New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-03

A mad girl-reckless of her pain,
Unconscious of her woes.
And when they ring the village chimes
s-i That tolled the lovers knell,
She sghs and says she hears at times
: The music of The she'll
DESTRUCTION OF THE INQUIsITI0N IN SPAIN.
In 1909, Col Lehmanowsky was attached to
that part of Napoleon's army which was sta
TONED in Madrid. .sWhile in this city,. said
Col. L., 81 used to speak freely among the
people about the priests and Jesuits. and Of the
lnquisi ZION" 1t had been decreed by the En-
peror Napoleon that the Inquisition and Monas-
teries should be suppressed; but the decree,
like some OF the laws enacted in this country.
was not yet executed Months had passed
away, but the prisons of the Inqusl.ion we're
still unopened One night about 10 or ii
o'clock, as Col. L. was walking the streets of
Madrid, two armed men sprang upon him from
an alley, and made furious attack He in.
stantly drew his sword, put himself in position
of defence, and while struggling with them, saw
at distance the lights of the patrols French,
soldiers mounted. who carried lanterns, and
rode through the streets of the city at all hours
OF the night, to preserve order He called to,
them in French, and, as they hastened to his
assistance, the assailants took to their heels and
escaped, not, however, before he saw by their
dress that they belonged to the guards of the
Inquisition. ~ --
he Colonel went Immediately to Marshal
Soult, then Governor of Madrid, and told him
what had taken place, and reminded him of the
decree to suppress this institution Marshal
soult replied that he might go and destroy it.
Col. L. told him that his Regiment (the 9th of
the Polish Lancers) was not sufficient for such
service, but if he would give him an addition
al regiment-the 1l7th, he would undertake
the work The l1Tth Regiment was under the
command of Col. De Lille, who is now, like Col
L., minister of the Gospel, and pastor of an
Evangelical church, in Marseilles, France.
"Ihe troops required were granted, and pro-
ceeded (said Col. L to the Inquisition, which
was situated about five miles from the city 1t
was surrounded by wall of great strength,
and defended by a company of soldiers. When
we arrived at the walls, addressed one of the
sentinels, and summoned the holy fathers to
surrender to the Imperial army, and open the
gates of the lnquisition. The sentinel, who was
standing on the wall, appeared to enter into
conversation for moment with some one with
in, at the close of which he presented his mus
ket and shot one of my men. This was the sig
nal for attack, and ordered my troops to fire
upon those who appeared upon the walls
s' 1t was soon obvious that it was an unequal
warfare The walls of the Inquisition were
covered with the soldiers of the holy office;
there was also breast work upon the wall,
behind which they but partially exposed them
selves as they discharged their muskets Our
troops were in the open plain, and exposed to a
destructive fire. We had no cannon, nor could
we scale the walls, and the gates successfully
resisted all attempts at forcing them. could
not retire and send for cannon to break through
the walls without giving them time to lay a
train to blow us up. | saw that it was neces-
sary to change the mode Of attack, and directed
some trees to be cut down and trimmed, to be
used as balterlng rams. Two of these were
taken up by detachments of men, as numerous
as could work to advantage, and brought to
bear upon the walls with all the power which
they could exert, while the troops kept up fire
to protect them from the fire poured upon them
from the walls. Presently the walls began to
tremble, breach was made, and the imperial
troops rushed into the Inauisition. Here we
met with an incident which nothing but Jesu-
| istical effrontery is equal to- The inquisitor-
| general, followed by the father confessors in
| their priestly robes. all came out of their rooms
as we were making our way into the interior Of
the Inquisition, and with long faces, and their
arms crossed over their breasts, their fingers
resting on their shoulders, as though they ha6
been deaf to all the noise of the attack anG
defence, and had just learned what was going
| on, they addressed themselves in the Language
of rebuke to their own soldiers, saying, g Wha
do you fight our friends the French 2
Their intention, no doubt, was to make III
think that this defence was wholly unauthor.
| lied by them, hoping, if they could make Us
believe that they were friendly, they SHOULD
have better opportunity, in the confusion o.
the moment, to escape. Their artifce was toe
shallow, and did not succeed. caused them tt
be placed under guard, and all the soldiers o1
the lnquisition to be secured Us prisoners WI
/ then proceeded to examine all the rooms Of thu
stately editice We passed through room after
room; found all perfectly in order, richly fur.
nished, with affairs and crucifxes, and wax can
dies in abundance, but could discover no evi
dences of iniquity being practiced there moth
ing OF those peculiar features which we expected
to find in an Inquisition. We found splendid
i paintings, and rich and extensive library
Here was beauty and splendor, and the mos
/ perfect order on which my eyes had ever rested
i The architecture-the proportions were perfect
The ceiling and floors of wood were secured an,
highly polished. The marble payements wer
arranged with q strict regard to order. Their
was everything to please the eye and crafty
cultivated taste; but where were those horr
instruments of torture of which We had bee
told, and where those dungeons in which huma
beings were said to be buried aliyes W
searched in vain. The holy father assured u
that they had been belied; that we had see
all ana was prepared to give up the search
convinced that this Inquisition was ditferen
from others of which had heard.
6 But Col De Lille was not so ready as mysel
to relinquish our investigation, aud said to me
! Colonel, you are commander to-day, and a
you say, so it must be but if you will be ad
yised by me, let this marble floor be examined
Let water be brought and poured upon it, an
We will watch aud see if there is any piac
through which it passes more freely tina
: others 1 replied to him, Do as you pleas,
Colonel and ordered water to be brought ae
cordingly. The slabs of marble were large an
beautifully polished When the water had bee
poured over the floor, much to the dissatisfac
ton Of the Inquisitors, a careful examinatio
r was made of every seam in the floor, to see
the water passed through. Presently Col. D
4 ! Lille exclaimed that he had found it. By th
side Of enc Of these marble slabs the watsr passs
7t s. .pv!ll gi!U -