New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-22
The Outrage at Rome.

The Outrage at Rome.
The London Times Of the 9TH inst. has
an article on the outragos perpetrated IN the
prisons OF Rome, an account OF which we trans
lated from la Press' few days ago The 1Uaes
says
Rome IS at present governed by a bishop and priests
who derive their material power from French bayo-
nets and Austrian guarantees. Into the several de-
pariments Of tins administration we lorDear from
entering at present a. our narrative applies soleiy
10 one OF them-thc distribution OF justice. Arrests
are made at Rome IN other countries, upon m
formation, and the accused person Is allowed 10 oe-
fend himself by counsel, but the advocate must be
approved by the Judge, who may substitute at plea
sure a nominee OF his own The prisoner Is served
with what We term copy oi the Indictment, put ne
is not confronted either with his a-cuser or with
the lmpe aching witnesses and the case Is dispatched
In secret Under these conditions OF tral 1t may be
reasonably expected that convictions frequently en-
sue. and the convict undergOes or awdUS ms SEN
toncc In abOdcs OF the description following
The Roman lalls are divided INTO cells OF be-
tween and feet square. or, As II may be dcslr
able 10 state the exact proportions, oieieo II inches
In length, feet in. IN breadth, and feet 10 IN IN
hight. In each of these are shut ff0 prisoners VINO
are thus placed on an allowance OF ar little greater
than that required for the consumption OF one
But this separate incarceration Is privilege TO be
earned only by formidable guilt or purchased by
considerable bfbes. or the common class of pr
soners there Is a common room where they lie
day and night like negroes IN slave ship. on straw
too foul for a stable. On prOyocaunn given or as
sumed the jalior has The power OF lnhlctmg severe
fogging, of attaching To the legs of his victims
weie ht OF iron great as almost ioncapactat them
from moving. Beside these apartments there are
Others designed To hold ten prisoners each but Tor
which flrepfu Is ROW considered filter complement,
and IN these the single window Is So high from the
ground that the inmates can only obtain breath OF
AIR by mounting upon each others shoulders IN turn
Once "A month only y any vSll allowed from TRENDS
or relatives and then IN the presence OF The lailofS
and with a double iron grating intervening, We
have confined ourselves 10 simple statement OF
facts without any comment, but lhc reader VIII
probably not be surprised when we add. that WITHIN
The space OF few days, as credlbly reported, SIX
prisoners had died Of starV0tlon two had been put
IN irons for attempting suicide, and TWO had beeh
carried raving To lnad-houSe. Even ms now
ever, is but imperfect sketch of The horrors pre-
vailng. So frgh,ful are the practices OF these
rooms, where the very viloSt OF deSperadoeS are
hordcd together without any chectual supervision,
that the political prisoners glad 10 provoke soil
tary confinement by any breach of discipline, a.
an escape from lncXprcsS'blc pollution. Those
who remember the stores of convict l'e which al
most terrified our Government from the system of
transportation VIII be able 10 imagine the enOrml-
ties of these Infamous abodeS. and 20 conclude how
completely even all that We have described Is out
done by that which Is mdeScrlbablc
Such, IN one of lis most essential departments, is
the administration Of Government which rs vlo-
lently imposed by foreign arms upon a reluctant
people Such Is the Government OF q Court which
is endeavorng by suhtleiy and Schemng To engrNt
the fundamental principles OF IT'S own policy on the
constitutions of other lands IL Is no matter of won
tnat thtle >nOulu ht CRIMINALS M knlt. OF luN
extraordinary severity should be exercised by rulers
who within the last few months have been tugltVeS
and eSies. But II Is precisely under such cucnm-
stances that The capacity of Government ior Us
duties Is mOS, clearly Saown, and when We and the
subjects ot pOlilCN Restoration lnduigng m VIM
dictVC cTueuCS and unable either 10 m pderate their
own passions to control the proceedings ol their
servants We may assume them - convicted bN
their own mlSdeedS We are inclined. indeed,
TO attribute these mon>rouS oarharilleS no less
to the inherent wees OF an ecclesiastical reeaRc than
to the deliberate emotions OF ~ cauny and malice Tor
impossible 10 dou.t that what always bad ln
the Roman States has now become much NogSc under
the aggraVaOn of rebellion and The tcmptat lonS oi
impunity The Papal Government, like others IN
those parts, always combined practical disregard
of human suterineS With an o>tensibe respect for
human life. Executions are >protaclCS OF rare oc-
currcnce but pUniShmcatS compared with Wlicl
execution would be mercy, are adlndpeI without
sctuple, inflicted without pity and protric'ed with
cut remoTse. through al ige STAGES OF such torture
as we have described. We SicAen Involuntary az
the sight " blood, but capital penalties are NOT
always the most severe. When prisons are Ike the
Abbaye and the Conciergerle the guiotne Is rather
a rehef than climax. and The sacrifice Of afe R-
deed Is often far sharper under the horrors OF ia
than under the mercltul axe of jhC hCad>man.
Those who have ever oreGthcd he atmosphere of
Rome viii be aide To appreciate the suaocauon OF
PRISON at such season a this, when appliances OF
even luxury are needed 10 make the noon aal night
enduraee Yet IN ore jal there 400 and IN another
sVoNetmS now inearcetateI over ana above the or
uludN VNhuusVNO halCldClol>. Mho, never rare IN
these l(lgoVeTued states nave naturally multiplied
underline favorable conditions ofln>urrcci.on ana an
agchv. What renders these atomaation> The more re-
yoang = The fact that they are perpt.falel under
>pnl'uM plC-under Government PROCESSING 10 be
regulated IN all ITS functions on The prCcCpt> OF hr>
raoii, tnc actually administered oN preachers otthe
goS.Cl The DIR, ctor> oI The prisons tWo prelaeS
az the Church, who are personally cognzant Of the
prOct ecrgS related. and who responsible ~ 9th
81 piea,eS for The due performance u their fUnc-
lions such. however. = the >Dlrt now ausmaring
reverend councillors ;Aat. Il We may believe WAat Is
distinctly rcpoY'ct the CHRISTIAN Guty al visiting and
Succoring all lI>ont;S and Captne> has oeen su>'
psndsd hy a. order Of Sta'e Suc The aims We
Queahe0 IN pt pc'Wiy fer The relei q these Unior
iunaic creatures have bcCa diverted nom Their deS-
;na,oR and transferred 70 t4e service o. The Pru?a'
..s~Sa