The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-24 00:00:00

ME INQUISITION.

(From the llforniriq' Advailiser.)
A small item
,of news of intense significance ap-
peared in our telegraphie intelligence of last Thurs-
day morning. It was simply this:—The Governor
of. Bologna has decreed the ;suppression of the tri-,
bunal of the Inquisition." This is one of the
stances which shoe how sometimes a great, fact
may be communicated :in a few slain words.
suming the correctness of the information, all that
such a decree includes can never be fully appre-
ciated by any living man; even those who are
intimate with the 'bloOdstained history of Popery
from the beginning of the thirteenth century to
the end of the seventeenth, can realise it only in
part ; for the unwritten atrocities of this horrible
Court must be imagined, as a, sequel to what is
actually known, before the appalling story of the
Romish Inquisition can be at all apprehended. Be-
yond all question this awful tribunal is the most
gigantic iniquity that ever oppressed mankind.
British Protestants of the present.day seldom think
of the priceless freedom from liability to torture and
death, under the hands of priestly tormentors,
effected for them by the overthrow of Papal sit.,
premacy in these island§ ; and if they are indifferent
to the sleepless efforts of Romanisin to regain that
lost supremacy,. they may discoVer the unutterable
value of Protestantism when it is a day too late.
We sound no needless alarm, as our colimris
every day furnish evidence that the emissaries of
Rome are making systematic efforts to plant on
English soil a system which has long desolated Italy,
which the Italians are determined to shake off for
ever the moment they can stand upon their feet as
freemen, and one of whcf,a peculiar institutions the
Governor of Bologna has just resolved to abolish;
and we bring no accusation against living Roman
Catholics when we say, that the history of the In-
quisition is amore terrible indictment of Romanism
than all the charges brought against it by Luther,
Calvin, and Knox. - Be it understood we are not
speaking of re:igious dogma at all, but of the fact
that the Church of Rome, dominating the State,
usurped and wielded the powers of the civil magis-
trate, for politico-ecclesiastical purposes, in the
much•abused name of our benign Christianity, and
in so doing horrilly plagued the nations of Europe
with on institution whic has never been equalled
in tormenting cruelty—the Tribunal of the Inqui-
sition. That is all we say, and it may still more
deeply determine the ftiends of Italy to abolish the
temporal power of tho Pope—without which, of
course, an Inquisition is impossible—and the friends
ef Protestantism, to retain their present freedom
pure and simple, without foreign alloy, if we briefly
refer to a few facts and figures in proof of our as-
sertion.

This iniquitous Court was instituted in the year
1203, by Pope Innocent 111., :lid a few years
afterwards Gregory IX. extened its powers, and
placed it under the control of the bishops. Shortly
after this, however, that amiable pontiff, thinking
the bishops too merciful in the exercise of their in-
quisitorial functions, committed the operations of
the tribunal to the cruel hands of the Dominican
friars. The thin, gradually grew in merciless seve-
rity,' the clerical butchers setting themselves to
discover new modes of torture for their hapless vie-
tints, while terror and consternation spread through-
out Europe on the intelligence of this awful insti-
.tution, respecting which Pope Paul 111. declared
that it was "the only means of destroying v heres"
and the only fort of the Apostolic See." •
Crimes
against morality or humanity were light end
trifling, but to filler in opinion from a priest to
doubt the infallibility of the Pope, to express a
d
sire for the reformation of glaring abuses,cr to in--
sinuat? aught against the perfection of the Church,
was an inquiry to be visited with the dire penalties
of the Inquisition.
Innocent 111
,exiorting his
servants to destroy the Waldenses,' said, " We ex-
hort you to destroy the wicked heresy of the Albi-
genses, and to do this with more severity than you
would use towards the Saracens themselves. 13- •
seeute them with a strong hand.; deprive hem'olf.
houses and lands, and put true Roman Catholics in
their places ;" and tog ive the sanction of religion
to this ferocious command, he assured the persecu-
tors that their conduct would be highly pleasing to
God, and that, as.tlie reward of their obedience,
their sins should all be forgiven.
Pius V., writing to the King of France in 1569,
counselled him to destroy all. the enemies of tie
Church, to tear them up by the roots, and not to al-

low the.smallest fibre of a root to remain. To the
infamous Catherine de Medici he wrote, " Pursue
the enemies of the Catholic religion until they shall
be all massacred, for it is only by the entire destruc-
tion of the heretics that the Catholic worship can be
restored." All this time the inquisitors were busy
with their deadly work, and deeds were done on
the persons of men, women, and children, at the
bare recital of which humanity instinctively recoils.
This is not the place to enter into the harrowing
details; but a few general facts will convince the
reader that the blood of millions cries for ven-
geance upon the Romish Inquisition. Its victims
were generally seized at dead of night, and hurried
to the loathsome ' dungeoas with the greatest se-
crecy, and without being informed why they were
arrested, while their frirnds were often denied the
melancholy satisfaction of seeing them. Cardinal
Ximenes was Inquisitor-General for 11 years, dur-
ing which time 53,000 persons received his sen-
tence of condemnation of whom about 3,600 were
burned to death ; yet this very man was extremely
simple in his habits, and spent a large portion of
his enormous income in works of charity and in
the promotion of learning ; and his great work,
the " Complutensian Polyglot," is the type and
forerunner of all subsequent ones. During the 16
years Torquemada filled the office, more than
10,000 persons were burned alive, and more than
97,000 were sentenced to lose their property or
perish in the dungeons of the Inquisition. Llorente
says the victims of the Inquisition in Spain from
1481 to 1808, that is, three centuries end a quarter,
were more than 341,000, or an average of 1,040
personsevery year of that very long period, of whom
not less than 30,000 were burnt to death. And the
thing has come down to our day. There aro men
in this city who can give you some idea of the
Inquisition from painful personal experience.
We all remember some of its doings against the
patriots of 1848, after Louis Napoleon had restored
the Pope, and with him all the apparatus of the
Church to,power. An eloquent priest, Ugo Bassi,
who had protested against the clerical despotism
under which Italy has so long groaned, was
dragged, with others, before this holy tribunal.
And how did it use him ? After divesting him of
his priestly character, as his judges pretended, and
before delivering him over to the Austrians by
whom he was shot, they skinned the palms, fore-
fingers, and thumbs of both his hands ! In one
word, many million of human beings have been
destroyed by this diabolical Romish Inquisition,
and we wonder not that the Italians are eager to
-deAroy it and all of which it forms part.
But will this heaving of the breast and panting
of the soul of a nation ready to spring into liberty,
and which has so far sprung into it as to decree the
abolition of an infernal machine that has been at
work for six centuries and a half, be much longer
all Owed by the Dictator of Europe ? Will the man
who says, in truly Imperial style, before summon-
ing a Congress to dispose of the destinies of nations,
" The part of France is traced beforehand," permit
a nation struggling for freedom, and to which he
promised freedom—but that, between ourselves, is
neither here nor there—thus to destroy the play-
things of the Pope and Cardinals, and to endanger
the, very existence of the Church whose infallible
head he has promised to succour in case of any dun-
gei to the triple crown ? 'We fear that the Impe-
rial policy, traced beforehand, is very unlikely to
hailmonise with the ideas of liberty entertained by
the Bolognese patriots, and as Victor Emmanuel is.
no longer an independunt 'Sovereign, but the Vice-
regal representative in Italy of the Emperor of the
French, we must not yet' congratulate the people of
Central Italy on entire deliverance flea' the
tyranny of which the Inquisition is the suggestive
symbol.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE:

WARWICK AND LEAMINGTON STEEPLE-I
CHASES.—WEDNESiCAY.
Match of £5O each; Gentlemen riders. Two miles.
Mr. Formby's Chipenham, 4 yrs, 12st .. . ... (Owner) 1
Mr. Jones's Cliff Pigeon, aged. 125 t.... (Mr. Jennings) 2
Betting-72 to lon Cliff Pigeon.:
Won by two lengths. , • .
4. Handicap Hurdle Race of 5 sova each, 1 ft, with £3O
.1 , added ; winners extra. Two miles, over five flights of
hurdles.
Mr. Stinton's Grillade, aged, 9st. Glb (Donaldson), 1
-Mr. Nightingall's Scylla, 3 yrs, Sat 91b (o*ner) 2
-Mr. Darling's Gourd, 4 yrs, 9st 101 b (Eatwell) 3
Mr. Barber's Miss Harkaway, 6 yre,. lOst 61b .. (Green) 4
Betting-7 to 4on Grillade-5 to 1. agst Gourd.
Won by 20 lengths; the others passed the post pulling
up, Miss Harkaway walking in•a long way in the rear.
Match-200 sovs each, p.p. Four miles over tho Steeple-
chase Course;
Mr. A. Robertson's Jack Barber, 13st 71b (Owner) 1
Capt. Duff's Cock Robin, lOst 71b (Owner) 2
The betting opened at 2 to 1 on Cock Robin, but in run-
ning 2 to 1 was betted on Jack Barber, who came in alone,
Cock Robin.having refused in the second round.
Grand Open Steeplechase (Handicap) of 20 says. each, 10
ft, 5 only if declared, with 100 added ; the second to save
his stake. Certain penalties and allowances. About
four miles.
:Captain Hunt's Goldsmith, by Joe Lovell, aged, 9st 71b
(B. Land, jun.) 1
Mr. -Briscoe's Abd-el-Kader, aged, lOst 51b (Green) 2
'Mr. C. P. Wallis's New Broom, 6 yrs, 9st 41b (carried
. 9st 716)
. The following also ran :—Uncle.- Ned, Jealousy, The
Curate, Broadway Swell, and Harry of Hereford.
Bitting-2 to 1 rigst Curate, 7 to: 2 agst Abd-el-Kader,
-6 to a each agst Goldsmith and 'Jealonsy, 10 to beach agst
:Uncle Ned and Broadway Swell. •
Gelldsmith led after the first quarter of a mile, was,never
afteriwards headed, and won by 20 lengths ; the others came
separatedbywideintervals,Droadway Swell being fourth;
and ealousy fifth, the latter and the Curate having refused
soon after starting; Uncle Ned broke dOwn, and was led
horn by his dismounted jockey...
On returning to scale an objection was lodged against
'Goldsmith, on the ground that he wont on the' wrong side
of a post. After the Stewards had heard evidence in the
case, the following was their announced decision :
." The Stewards having considered the evidence tendered
to theon in respect to the objection made against Goldsmith
by the owner of Abd-el-Kader. are of opinion that it is not
sustained by sufficient testimony, and is therefore invalid,
and declare Goldsmith entitled to the stakes.
Count BATTIXYANY
J. F. JENNINGS (for F. Duff)
• E. B. KING."
Hunt Cup Steeplechase of 10 sovs each; 5 ft.' Weight for
age, with certain penalties and allowances: Three miles.
Captain Hunt's Slasher, aged, 12st (Mr. Edwards) 1
- The following also ran :—Crick, Sepoy, Haphazard,
Kate; The Cid, and Miss Somerville. ,
Betting-7 to 4 agst Slasher, 2to 1 agst Miss Somerville,
- A line race from the last flight of 'hurdles between
Slasher and Miss Somerville, ended in the latter getting up
hr the last stride, and 'coming in first by a head, Crick be-
ing about four lengths behind the pair; the others widely
separated. Kate fell at the fenco'at the top of the' hill„and
took no further part in the race. On returning to weigh
an objection was made against Miss Somerville, on the
ground that Mr. Whoods is not a gentleman rider, and that
according to the condition, he ought to have carried 101 b
extra. The plea was allowed by the stewards, and the mare
was disqualified.
The Warwickshire Yeomanry Cavalry Steeplechase; a Plate
of £39. Three miles.
Sergeant Griffin's Radford Lass, aged, 13st 121 b
(Mr. J. Griffin) 1
Sergeant Robins's Slow and Uncertain, aged, 13st 121 b
• - (Mr. T. Ivens) 2
Mr. Bawcutt's Slaughterman, 5 years, 13st 716 (Owner) 0
Betting-6 to 4on Radford Lass.
Won by three lengths. Slaughterman was pulled up
after jumping the artificial brook opposite the stand.
A Steeplechase Sweepstakes of 5 soya each, for horses
bone fide the property of gentlemen'or farmers residing
-within 25 miles of Warwick. Three miles.
Mr. Jackson's Crick, aged, 12st (Owner) 1
Mr. Formby's Chippenhara, 4 pi, llst (Mr. Rich) 2
Captain E. R. King nas Emily, 6 yrs, 12st
(Capt. E. R. King) 3
Mr. Edwards weighed for Pullaway, aged, 12st, but the
horse did not reach fhe post in time to start.
Betting-6 to 4on Chippenham.
Won by half a length ; Emily beaten off.

Acceptances for the Croy dog
Brunette, late Chance at lb
(inc. 51b. extra)
Abd-el-Kader ll 4
Goldsmith (inc. 51b ext.) 11 4
Longford ll 0
Romeo
Omar Paella
Triton
Corkscrew
Shylock lO 2

Steeplechase. Four miles.
• st lb

The Tartar
Curate
Blemish
Tumbler (late Salonica) 10 0
Lottery lO 0
Heads or Tails
Dayton
Congreve
Topsy 9 7
Contention

A FEMALE SERVANT BURNED TO DEATm—Yes-
terdaymorning Mr. Payne, the coroner, received informa-
tion of the death of Harriet Yates, aged sixteen years, who
resided in Alpha-street, Bermondsey. - It appears that the
deceased, a fine young woman, was in the service of Mrs.
Ryan, of Albany-street, Old Kent-road, and was standing
with her back to the fire, assisting her mistress, when the
wind from the door wafted her dreSs against the bars of the
grate. She was soon enveloped in flames. Her screams
brought assistance, but-she was so much injured that she
died shortly after her admission into the hospital. This. is
the twelfth person buzned to death within a week.
[AnvEnnsnmENT.l Mr. Denson, Ludgate-hill, has
just published a new illustrated pamphlet on watches (free
by post for two stamps). It should be load by all who are
about buying a watch, as it contlixis prices and important
information as to—What watch to buy I when to buy it !
and how to use it!

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