The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-12-21
+. HoLCOMB & D. S. MURRAY, PUBLISHERS

the accused in his seat. Ga one side o
the room was one elevated seat, called
the Throne Of Judgment. This the In
qnisitor generally occupied, and on either
side were seats less elevated for the Holy
Father when engaged in the solemn busl'
ness of The Holy lnquisilor. From this
room we proceeded 10 the right and OBJ
tanned access to small cells, extending the
entire length of the eGfice; and here what
a sight me! the eye! How has the be-
nevoent religion of Jesus been abused
and sandered by his protested friends
These cells were places of solitary
confinement, where the wIetched objects
of inquisitoriaI hate were confned, year
after year, ill death released them of their
suffering, and their bodies are suffered to
remain until they are entirely decayed,
and the rooms had become fit for others
TO occupy. To prevent this practice he
coming offensive 10 those who occupied
the lnquision, there were flues or tubes
extending 10 the open air, sufficiently
capacous to carry off the odor from those
decaying bodies. Ia these cells we found
the remains OF some who had paid the debt
Of nature; some of them had been dead
apparently but short time, while others
nothing remained of them except the
bones, still chained TO the floor OF their
Dungeons In others we found the living
sufferer of every age, and of both sexes,
from the young man and maiden 10 those
Of three score and len years, all naked as
they were born into The world. Our so!-
}diers immediately applied themselves to
releasing the caplives of their chains,
stripped themselves in part of their own
clothing 10 cover these wrelched beings,
and were exceedingly anxious TO bring
them up to the light Of day. But aware
of the danger, insisted on their wants
being supplied, and being brought grad
ualy to the light as they could bear it.
When we had explored these cells, and
opened the prison doors of those who
survived, we proceeded to explore another
room ON the left. Here we found the
instruments of torture, of every kind
which the ingenuity Of men or devils
could invent. AT The sight of them the
fury Of our soldiers refused any longer
10 be restrained. They declared that ev-
cry inquisitor, monk add soldier of the
establish rent deserved to be put to the
torture. We did not attempt any longer
to restrain them. They commenced at
once the work Ct torture with the Holy
Fathers. remained TIL l saw four diff
ferent kinds Of torture applied, and then
returned from the awful scene, which
terminated not while one individual re-
manned of the former guilty inmates Of
this anii-chamber Of hell, on whom they
could wreak revenge.
AS soon as the poor sufferers from the
cells Of the lnquisltion could with safety
be brought out OF the prison to the light
of day, (news having been spread far and
near, that numbers had been rescued from
the Ioqnisilion,) all who had been de-
prived of friends by the holy Office, came
to inquire if theirs were among the num-
Der.
O, what meeting was there about
| hundred who had been buried alive for
many years, were now restored to The
active world, and many of them found
here son, and there a daughter, here
sister, and there brother, and some alas!
could recognize no friends. The scene
was such as no one can describe. When
this work of recognition was over, to
complete the business in which engag
ed, went 10 Madrid and Obtained large
quantity of gunpowder, which | placed
underneath the edifce, and its vaults, and
as we applied the slow match there was
Joyful sight to thousands of admiring eyes.
Oh, it would have done your heart good
to see it; the walls and massive turrets of
that proud edifice were raised towards the
heavens. and the lnquis'lion of Madrid
was no more."- Western Citizen.