The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-13
The Cunonizatlon OF the japanese
Martyrs .|

The glorious sun Of Italy was rising
over this city of the dead when ] drove
down to 81, Peters this morning. Cupola
after cupola caught its early beams, and
the Castle Of Sc. Angelo glittered as If
made Of FURNISHED gold. Pedestrians
and equipages were even then hurrying
down 10 St. Peters, and many persons
were hanging about the bridge, as usual
on such occasions, to take note of the
great or the beautiful. Cardinals car
riages are just having their hammercloth
put on for their Eminences are not so
early as their humber disciples, and will
come down later in all the gorgeOusness
which should distinguish true Christian
fishermen. What is the motive of all this
preparation? Seven nd-twenty Chris
tan martyrs, at ali events so called, are
TO be canonized to- day, and the true be-
levers are TO be enriched with as many
additional advocates at the Throne Of
Grace. Crucified near Nagasaki on the
9th OF February, 1897, they were beatihed
on the Sd of January, 1857, aud permits
sion given for canonization at the same
time. How it is that these distinguished
martyrs have been overlooked for up
wards of 200 years, while others Of less
merit have been canOnized, it is not for
me to explain. ! have only to note facts.
PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE CEREMONY.
About z o'clock the extra privileged
people begin 10 enter, but are almost lost
in the vast multitude which overfows ST.
Peters. There are the Austrian and
Spanish, and Portuguese and French, and
other Ministers, and the Marquis Lava
lette who comes late, is we'll received by
his colleagues, who rise TO greet him.
There are, too, the smaller fry Of Consuls,
and see the British uniform among them.
Between 20 and 30 are assembled in the
diplomatic box, covered with gold and
silver, to do honor to the Japanese Mar
tyrs. A flourish Of trumpets announces
the arrival Of royal personages, and the
Bourbon family enter-not, as far as /
could make out, Francisco, for he has been
indisposed of late, but The pretty ex-
Queen and her brothers and sisters If
there were other royal persOnages could
not distinguish them.
And now is the time TO light up the
fifteen thousand candles, each weighing
four pounds, as | am told. The windows
are closely curtained, though a ray of
light does now and Chen break in, for
light will penetratin into the thickest dark
ness, and men tied on a small plank are
let down from the roof TO light the can
dies round the archtrayes; and what a
dizzy light IT is! They look like crows
or "samphire gatherers" on the cliffs OF
Dover, and no bigger than your head,
and they are drawn upand down several
hundred feet above us. One heaves a
freer breath as they are hauled up. AS,
for the candelabara and the lower lights,
they require a strong head too; and now
the great spectacle is prepared. Yet the
effect is not brilliant; so vast are prOpro-
tOns of the church that is in compare
tive darkness as if stars Of the fourth
magnitude were glittering family. Seen
from without, the walls had the appear
ance Of being inlaid with bright mosaics,
while the smoke of the candles and of
the incense gave the interior the appear
ance of the vast theatre in thick
London fogg, The Lighting up was a
decided mistake, and the less said about
it the better. In the rccesses near the
transepts were fire engines and Pomieri;.
for considerable apprehensiOns of danger
were entertained and great precautions
were taken, but nothing unpleasant hap
pened except showers Of wax, which be-
spattered many a uniform, and the occa-
siOnal flaring up Of a candle, which one
Of the samphire boys to our horror, was
always let down TO eXtinguished. But
enough of details, for now the procession
from the Vatican enters the church.
THE PROCESSION AND LIE SAINT PERE.
There are the alumni Of the Hospce Of
st. Michael and of the Orphans 18 orders
of monks, the cross Of the secular clergy,
and the pupils Of the Roman College, the
parish priests and the perpetual Wears in
! their white stOles, the canOns Of the col
legiate churches, Of the minor and the pa
triarchal Basiliche the clergy Of Is other
churches with crosses, insignia, bells, and
canOpies. Members Of the Tribunal fol-
low with the congregation of the Sacred
Rites and the standards Of the Beati.
Then come the officers of the Papal chap
el, tedious list, and the singers chanting
{" AUe Mdris Sieila;" a number Of other
officers succeeded these, and then we see
the penitentiaries Of the Basiica Of the
Vatican, mitred abbots, petriarchs, ARCH
bishops and bishops wearing mitres of
white cloth, while.the Cardinals follow
in their sacred robes wearing mitres of
white damask. Nearly 400 mitres were
here assembled, a sight which the world
has not seen for centuries, and perhaps
win never sec ugain, After these and
number Of other officers, his Holiness is
borne into the church magnillcently at
tired, having two large fans or flags Of
feathers at his side, and holding a wax
taper in his left hand. while with his
right he blesses the multitude. IL is i'm
possible TO give you an adequate idea Of
the feeling which his appearance awaken
ed among men who had come from all
parts Of the world 10 see the representa-
tive Of St. Peter, the depositary Of the
Holy Spirit, the half man, half God, as
they regard him, about whom they had
read and talked and for whom they had
prayed since they were children no high
err than the knee. Le saint Pere lie
Saint Pere p exclaimed the French
priests. "Il Santo Padre" cried the Ital-
ians; and Germans, spaniards, Greeks,
Americans, and English all manifested
the same zeal, each in bis different tongue.
Looking over the sea OF heads which
interviewed between me aud the process
sion--a great interval--all were on their
knees as Plus IL, the benevolent and the
coed, for IL is only just 10 say so, was
borne up the nave, The signers OF the
Naotican chanted with their unearthly
voices "1u Is Pdns," aud the voices, not
so much soltened as rendered more mea-
gre by the distance, glided like ghosts
through the building. AT times another
body Of men chanted "Aue Marie Stella"
aud it was thus that the Pope was borne
/ through 6fty thousand worshippers from