New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-16
DIR. ADAMS ON TIE INQUISITION.
SOME INTERESTING AND RECENT fACIs-ENlDENCE
OF THE EXISTENCE OF The NQUiolilON
WITHIN TWENTY YEARS.

SOME INTERESTING AND RECENT FACIS-ENlDENCE
OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE NQUI'lrION
WITHIN TWENTY YEARS.
To tho Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: heard the eloquent farewell discourse
OF Dr. Adams, generously printed in your columns
and his that Forty ago the Inqusitioh
was In operation in spain"-an allegation which your
correspondent, "Historic Truth" calls in question In
your issue OF May s. l do not call in question the
general accuracy" OF your correspondents quotations
from orente the historian of the Spanish Inqusition,
who died in 1929 who is good authority w to that date
nor the decree Napoleon in 1903 Ito suppress that
dread tribunal. after it had according To the best
authorities from 1881 to lSO3 burnt 1852 persons alive
1903 in egy and imprisoned 2sS109 nor the order OF
Marshal sout to Col Lille with his Polish Lancers to
lease the prisoners the destruction
of the buildings of the Inquston at Chamastin which
do not think took place though may be mistaken.
have seen most OF the Iuqusitions in Span but have
not heard OF demolished remember that Col Lille
was sent with Polish Lancers TO discover and release
the victims But he only discovered them by sounding
the stone floor, ana ordering 1t taken up, TO find the
dungeons In which the victims concealed. But
the Tribunal of the Inquiston not at Chamastn,
near Madrid but had its headquarters in the Palace
OF the Inquson. in the city, which we have seen,
therefore could not have been destroyed at Chamastn
nor so completely done that the system of the Inquis
ton may be said then TO have ceased as Historic
Truth" alleges.
suppress of the Inqusti0n. have doubts Ford
good authority, in his work printed in l8i7, says OF
that thread tribunal: 1t sleepeh, but Is not dead
scotched rather than klledthat 1t never forgets Or
iorglyes and will surely avenge and the spirit OF the
tuition permits Spain an approach to any religious
Language Wen IS s the true cond
In 1858 spent some time In Madrid and made careful
an9 wav Sisea the Inqiiston at vaiadold and the
place Of burning-the Auto da Fe-WheIe SO many vic
ton, kindly furnished TO Spanish Protestant
Dleman OF essential service II was little hazard
GUS q stranger To make such inquiries. The
bleman went with TO and int0the palace OF the In
QUESTION above alluded ton %ch thg tribunal OF the
me me- to the Church Of the Iuquisltion, in the
foundations Of which the dungeons of the
Inquison and connected by subteranean Passages
nameJ explaiued to the whole arrangements OF the
dungeons which opened far as 1t was safe to do
cu In the stone pillar to point out the spot where so
many victims had persisted by nqustoral fires in Mad
printed OF the old Protestant fathers secretly
executed on his own premises, and remarked, in an
In Madrid knew what be had done lie would be in prison
"a hours lie gave me COPIES 0ncs, Of some , eight or ten
Union Theoogcal Seminary In this city. Call that
prison to which TINS spalSh oC cs was exposed by
ton. in spirit and in truth, in 1883; Aud this
legged by Dr. Adams, which fully usifes his statement.
There little question that at the date above, the ad
yocates Of the IBqustion would have but dared not,
openly imprison and torture their victims. The dspoS
stion not wanting so late as 1917 met Spanish
Protestant pastor at his own home In Spain. formerly
Romsh priest. but converted much Luther was and
imprisoned for a considerable time by the inquis-
iorial spirit as former days. He released In
some way, and is now doing good work IN the Prot
estant cause so late 1851 was in the dungeons OF
the Inquison mot SPANISH and In the saloon OF
ture with all its horrd instruments In place ready
which applied TO my own frame gently for the
sake Of Of historic impression. The InquisitiOn
Spain only sleeps Till Don Carlos is Oh the throne.
Neu York, May ], 1874 w. H. BIDwELL.