The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-12-16
MISC ELL AM ECU S.
From Motley's Dutch Republic.
THE HOLY INQUISITION.

The Spanish Inquisiton, strictly so called,
that is to say, TIE modern or later in titution
established by Pope Alexander the Sixth and
Ferdinand the Catholic, was doubtless invest
ed with more complete apparatus for infict-
ing human misery, and for appalling human
imagination, than any of the other less artfully
arranged inquisitions, whether papal or episco-
pal 1t had been originally devised for Jews
or Moors, whom the christianity Of the age
did not regard human beings, but who could
not be banished without depopulating certain
districts. 1t was soon, however, extended from
pagans to heretics The Dominican Torque-
mado was the first Moloch to be placed upon
this pedestal of blood and fire and from that
day forward the " holy office" was almost ex-
clusively in the hands of that band of brot hers.
In the eighteen years of Torquemada's admin
istration, ten thousand two hundred and twen-
ty individuals were burned alive, and ninety
seven thousand three hundred and twenty -one
punished with infamy, confscation ofproperty,
or perpetual imprisonment, SO that the total
number of families destroyed by this friar alone
amounted to one hundred and fourteen thou
sand four hundred and one. In course of time
the jurisdiction of the Office was extended. IL
taught the sayages Of India and America to
shudder at the name of Christianity. The fear
ofiis introduction froZe the earlier heretics Of
Italy, France and Germany into orthodoxy.
II was court owing allegiance to no temporal
authority superior TO all other tribunals IL
was q bench of monks without appeal. having
its familiars in every house and diving into the
fireside, Judging and executing its horrible de-
crees without responsibility. 1t condemned
not deeds but thoughts. 1t affected to descend
into individual conscience and TO punish the
crimes it pretended to discover Its process
was reduced to horrible simplicity. 1t arrest.
ed on suspicion, tortured til confession, and then
punished by fire. Two witnesses, and those
to separate facts, were sufficient to consgn the
victim to n loathsome dungeon. Here he was
sparingly supplied with food, forbidden 10
speak, or even to sing--to which pastime il
could hardly be thought he would feel much
inclination-and then left to himself till famine
and misery should break his spirit When
that time was supposed to have arrived he was
examined. Did he confess and forswear his
heresy, whether actually innocent or not he
might then assume the sacred shirt, and escape
with confscation Of his property. Did he per.
sist in the avowal of his innocence two wit.
nesses sent him to the stake, one witness to tie
rack He was informed Of the testimony
against bin, but never confronted with the
witness That accuser might be his son, father
or the wife Of his bosom, for all were enjoiped
under the death penalty, to inform the inqusi.
tors of every suspicious word which might fall
from their nearest relatives.
The indictment being thus supported, the
prisoner was tried by torture. The rack was
the court ofjustice; the criminals only advo-
cate was his fortitude--for the nominal coun-
Ill In, Al
with the prisoner, and was furnished neither
with documents nor with power to procure
evidence, was a puppet aggravating the law
lessness of the proceedings by the mockcry Of
legal forms. The torture took place at mid
night, in gloomy dungeon, dimly lighted by
tor,hes The victim-whether man, woman,
or tender virgia-was stripped naked, and
stretched upon the wooden bench. Water,
weights, fires, pulleys, screws--all the appara.
tus by which the sincws could be strained with.
out cracking, the banes crushed without break
ing, and the body racked exquisitely without
giving up its ghost, was now put in operation.
The executioner, cnveloped in black robe
from head to foot, with his eyes glaring at his
victim through holes cut in the hood which
muffled bis face, practiced successfully all the
forms Of torture which the devilish ingenuity
of the monks had invented. The imagination
sickens when striving to keep pace with these
dreadful realities. Those who wish to indulge
their curiosity concerning the details Of the
system, may easily satisfy themselves at the
present day. The food Of light which has
been poured upon the subject more than justi-
fies the horror and the rebellion of the Meth
crlanders. /. ~
The period during which torture might be
inflicted from day to day was unlimited in du-
ration 1t could only be terminated b, con-
fcssion; so that the scaffold was the only refuge
from tie rack. individuals have borne the
torture and the dugeon fifteen years, and have
been burned at the stake atlas
Execution followed confession, but the mum.
ber of condemned prisohcrs was allowed to
accumulate that multitude Of victims might