The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-07-26
Hon. HOWELL CouB Speaker aoass Of Reps,

Col. WEBB IN RoME-CuriOws persecution of
TVtfe-St. Peters saved By Major Cass.-The
New York Courier and Enquirer has a letter from
Col. Webb, at Rome, from which we take the fol-
lowing extracts
" An Englishman, Of very eccentric character,
has resided several years at Rome in the Rossi
Palace, near the Vatican. He is far advanced in
life and it is the general opinion that he is derang-
ed. Certainly his conduct warrants this belief A
! few years ago he married young Italian lady, of
| prncely rank Since their marriage her life is
represented to have been one scene Of misery ov-
ing to the treatment she has experienced from her
husband. A week or two since upon some pre-
text or other, he induced her to accompany him in
TO the subterranean dungeons beneath the Palace,
and mmured her in of the dark, loathsome
cells, For nearly two days and nights she remain
ed in that horrible place. alone, in complete dark
ness exposed to the disgusting and noxious rep
tiles that inest Wondering ruins. The servants OF
the Palace, after diligent search, at length dis
covered the place of her confinement, and immed-
lately concerted measures for her release.
The British Government, as you are aware, has
no diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Amer
leans and Englishmen very often coniounded
by the lower classes of Rome, and under the i'm
preston that Major Cass was the English Minis
ter two of the servants of the Palace Rossi repair
ed to his residence and implored assistance for the
liberation OF their mstress-whom they believed
to be at the point of death. 1t was impossible, of
course, to resist such an appeal and Major Cass
very properly gave immediate information of the
circumstance to the police authorities In less
than an hour the lady, | understand, was borne
from the dungeon in a state of insenslbility. A few
days afterwards her husband had her conveyed to
an obscure convent accusing her of intention to
elope with three different individuals, Of whom
Major Cass, to whom she is an utter stranger, was
named one. As soon as this fact came to the
knowledge of the ecclesiastical authorities, an in
vestigation commenced at the instance of the
Austrian ambassador, which resulted in her i'm
mediate liberation. Her husband has left Rome,
denouncing vengeance against the Government,
Major Cass, and all who have rendered assistance
to his wife. She, | understand, has gone to
Naples
The Colonel pays a high compliment to Major
Cass for the manner in which he discharges his
duties The Pope, the Colonel says, gives Major
Cass the credit of preserving ST. Peters, in the fol-
lowing manner, from the fury of the mob
Major Cass reached here after the flight of the
Pope and his court He was, consequently, the
only representative of foreign government at
Rome, at period when several of the leaders OF
the revolution, finding tina. further resistance to the
French was impraeticable resolved to destroy the
monuments OF Rome, and leave for their conquer
ors but barren victory. Major Cass was arous ed
from his bed at two o'clock one night and informed
that several of the leaders, then in concave, had
given orders to undermine and blow up St. Peters,
/ the proudest monument OF human skill the world
has ever SEEN Without loss of time, he presented
\ himself before the assembled vandals, and by ap-
peas, remonstranoes and threats in the OF his
country and in behalf Of the civilized world he
compelled them to abandon their fiendish purpose
/ His services have been duly appreciated by the
Pope, and at his request, for the first time in the
history OF Rome Protestant worship is now per-
mitted in the Eternal City"