The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-04-26
THE INQUIsITIoN.

A correspondent Of the N. Y. Journal or
Commerce, writing from Italy, gives the FOL.
lowing thrilling description Of a few Of the
horrors Of the Inquisition
"ln Turin | met the American Consul Of
Rome who bad passed through the entire
revolution in the Eternal City, and who wa,
present when the doors aud dungeons Of the
inquisition were opened by the decree Of the
Trumvirs, IL prisoners released, and the
building converted into an asylum for the
poor IL was interesting TO hear from the
lips Of an Intelligent eyewitness the most
ample confirmation Of the published state.
ments relative 10 the condition and appear
ance n ribs iniquitous establishment The
Holy lnquisition OF Rome il situated near the
Porta Cayalligcri, and under the very shad-
ow Of the sublime dome of 81. Peters Caiho-
dral, and capable in case of emergency of
accommodating three thousand prisoner
The cousu, gas particularly struck with the
imposing dimensions of the "Chambcrs of
Archives filled with voluminous documents,
records aud papers Here were piled all the
proceedings and decisions of the holy Office
from the very birth of the inqusition, nclud-
ing correspondence from itR collateral branch
cs in both hcmisphcrcs. Upon the third Roor,
oYcr a CERTAIN door, was an inscription 90 the
following clcct-"SpcaS 30 the first inquisit-
chamber except ~ rain of cxcommunication."
They right n well have placed over the
dow inc wcl-rcmcmbcrcd inscription Of
DantS over the gates of Tartaruz--" A baRdon
hope, all We who enter here" That chamber
was the solemn Hall OF Judgment, or Doom
room, where the fate of thousands have been
sealcdGn death. Over a door directly oppo-
site another inscription reads-"Speak TO the
secaad iaa,'isitors Upon opening the door Of
Il arffu sci
from which the condemned, after they had
left the Hall Of Judgment, stepped from time
into eternity.
The we'll or pit beneath had been built in
the ordinary cylindrical form, and gAs eighty
feet deep, and so ipgcniously provided with
projecting knives and cptlasses that The bal-
ics 81 tie Nictins must have been terribly
mangled in the descent At the bottom Of
this abyss quantities of hair and beds of moul-
dcring bones remained. Not only mt the bot
tom Of the pit, but also in several of the lower
.l.at,tle-- kaasss'
bones. In some places they appear to have
mortarcd into the walls. The usual instru-
ments were likewise manifest. The consul
presented me with bone which he brought
with him "a a memorial ofhis visit The Pope
fed Trombone on the 25th of November, iSlS.
The Roman Republic was proclaimed on the
18th of February, lS49, and Immediately az
ter lis installation tho assembly solemnly de-
clared the adjustment of the Holy inquisi-
ton, and by a special decree charged the
Triumyirate with the duty Of erecting lofty
column to commemorate the overthrow Of one
OF the greatest evils that ever darkened the
face OF the earth But the scenes ofthis world
change. On the fst of July, is49, the Roman
Republic, after the brief existence of 6vo
months, captulated TO the French, and in
May, 1850, Plus TX, after an exile of one
year and SIX. months, returned 10 his capital,
prescribed the Triumvirate, and re-establish-
ed the Inquisition in all its former power"