, 1892, the Roumanian National Party in its official capacity addressed a petition of grievances to the Emperor-King. The Public Prosecutor instituted proceedings against the entire committee for this act. The passage in the petition to which he specially took exception referred to the autonomous rights of Transyl­vania and to the illegal and unconstitutional manner in which this autonomy had been annulled, and declared the Act of Union (XLII. 1868) to be a clear defiance of all the rights of the Roumanian people as forming the majority of the population of Transylvania. After a trial lasting eighteen days, the following sentences were passed : Dr. John Ratiu, president of the executive com­mittee of the Roumanian National Party, two years ; Rev. Basil Lucaciu, secretary, five years; Demeter Comsia, under-secretary, three years ; Julius Coroianu, two years, eight months ; Dr. Barcianu, Dr. Mihali, Rubin Patitia and Gerasim Domide to two years, six months each ; Michael Veliciu to two years; Aurel Suciu to eighteen months; George Pop to one year; Nicholas Cristea and Dionysius Roman to eight months each ; P. Barbu to two months. Four others were acquitted ; Eugene Brote and Aurel Popovici did not appear. On October 9, 1894, the postponed action against Septimius Albini, who had fallen ill during the trial, and Romulus Crainicu (both members of the committee) was opened in Kolozsvár; Albini was sentenced to two years and six months, Crainicu had died in the interval, so unfortu­nately could not be sentenced.

XXVIII.  (June 12, 1894) Kolozsvár. George Moldovan sentenced to one month's jail for an article in Foaia Popomlui, which spoke of the cruel persecutions to which the Rou­manians were subjected by the Magyars. The paper was fined 600 crowns.

XXIX.  (June 24, 1894) Kolozsvár. Four priests, four school­masters, a doctor and two editors of the Tribuna prose­cuted for a congratulatory address to the victims of the "Replique." The court dismissed the action, owing to the period of limitation having expired.

XXX. (July 5, 1894) Kolosvár. For a similar address, published in Tribuna, Archpriest Cuteanu was sentenced to 600 crowns, A Baltes to 400 crowns, Popa-Necsa to 200 crowns, and the paper to 600 crowns.

XXXI. (September 22, 1894) Szatmár. Rev. Basil Lucaciu (already sentenced to five years) charged with libel against an administrative official, incurred in a complaint ad­dressed to the Minister of the Interior. Sentenced to six months' jail and 400 crowns.

XXXII.  (October 2, 1894) Kolozsvár. For a congratulatory address to the victims of the Replik trial published in the Tribuna, A. Baltes was sentenced to three months' jail, Popa to two months, and the paper to 1,000 crowns. XXXIII (October 16, 1894) Kolozsvár. George Moldovan sen­tenced to two months' jail for an article in Foaia Poporului (February 25, i.e. nine months previously) entitled ”Foreign Opinion on our Side."

This campaign of political persecution was still raging when Mr Brote published his book in 1895. I only wish that considerations of space did not prevent me from treating the subsequent trials in the same detail.