Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-29
THE INQUISI4IoN.
AN INSTITUTION THAT EXISTED IN
SPAIN FOR GENERATIONS.

Nsft htftufcu anu hilicd.
Perhaps those who have accused Chris.
tophcr Columbus Of narrow, sectarian
bigotry and Of cruelty have not suili.
GENTLY taken into account the spirit Of
the ago In which he lived. The intol-
crancc, the bigoiry and the mcrcilcss
cruelty Of that time are sufficiently illus
trnted in that most monstrouso of institu-
tons. tho Spanish inquhition.
What Is called the modern inquisition
was established in Spain under the reign
OF Ferdinand and lsabella--sovcreign
who possessed many Of the elements Of
greatness, and who certainly brought
Spain to high position among tho ma
tons Of tho world. Yet Il was under
tho reign Of these two sovercigns that
tho monstrous inquisition was estab-
lished.
This inquisition consisted Of com.
mission consisting Of several judges,
whose duty II was 10 hunt out hcrctics
and punish them. The primary object
Of the inquisition was to cxtirpate
every trace Of hetcrodoxy, and mako
land where none but the orthodox could
live. II succeeded In it's attempt, but
tho history OF It's proceedings fur.
nishes one Of tho most bloody mar.
ratives to which the race has ever lie.
toned.
The attention Of the inquisition was
first directed against tho Jews. This
thrifty race of people then, as now,
were conspicuous for their financial I'M
portance. la the'courso Of time many
Christians became their debtors, and II
Is probable that the desire TO escape
these just debts frequently occasionod
tho seizure Of these unfortunate Jews
for hereay. The Christian not only did
not feel II incumbent upon himself TO
pay his debts to horotics, but even all
their property WINS confscated.
These terotics could be accused anony-
mously. and II was not considered ncccs-
saIy TO bring the accused and tho nc.
cuser face to face. Tho accused heroiic
was seized without warning, conveyed
TO the chambers Of the inquisition and
rigidly kept from all intercourse with
tho outside world. No relative or friend
to condole with him or TO advise him
was permitted TO come into his presence
Ho was kept in ignorance OF tho charge
upon which no was incarceratcd. Coun.
sci was allowed him. but this WINS a mere
tormality. for this counsel was not al
lowed to confer with him.
IL tho prisoner refused TO confess his
guilt, OF WINS caught In ovasions or CON
tradictions, he wis conveyed 10 the tor
turc chamber. whore no WINS submitted
to tho intensest agony which 1t Is pos.
fliblo for human nerves 10 sustain.
Doubtless many innoceig men declared
themselves guilty under this exquisite
torture In order TO escape tho terrible
agony. Indeed death was preferable TO
the torment.
The evidence upon which the heretics
were convicted seems to us entirely in
sufficient. "Tho prcsumptivc proofs"
says Prescott, ''hy which the charge Of
Judaism was established against the ac-
cused arcBo curious that few Of them
may deserve notice. II was considered
agood evidence Of the fact IL tho pris-
oncr wore better clothes or cleaner linen
on tho Jewish Sabbath than on other
days Of tho week; II he had no
fire in his house tho preceding even.
ing; II ho sat at table with Jews,
or alto the meat OF animals slnugh.
tered by their hands. or drank %
certain beverage held In much estima-
ton by them; IL he washed corpse In
warm water, or whom dying turned his
face to the wall; or. finally, II he gave
Hebrew names 10 his children-a pro-
vision most whlmsically cruel. since, by
law of Henry IL, he was prohibited
under severe penalties from giving them
Christian names. He must have found
1t difficult to extrioato himself from the
horns Of this dilemma"
II tho accused was found guilty, us he
usually was, he was led forth in great
ceremonial state, accompanied by pro-
cession Of high ecclesiaslics, submitted
To revolving insults and ignominiously
burned at the stake.
While Torquemada was inquisitor
general, period OF eighteen years, over
10000 heretics were burned at the stake,
nearly 1000 burned in eftlgy and almost
100000 subjected to heavy and igno-
minious penalties. This makes an ay-
erage Of over 5000 persons annually.
The inquisition was ut first directed
against Jews, but afterward against
hereto Christians themselves. II con.
tinued its awful work through many
generations, and It's unfortunate victims
were numbered by the hundred thou
sand.
The present degradation and degencr
hcy Of Spain is due to this cause more
than any other Wherever fotters ar,
put upon tho human mind the race dc,
Gays, shrivels and dogeneratos. Whor
ever freedom Of thought is prohibited d
race Of intellectual pygmios must neces
sarily result, Humanity progresse,
through tho influence of original minds
which do not think along tho accepted
lines OF thought. This order of men Il
IN which leads the world up to evol
higher and higher conceptions, to highe,
and higher planes Of living. Itwas thi
kind Of men that the Spanish inquisi
ton could find no better use for thar
burning at the stake.
So all the noblest thinkers Of SPAR
We're burned, all her original thinker
were either killed or suppressed ant
only commonplace minds, which ao
oepted existing standards without In
vestgation and without thought, wer,
spared. IL is no wonder that Spaii
dropped into an intellectual lathargl