Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-11

Extract from letter to the Journal Of

SutCICstAuS oCCnCs III AsVAAOs
Extract from letter to the Journal Q
Commerce:
ROME, December IL, 1854.
On Friday last the Pope declared the imms
culate conception of the Virgin at st. Peters
before nearly fifty thousand persons. w
were obliged to 60 at very early hour, il
hopes Of getting even standing place. A
nine his Holiness, attended by all the Card
mails, entered the nave of the church, and pro
ceeded to the high alter. Every Cardinal wor
white satin mtre, and white satin (watere'
with silver robes. His Holiness then said
prayer before the altar, and proceeded to the
State chair or throne, in which he remained
during the service. High mass was then cele
brated, and after the gospel, His Holmes
standing up, read the Bull, during which thu
guns fired and all the bells in the city rang TO
an hour. AT the elevation of the host ever,
person dropped upon his knees, and you coult
have heard whisper, SO deathlike was thu
silence. Immediately after this the church
was filled with the sweetest strains OF music
which proceeded from some instrument con
cealed back of the altar To use Hiliard''
words, "The effect of this invisible music was
beyond any thing have ever heard or ever
expect to hear. As if the gates of heaven hat
been opened, and wandering breath from the
songs Of seraphs, had been borne to the earth.
After this, the procession formed, and the Pope
borne upon the shoulders Of the guard, pro
ceeded to the Chapel of the Virgin. Here the
Pope mounted staircase to painting of the
Virgin upon the wall. This he crowned with
a gold crown, filled with the rarest of jewels
The crown is made of California gold, and
weighs 80 ounces. They then bore his Holt
ness from the church, and the shOy icas out
At half past FIVE the whole of st. Peterss was
luminated-dome, sides and front. There il
stood looking like fairy castle. This was the
silver, which was changed into the golden light,
at the first stroke of the bell announcing the
hour of six. The whole piazza, as well as the
church, was in one grand blaze. The way in
which this great change from the silver to the
gold lights, or grand blaze, is done, is this. AT
every lamp there is man; and as soon as the
bell announces the hour of six, every light is
lit and the whole done in less than eight sec
onds. Not only was st. Peters Illuminated,
but the whole city, all the churches, and all
palaces. Oh, it was a grand day. Since
have been here no less than three hats have
been conferred on Cardinals by the Pope, and
so have seen him as well as | want to, and
shall not be presented to him, although Mr..
Cass, the Minister here, would do me that ser.
vice at pleasure, as any person once presented
at st. James Court London, has entree TO any
Court in the world.
Of all books have read, that which affords
me the most pleasure, information and correct
statement of things here is Six Months in
Italy," by Geo. s. Hillard. If you have not
bought it, please do so, as it will afford you
such excellent ideas Of Italy at the present day.
His description of st. Peters is wonderfully
correct.
On Sunday st. Pauls was consecrated-a
Church built over the tomb of St. Paul. Here
saw the Pope again. You have no idea Of
the goings on in this Rome at the present time
Cardinals carriages fill up the principal streets
Every Cardinal has a red carriage, and three
footmen dressed in red livery. The Austrian
Cardinal has two servants with him, dressed
as richly as / ever saw any servant in my life
They are both fully six feet tall, very handsome,
looking fellows, wearing whiskers and nous
taches. Upon their heads they wear a Russian
cap of fur, and coats trimmed very heavily with
silver braid, while from the left shoulder Of
each hangs another coat trimmed in the same
style; their trowsers are also heavily trimmed;
their boots are white doeskin, having white
leather tops and spurs. Every body took them
for some distinguished guests at the reception
given in honor of the Cardinal. Here, amids
all this style that we see every day, it becomes
much matter Of course. But you can form
no idea Of the magnifcence in which some o
the Cardinals ride. Their horses generally
groan under the weight of the plated gold and
silver harnesses. As body the Cardinals look
like so many old women dressed up. The
English Cardinal Wiseman is the best looking
of the lot. Two churches here have been
dressed in magnificent style in honor Of this
great affair. They are hung with all kinds Of
colored grapes, and filled with candles from the
floor to the ceiling, all burning. The Virgin
is dressed in satin and Jewels and wears gold
crown. On the corners of the streets there are
generally paintings Of the Virgin, and on
Friday night every one was lighted with some
ten or twelve candles. Rome, after Advent
Sunday, is generally filled with pipers, who
come from the neighboring towns SO Of
course they are now in their zenith Of blowing.
They wear short clothes, colored stockings and
cloaks all in rags, and many are patched with
pieces of many hues.
The Roman beggars are also another great
curiosity here. At every church door you find
them sitting in chairs, with their little tin boxes
which they rattle at you as you. pass A
woman went into store the other day 10 beg.
The man had nothing less than FIVE cent
piece. This he gave to her, and she coolly
put her hand in her pocket brought out a
handful Of change, and gave him four cents
back. So you see they make regular bust
ness Of it.
There is so much to see here in Rome, that
don't know where to begin to write St. Pc
ter's is the greatest thing here, but it is toe
large to write upon. To give you an idea Of
the size of it, It will hold two hundred and
twenty thousand persons upon the ground
floor. As.large story as this may seem, il
has been proved we made out an estimate the
other day, and allowing two square feet to each
person, it will hold one hundred and fifty thou
sand. Everybody states that no less than for
ty-two thousand were there upon the sth
Never has st. Peters contained so many since
the opening. Near the high altar is statue
in bronze Of st. Peter. The toe Of this statue
is nearly kissed of, and on Friday, it wa;
dressed up in gorgeous style, having on one o
the Pope's mitres, and being surrounded with
candles, and full three inches of the toe kissed
| off In tho coldaat of weatbor fbia obnrob Il