The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-05
TIE ROWAN rNQutsrrtoN.

I'LL AkVhAAEN
III
A Description Of the Palace of the Hol,
OfIice-Tbe Character OF the Inquisi
ton, Past and Present.
Rome Letter to the Philadelphia Press.
Just behind that noble grove Of pillar
which forms the wonderful portico Of st
Peters, and to the right as you leave thu
church, but marked by some common, ir
regular structures, there arises q gloom!
and forbidding pile Of massive masonr,
known to Rome as the palace Of thu
Holy Office" This sacred or sacrilegioul
euphemism conceals celebrated build
ing, which is looked for with much inter,
est by American visitors, and If found, re
garded with intense and just indignation
This accused building, in which they
killed the body, and, perhaps sometimes
the soul, is an immense structure of sole
stonework, nearly 400 feet in front. It'll
almost rectangular in shape, the front be
ing the long side, and is a little over fifty
feet in height. The outer walls are many
feet in thickness, and in places buttressed
There are almost no windows in the en-
tire building. The immense wall OF the
north end Is one unrelieyed blank, IN.
broken by an opening OF any kind. The
entire wingof this end has but three small
windows, all Of them thirty.six feet above
the ground, equal to fourth story Of an
average Philadelphia house. In the main
building there are few windows, grated
with immense iron bars. In the south
wing there are no windows, excepting al
the height OF the three in the northern
wing, although there are imitation win.
dows on lower floor, so well constructed
and painted as TO deceive one at first into
the belief that they were real. Built into
the back Is the rear OF large church
which etfectually closes up that side.
For all ingress or exit to this immense
and terrible building there is but on visi.
Bile door, and 1t gave me a sensation oil
pleasure to see standing on guard before
Il, with bayonet drawn, a bright-eyed, red.
checked young soldier of the army OIL
Italy. The people have confscated this
VI hblOSibSot $3.50 ~ ~ Nv 1890 - :
military station and barracks.
In the revolution OF lS4S the gates o.
this merciless structure, at once court
house and prison, were opened and the
prisoners set free. marvel greatly that
L was not then RACED TO the ground, for II
was a more infamous building than the
Bast;le and more justly the object OF
wrath and vengeance, inasmuch as 1t had
been blasphemously conducted in the
name Of God. In 1870 the InQuisition, as
an institution, was formally abolished by
the Roman Assembly during Its brieI
tenure OF power, but was re-established ey
Plus IX. the same year, when he regained
his authority.
King, again cleared out the building. Il
may be matter OF some interest to know
that military possession was taken OF i
by the present King, then Q Lieutenant
General in his fathers army. The In
ouisition still survives, however, as ar
1nouisition and Court OF the Roman
Church under Pope Leo XllI.,, and IL
secret sessions are now held in the yati
can. lis power, however, II greatly limit
ed and confined, and 1t does no more ar
rest Roman citizen. II has full power
however, ! believe, over the Bishops AMI
nriests OF the Roman Catholic Church, ant
probably over the entire population o. tne
Vatican inclosure,-that enrt9qs Attl'
ecclesiastical emporium in civil imperlo
which Is considerable. l suppose al
American priest or Bishop could be i'm
prisoned here Ia he chose to come oovel
and put his head into the tigers mouth. !,
While the lowering Palace OF the Hol.
Office, with its deal stone ears and voice
less walls, Is the representative monumen
nj the InGuisition, designed and special
hnilt for It's dreadful uses, ithes not bee
the scens OF some OF its historic crime
most Familiarity known TO the civilize
world, Calico did not make within II
walls his famous recantation oil the move
ment OF the earth. That shameful trump
Of brutal ignorance took place IN the con
vent Of the Church Of Santa Maria sopr
Minerva, long used as tho tribunal an
dungeon Of the Inquisition. Bruno, 10
TEACHING the heresy Of the Copernican syl
fam was not burnt In its court but in %
Camp de Flori, kind OF Roman smitt
feId across the river, where the barbaro!ul
antos.da.fe OF that time were CUSTOMARY
Said III now adirty market place, wild
and oman. filled with foul smells and petit
traffic. Sayonarola was burnt al Florence
But although this palace, only erecte
about 1900 years, has been spare e so ~ ~
the dramatic horrors OF the history OIL IN
inouls;tion, 1t is the building when Mu NY
aver be associated In the public mind WI
This institution and bear It's odinm,-a
odium that will grow stronger and deept
az man grow gentler and juster, and MOI
ThristiaI. Twas the official headquarte
n he Inauisition, the seat Of the unlu1
indoe. thechamber OF torture and Of deat
bniIt deliberately and In cold blood y
the worst purposes OF the institution whe
| Il was al the height Of its power az
cruelty, do not propose in thls place
enter into any argument as 70 tIe Nv nstT 7,
or character OF the secret trials OF tne -
QUESTION. lam only describing me chs
acter and appearance OF the pnilaing p
pared for It's operations, -R bnilulng CO.
structed go that human eye cannot see
ear hear what Is going on within, a.
which is stronger than castle. In u
building the most appalling tortnres, y
most atrocious murders, might be cafrl'
nm within twenty feet OF o passer'by
the streets OF crowded city. 1t 49,
building whose plan and construction
unholy-a building literally conceived,
: sin and born in iniquity, and which b
no right to exist.
So much for the outside and the sto
whioh Ii tells. will let Mr.. A. j. 0. Ha
writer whose works on Rome are knoN
D." world over, tell in few brief lines
the stoly Of the inside; .,,,,. =.
SIN the Interior q ing DuI ~ Han NJ