George Matulaitis Journal

the Russians because of a religious procession he had organized without permission. 1 He reported that Father Górski, pastor of Asmena, has not stopped his campaign against him and some other priests, particularly Lithuanians and Belorussians. He is not only complaining to the officers and informing the police, but now he is inciting the people against their bishop. The peasants reported this to the Dean at Ziupronys. I told him to get some genuine witnesses, to swear them in, and to question them in the presence of another priest and send me the depositions so that I can have Father Górski tried in court. On behalf of the priests, the Dean requested that I remove Father Górski from A mena entirely. He showed me a secret police document obtained from an acquaintance in which there are various accusations against certain Belorussian and Lithuanian priests. He suspects that these priests have been informed on by Father Górski. I answered that such action cannot be taken. The generals are protecting him and will not allow him to be removed from Asmena. As it is, I have had to send my chancellor to the government with documents (the appeals sent by the priests) to prove that I had not removed him from the office of dean without cause. I said: “If you have any real evidence and witnesses against Górski, send them to me and I will take him to court, for only an ecclesiastical tribunal can dismiss him from A mena.” I asked Abaravi ius whether the national consciousness of the Belorussians is, in fact, getting stronger in the A mena district. He said that it was and that the repression by the Polish government is has- tening the rise of Belorussian consciousness. There are now villages where the people maintain Belorussian schools with their own funds. The latest action taken by the Polish government, that is, closing the Belorussian teachers’ college in Boruny, has strongly aroused national consciousness of the peasants. As usual, repression gives rise to resistance. 317 1 The events referred to occurred in the spring or summer of 1905 during the Czarist regime. The area had a history of opposition to Russian rule. Current tensions and conflicts were due to the fact that it had recently been occupied by the Polish Army.