tsr v. , A.' 'AA), 311101411.
A OLAIICE AT THE
HISTORY 'OF POPE PIGS
Among. the continental rulers whose wa
redo' fortunes have fixed the eyes of all
Bumps during the lastfew eventful months,
none have awakened such universal ad=
miostion, or so deep a sympathy, si Pope.
Pius IX. Even these who disavow his
creed, revere the honesty of his faith f and
though Some may deny him the appellation
neat man, none will question his W
WI *Pod one. At the present moment,
when he is a fugitive from Rome, and his
horizon clouded with cares and .perplexi.
do, lritr entieurlolook' beak 'arm -the'
brief peria of his popularity, and to re•
member the day upon which be-was in
'tailed as sovereign pontiff amid the cheers
of a countless and enthusiastic multitude.
It is more than probable that the imposing
fortis then observed, and which have been
handed down to mollern Europe, a last re
lic of the middle ages, may : in this day of
refoim, be swept away with the bosom of
deittruetitin, ‘nd that henceforth they shall
only live in the piles of history, or in the
memory-of man.
Let us soy a word first about the oboe
sMiet of Gregory X VI. No sootier had
{he Cardinal Chamberlin verified the death
of the Pope by striking his head gently
three dines with a hammer, than the event
Was announced to the inhabitants of Rome
by the great bell of the capital, and to all
Catholic courts of Christendom by their
respective ambassadors. A few days af
terwards, the embalmed body, clothed in
pontifical garments, was borne from the
Quirinal to the Vatican on a splendid litter,
carried by white mules, which were caper
isoned in black, and escorted by torch
bearer, dragoons, Swiss guards, trumpet
ers, end artillerymen, accompanied by Bev
en pieces of cannon.
To describe the imposing effect of this
military and religious convoy woo as
difficult as to reckon the multitude which
thronged around the lifeless body, which,
clad in white, was borne aloft far above
the heads of the crowd beneath. The
couch of state was prepared in the Sistine
Chapel, where it rose up as high as the
frescos of Michael Angelo. Picture to
yourself a colossal monument of velvet
and silk; gold and silver, illuminated by a
blaze of fight. Gregory XVI. reposed on
its summit, bearing the tiara on his hend
and the crosier in his hand. One might
almost have thought that he still breathed.
After three days and nights of unceasing
chants and psalmody, came another con
voy and another procession, as imposing
as the first. This time the body was borne
into the great Basilica of St. Peters, and
an alcove was prepared fur its reception,
notices splendidly mournful than the couch
of state. Here the holy father was laid
in an inclined position, so that all could be
hold him from the tiara to the ahne•atrings ;
and the multitude were admitted to kiss
his (set. which. for this purpose, were suf
fered to project beyond the iron grate.—
This exposition and kissing of the feet
lasted for three days, during which the
church was constantly full. On thelburth
day (the seventh of the obsequies) the body
was deposited in the middle of the church,
tinder the mausoleum where his predeces
sor had hitherto lain, the latter being now
conveyed to thole vaults whither Gregory
io his turn will one day be borne.
The funeral• oration, the last act of this
melancholy drama, was pronounced in La
tin, after which the • podia 'nob* laid
aside their mourning ; the mace-bearers
Those away their maces ; the cardinals at
tended the "mass of the Holy Ghost," and
!event Into conclave to elect a new Pope.
The word conclave defines admirably
rthe.state of seclusion and secrecy in which
'thews/teed college is kept during this im
iPerteatpetiod. The cardinals shut them
. eeletle, f s n the Quirinal with their
aids and their physicians. Once there,
they cannotquk the i lalace without a Pope.
Each day may be see.‘t their respective e
equiptiie head* *long tl:ieir dinner ; some
, t i mui,poc ia Egg, seem led by four hor
seat WU* 'natty pipueurs
convor,d through a
only mode of oelettuunica•
0010.4 eihh the Maar wo rld. All
tfilteldeSell;ttlifi endows are hersuftially
itoaehtooter inhabits a separste alb
aittAol l ,o- 0 1f moot in the bewail oho.*
.fier the .14ethilt of S Pope: There are
101* modem 460.406164—that by wimp
',nation. itty costproesiise and,by eerstiny.
• Os litter is the .mesteassal. and its form
,t~ hollows : •Efbe ,deas of the owed
,cOms;#4ll ibid.., taireteteSit s' Oil-
See itt Lialkning .tieltat; priPsied 14-"
forshantkfile &crapes°. anthill, u.pp, in
it pra; esof thozd y itt e eles t ete ,es ilt: a l l
it
tebOltoltbssread
esritteS upon the parclutrot.
alhll)looSitithie goes through the same
its alia+• The vaer nest holds up his
, I#ltsilitisisten his thumb and forefinger.
p t ikitiOitittrirds the altar. utters aloud
foiloarlintoatit take God to wit
**. timil sleet, him whom deem most
IrOtikY of being Pope I"
Itpon the altar is placed a large silver'
chalice.
elsalice, in which the voters place their'
tieketio i Aid dtarWettie t. dui linnet art
reed aloud by One of dmMrstlithi,oech'tif
the card imis holding a printed list, on
which be notes down the names .m they
are uttered. If, in this first 'operation, are
of tbst cardinals' has obutioed a auffictimit
number of votes. be is immediately de.
clued Pope ; but
. for this purpose two.
thirds of the voter, are required.. Roman
affairs usually, progress bat ilowly, sad
conclaves have beeaknown to last for five
months. The affairs of Italy being at this
moment rather in a perplexing state, it
was suspected that the election would
prove a dilatory one : and I went the
Ifirst evening, out of mere cnriotity, to look
at theflunata upon the Piazza del Quiri
nal. -I .must tell you what is meant by this
wordftmutta. At the end of each day's
scrutiny. if no one ben been so fortunate
as to obtain two-thirds of the votes, the
balloting-tickets are burned in a stove pls.
ced behind the altar, from whence the
smoke issues by a pipe which is visible
on the Piazza. If, on the contrary. any
one has obtained the majority, the tickets
ate preserved with care, and there being
no smoke without fire, the chimney of
course gives novign of combustion. You
may conceive with what impatience the
expected signal is looked for by the crowd
who assemble each evening in the Piazza.
Thousands of eyes are fixed upon the roof
of the palace until the solemn moment of
the scrutiny. If a faint column of smoke
is then seen to rise, the Romans wish one
another a felice nifty, - and go to bed ;
hey have no Pope, and the suressful scru•
tiny is yet to come.
On the first day of the conclave a multi
tude were assembled to gape at the fume
ta ; and we saw it at the expected time
rise up slowly over the roof of the palace.
The next evening there were comparative
ly but few whom curiosity led to the spot;
for 'there would been many opportnnifies,
every one said, "of seeing it again." Judge
then, of our surprise, when the solemn
hour arrived without bringing with it a sin
gle curl of smoke.
Surely," said the lookers-on, "there
must be some unforeseen delay ; " and
every eye was fixed upon the palace in
impatient expectation. Minutes sped on,
and were growing into hours; still no In
mate. And yet how was it possible to
to conceive that a Pope should be elected
in eight-andforty hours? . Suddenly are
heard loud knocks of a hammer be
hind the partition which closed in the log
gice (so is the balcony of the Quirinal call
ed.) The partition falls, piece by piece,
and the master of the ceremonies appears
in the balcony, clad in state costume, and
bearing a cross in his hand. He announ
ces, in a sonorous voice, to the Roman php.
ulation, who, by this time, had come
thronging into the Piazza, the nomination
of the new Pope in these words :—" I
bring you joyous tidings ; we have for
our Pope the most emiment and most rev
erend Cardinal Mastai Ferretti, Archbish
op of Imola, 'who has chosen the venera
ted name of Pius IX." Immediately the
air was rent with acclamations, and there
seemed such unbounded enthusiasm a
mongst the people, that I began to inquire
among my neighbors whether the new
Pope had any special claim to popularity I
and I learned that, about thirty years be
fore, he had been one of the handsomest
and most fascinating gentlemen in Italy ;
that he was on the eve of marriage with a
lovely and noble lady, to whom he was
tenderly attached, when death suddenly
,deprived Men of his treasure.
Her loss occasioned him such deep sor
row that he renounced the hopes and pleas
ures of the world, and became a priest.—
Ile had, until then, borne the epaulettes of
the Austrian service, and was distinguish
ed among his companions by his proud and
gallant bearing. Now his martial ardor
was exchanged for a martyr's zeal, and be
went as a missionary to preach the gospel
amongst the tribes ofSouth America. In
vain did he expose himself to the toils and
perils incident to this life of self-devotion ;
he survived them all; and after an absence
of sortie years, returned to Italy, whither
he hid been recalled by his superiors.—
Here his *pith and merit soon beanie
known. He was shortly afterwards sp.
pointed Bishop of [Mole, than Archbishop,
next Cardinal, and now, altar a single
/Mutiny, he bad been elected Pope, at the
age of fifty-tour year, 1--a, circumstance
almost unprecedented in the annals of the
tiacred college.
The popularity of the new pontilr wee
still more appareetton the •day of car
i
qn t h at;. r O 7 O . ,114 name
repeiled•wjlh -thtt by':
the vast manes of people who thronged
the streets to witness the solemnities sidle
.day. BUS IX., eseerted by the omelet's
in scarlet robes,. was borne upon the gedia
frem the Quirinal to St. Peter's, and from St.
Peters to the Vatican. There be assumed
the episcopal habit, the cope, and the sil- '
ver mitre ; and, by the sound of the can
none of St. Angelo, in the midst of all the
clergy, the army, and the Roman people,
he made his solemn entry into the Basili
ca, hung with rich damask fringed with
gold ; gave his feet to the cardinals, arch.
03,ETTY,64,URG, PA. PILIDAY 16, .
1849.
, . .
priests..Pritite, and monks to kiss i cros
sed the immense taws amid the clang of
trumpets. which rftounded tretil 14 gig
leries on either side t looked et the thrice
burned tott 3 Which announces to him the
vanity of all earthly glory (sio giro
tit teuadi) f and *heti piecing heittaelf ante
more on the geditri firer which was biiine
the papal canopy, he went to receive the
tiara* in the grand balcony of OIL teteri,
in the presence of an innumerable- popule•
tiot, which crowded the 'megaton% be.
neath.
Open as this ceremony his been deseti ,,
bed, it is. impossible to retains a allstoni
ty -which has .nwparailel otitunth.
tore to yourself the moment of the bene
diction, •I Urbi et Orbe" (for Rome sniffer
the universe), this living mass of hilmen be
ings stretching Oft as far as the eye could
retch these thousands of priests and
monks clad in all the rich and varied cos
tumes of the middle ages; the sacred col
lege, and this court wearing scarlet rdbes;
this mingled pealing of bells and salvoes
of artillery ; and in the midst of this joy
and splendor, the pontiff covered with jew
els, his tiara on his head, his sceptre in
his hand, standing alone far shove the
kneeling multitude, and stretching out his
arms towards the four cardinal points,
blessing the family of Christ in all parts o
the world.
The enthusiasm br the famine did not
end with these splendid and solemn cere
monies. All men spoke of Pius IX. as be
ing the dispenser of no empty blessings;
but that he came to bear liberty to the na
tions, redress to the wronged, end consola
tion to the afflicted. Such, truly. was his
ambition; and. despite of recent events,
we may not say that his desire has been
unfulfilled. During the two years and a
half which have elapsed since that gorgeous ',
pageant, how many deeds of goodness and
mercy have crowned his daily life ! The
liberation of the unhappy Jews from their
Prison -like abode in• the Ghetto is in itself
a noble monument of his enlightened spir
it. During that period, wheresoevergnis
ery appeared amongst the Romans, there
also was Pius IX. to be found, lending his
beat endeavors to relieve or to allay it.
On one occasion, when a certain dis
trict near Rome was deluged by the over
flowing of the Tiber, so that the wretched
inhabitants were flooded in their dwellings
and they themselves exposed to the cam.'
plicaied miseries of want and of exposure
to the inclemency of the weather, tidings
of their misfortune reached the pontiff's
ear. Not content with sending some aid
to the sufferers, he resolved to inspect their
condition himself, and mounting his horse,
rode off briskly to the scene of distress,
followed by the cardinals, who, accustom•
cd only to lounge luxuriously in their
coaches, inwardly cursed the active benev
olence of their new Pope, which would,
not suffer him to indulge in lazy benevo
lence. Pius IX., on his accession to the
papal chair, found himself placed in circum
stances so intricate and perplexing, that it
would have required the highest genius to
direct them to a happy issue. By nature
benevolent and firm, with a strong sense
of justice, possessing an intelligent and
cultivated mind, he longed to give freedom
to his people, and to ameliorate their con
dition morally as well as physically. At
the same time, his attachment to the church
was ardent and sincere; and whilst he
was full of indulgence towards his people,
he was inflexible in his reform of ecclesi
astical abuses, and was the practical oppo
tient of all priestly tyranny. Many anec
dotes corroborative of this assertion have
been afloat in the world. We will relate
but one, which reached us from an authen
tic source. A rich Italian noble, desiring
in his old age to atone for the sins of his
youth, was advised by his confessor to be
stow the bulkof his property an the church.
He had two nephews, who expected to In
herit his fortune, but, swayed by priestly
cousel, he assigned to each of them only a
small annuity, and mode a will, disposing
of his vast wealth in favor of the priest who
should chsoce to say the first mess for his
soul on the day of his funeral. This will
was safely deposited with the prothono
tary of the- Holy Bee. The nobleman
soon afterwards died, sad the prothonotary
ea opening iris" Will. Immediately ebtranti.'
ideated its contents to the sovereign ritt
tie. It was late et night when this.news
reached him ; . but the following morning
he rose before the dawn, hastened to the
chapel where the funeral rites were to be
perfonued, ordered the 'doors tie be open
ed, and offered imnsediatidi the sacrifice
011ie mass. Havingthes constituted him
aelfthe universal legatee. die holy father
it ones iiendorthe nephews ef the deifies
ed; end yielded Into their handl the ahoy'
9f their uncle's fortune..
With such clispoeitionp, it Nay readily
be conceived that Pius IX. was as bittedy
hated by one body able subjects as he was
beloved by smother. A.mong hie Moreton
oPponents were the cardinals and Jesuits;
• the tiara, or triple crown. uoc4l on this occa
sion, is that with which Napoleon presented Pius
VII. Its foundstion is of white velvet ; the titres
crowns are composed of saphirea, amorable, rubies,
and pearls. On Its summit is one buns swereld,
surmounted b 7 a mom of diamonds. The yobs
of the tiara is estimated at £lB,OOO.
“F=AIL AND Inn.-
add their man* celii ao generally keener*, iff the leglibiture, This deed of violence
that the populaite. ,rrho need to follow** took place o n o the filth November. On that
in crowds es h* walked aloe* through the evening a reet multitude paraded the streets
streets of Rome. *Mild eryltiond : Santo Ogees, proceed by the Italian flag, and
Padre, guar* . del .sedont." They staging in Aortae:o-os Messed be the hand
feared he might ica 04044 as More than thatfelled the trait i " ' Next morning
one of his predeemmors had been, at the in aiiefah4o of ditty thousand people.
re s t s ; board. 'Cho Pope was entissatly a consisting of soldiers es well at citizens,
favorite artiongaftha, femal# portion of hit marched to thq Chamber of Deputies, to
su bj ec t s , w h o , bi rs t a tors, pad muse s wab require that the Utter might demand of the
ded from she Quirinal, se , they were aeo Pope * dintoemtle Ministry, as well as
i se:
they
beings I but: Pins , felt 'that the certain concessions, the chief of which
whole human ' race min claimed hie were, the recognition of Italian nationality,
care, and no petitioners , i4re ever sent a- and the convocation of a constituent as•
way unheeded from •his gates. whatever sembly. The deride* haMng joined the
might be their rantroresx.ri A clamor was cortege ,, they proceeded p . , the palace of
o r
raised on this Wilke by 'amended' the Pope, who, in midi? to their demands,
and evil-thinking men; b the holy lath , slid he would grunt nothing to violence,
er pursued hie coterie of kidneys" and ,This inflainedihe popolate,lihri threaten •
courtesy, without bey aeons cow ed to set fire to one of the the Qui•
earning the opinlents of hisiletraotors. A. rinal if the Pope continued ,ohitinate, stns
mong those of the fili sex who requested vowed that they would, after taking the
leave to pay their tioniagegalti Fanny Et , palace t l ,assiagU, elknotjtvery one of its ire.
eler, the celebrated &nee* who. on her matee, the Pope excepted. A. Innen body
arrival at Rome, humbly ripened the OWN of Swiss condoued faithful to, their duty
or of kissing his boneless' !het. . Her pro , and kept op for some time a brisk firing
retsina would doubdesi here insured a re- from the windows; bat what were they
fusel from any other Pomp hut the good *genesis theusand dragnet): and troops
man graciously assented Ito her wishes; . °flint jitter who were tinged hi oPier, of,
and she who had heretofore gloried only brittle before the palace, with the Gannon •
in the homage which everywhere awaited' leveled against the principal entranee I
her, now bent her knee before the pontiff Pius IX., finding hirnself thus •abandort•
as an humble and obedient subject. By ed and helpless, resolved so prevent an et.
way of showing her respe c t, she had dress fusion of blood by yielding to the deonuids
sed herself megnfleentivand put on all of the multitude i he consentedscormeive
hey diamonds ; and however questionable Mandate and his . consequent as dithistorsc
the taste which dictated this display, it did and refs - lied their Other demeitle te, the
not seem displeasing to the Pope who ao- council of deputies.. He capitulated In:the
cepted it as • mark of henna to the digni- name of the Swiss, on condition that their
ty of his °Nee.•., lives-should be spared, and they were in- A
few days before be lied received the shindy sent out of the city. their poet lie-
Queen of Holland, whose toilet was far ing occupied by the civic guards.
more simple than that of the fair danscuse. Thus was the Pope now in the hands
This was perhaps dot the less gratifying of -his enemies, a' prisoner within his own
to him, as royalty thereby signilled its ho- palace, deserted by all save the diplomatic
minty in the presence of one who claimed corps, who gathered around biro In his
supremacy over the sovereigns of the extrem i ty , to' offer him the secur i ty tole
earth. • derived front their presence. It is said
The first act Or Pius IX: wee to grant NO
amnesty to those who had beed banished
from their country on account of political
offences. At tint the emigrants viewed
with suspieion this act of clemency ; but
after a while, even they exiled patriots
learned to confide In his r honesty of putt
pose. and they flocked atotind him to the
number of seven or eightlitutdrod. lie re•
ceived them cordially, and encouraged the
expression of their liberal opinions. But
he was too clear-sighted not to perceive that
their desires and expectations exceeded his
power—nay, perhaps his intentions of re
form.
The letter of a distinguished Italian re
fugee, dated from Rome, in January. 1847,
just after an interview with the Pope, of
Whose benignity and good intentions he
speaks with enthusiasm, thus describes
his first impressions of Pius IX. :
"I think the Pope is a rare and an cyan•
gelical man. I found as much facility in
expressing my opinions to him as if he
had been only my equal, We spoke long
on the political condition of the country,
on its industrial resources, and on the fiber
erty of the press. After much thoughtful
ness of aspect and manner, he approached
me with - air of confidence, lion: said he,'
•I cannot totally change the form of goy.
cement It"
Here was the reed of ['Milts distenelonst
Pius IX. was sincere in his desire to re
form civil as well as ecclesiastical abuses,
but he was not prepared to grant the in
stitutions desired by his people. His Bret
prepossessions were all in favor of free-,
dorn and progress. He granted liberty of
the press, and became quiekli alarmed at
its license 3 he appointed a civic guard,
and was surprised to find that its ardor
could could not be confined within the lim
its he had assigned it ; he named a coun
cil consisting chiefly of laytiten, who were
to assist him in the administration of ci.
vii affairs, and listened with dismay to the
cries of a representative assembly, who
should have the right of governing the
country as well as of advising its chief-
Whether the Pope was unequal to the
task now assigned to him, of guiding the
vessel of Bt. Pew amid the storms of a
revolutionary periods or witrither the task
be had undertaken wu One ,100 difficult
for the ablest mortal to accomplish, we do
not pretend to decide. Suffice it to est,
that, early in the put year symptoms of
reaction begin to appear. ,The !tomato
became more enacting, and their eoverciflu
less willing to concede the privilcgas they
desired. The appointment of Rossi, an
Italian by birth, but s foreiOr by preja~
dice as well ea habit, te therm , of Pdate.
minister, suspended the people andditnirt•
lOW the PoPes Pnlni!nri l 7. ,Entii in
November matters mune (o,a crisis., -Se
Runnel TO , becoming the finftts,n( ftopei
der encitement atid`dititurfmtiesti Rossi WI.
ist slit a inniy , of eartylniers, whose
entranceltito, Rome, *kilts joroi,,led
purpose of carding tik •the
oh l i m her of Deputies, and thus influeneing
their councils, toured the people'' , into frkn•
sy.
The minister was so unwise as to use
insulting language with reference to the
demociatic pasty. and, in a moment of un
bridled fury, a dagger was plunged into
his necit at his the very ddor of the palace
that on first realiting his lallen signet ne
Must into tests I and this has been impu•
ted to him as pusillsninaity I but it ought to
be remembered that the feelings of Pius
IX. were not those of an ordinary ruler
under similar circumstances. .A military,
despot, or a merely civil ruler, might have ,
deemed it mercy, by the sacrifice of symirs
human live., tj stem the torrent of revolt'.
lion in Its earlier stages, but he feh himself
the guardian of their spiritual safety I and
those tears which he is supposed to have
shed, may have sprung from far deeper
sources than those of cowardice or (Heap.
pointed ambition. That he was not deft
(lent in mural courage, is proved by the
fact, that even at the time of his imprison
ment, he resolutely refused to allow his
name to be attached to any of the deeds of
the government, and declined even to re
ceive, according to custom, the daily re.
ports of the officer of the guard.
During eight days he continued a captive
in the Quirinal, that palace in whose bal.
con, his advent to power had so recently
been annhunesd, amid the 'plaudits Or w
people intoxicated with jay at to attapicioue,
at event. On,the 2411 t of I)49verobier,, be ,
contrived to escape from the palace, in the
suite of the Count de Spapr, the *antihero(
Bavaria, whose ye aistmitid for that . I
purpose, and afterwerdisaccoanisnied him
to Gaeta in the disguise of hi' thaplaine,
It is said that one moment he was ht rya
of being recognised, in an udfrirdly tit.
lap. but for the , presence, of min . diapluyli
ed by the Devotion minister's lady,. (ay
Englishwomen') who, pretending to be in ,
commoded.by thesept, desired-the blinds
of the carriage to be qulekli drawn doyrn.
It was some time before the
,escape
transpired. When it did. th'e news fell
like a thunderbolt upon the Romani. A
note was left by his holiness for tArt
ister Galetti, entreating hint , only to
spare the palace, but to Outset the several
persons in it, who were totally ignorant of
his resolution to escape, and urging him to
promote the, quiet end safety of the city.
The town of Gaeta being situated of the
very borders of the. Roman Bolles, it eel+
dent that Pitts lE. lute not abandoned hie
hops of restoration I for 'matte otheynore
inviting residences have been offerred to:
him.' but he has upraised hie dears , of
mining *here he is. Theft he is Cur.
rounded by the homage orthe Neepolitimes'
whose ioyel rib nith their ekldinfle'
in doing him hmter, l'ite foreign seum.
*adore aid the cardinals have also ptheta
ed round ?In I and •ow deputation from
Rine has requested an audience to sup.
. plicate his return t but the embassy was
not Sneered' to'rtiote the' . 'a. t he
rs4guifiii,j`:44lier* . A3!,44(ie
of the P'ope, or "'„by the. Oommend. of , tbe
King of Naples, it is. not very 'airy to as-
The year On which we are now enter.
lag will doubtless unfold ,a new page in
the eventful history of Pius IX. What
marbe the (more completion of his desti•
ify we shall not presume to surmise.
Stuns aver that he is an the eve of allying
himself with that despotism which has
hitherto been so alien to his feelings and
!principles ; others foretell that he will re
enter the eternal city, shorn of his tem.
i
poral power, and merely in the capacity of discolored, es did all the surrounding parts:
ecclesiastical ruler of a Roman republic. Although I felt a kind of chill creep over .
Gladly do we leave the issue of present me from the contemplation of sucl.di*do:_
events to that Providence which guides formity, yet there was something so stark- ,
and overrules the circumstances of nation- staring and absolutely queer in the physior
al as well as domestic life 1 and we shall nnmy, that I could not reptesl asmile; and
now close this brief sketch of Pope Pius when the mother amused the little object.'
IX. by earnestly desiring that he may and made Haugh, it looked en irresistibly,
prove both wise and firm at the present so terribly ludicrous, that I and those who. ,
important crisis of his history.—Cham Wlrervith indburst into a simultaneousroar
bent' Journal. of laughter, which frightened it, and made ,
SINGULAR AND CRUEL cUBTOI44 or
THE FLATHEADS OF OREGON.
In the course of a journey performed by
Mr. J. X. Townsend, an American natu
ralist, down the banks of the Columbia, a
few years since, he visited a tribe of Nil
hetet Indians, who flatten the head in a
very hideous manner. The following are
his observations on this subject :
About two miles below the cateract (an
the Columbia river) Is a small village of
Klikatat Indians, Their situation does not
appear different from what we have been
accustomed to see at the fort. They live
hi the same miserable loose hovel, and are
I Me same wretched, squalid-looking pee-
Alihongh enjoying tar more ad van
bogey. and having in,a greater degree the
means of tendeiing themselves comforta
ble, yet their mode of living, their gar
ments, their wigirams, and everything
connieted with them, is not much better,
than the Snakes and Bannock., and very
Rat inferior to that fine noble looking race,
the Kiytinisei
,A custom pliValent, end almost tlniveri
Sal amongst Indians is that of flatten- 1 '
ing. or meshing ia the whole front of the '
skillh roan the sepercilliary- ridge to
the crown. The appearance produced
by this unnatural operation is almost
hldetuis, and
,one
.yould ,suppose that
the titelleit 'Would he materially affected
by it. 'This,'however, does not appear to
be the wise. pi I:have never seen (with a
single exception, thw litayouse) a race of
people who appeared mote shrewd and in- 1
telllgeitt. I had *conversation on this sub- 1
jean few days since, . with a chief who
speaks the English language. He said ha
exerted himself to abolish the practice in
his
,own tribe I bin elthmigh his people
would listen istientiy 'in his talk on most
subjects, their ears irerefiredy closed when
this was mentioned I ofthejv would leave'
the council fire, one by. eau, until none but
a few squaws and children were left to,
drink in the words of the chief." It is
yen considered among them a degradation
to possess, a round head.; and one whose
caput has happened to be neglected in his
infancy, can never become even a subor-1
dinate chief in his tribe, and is treated with
indifference and disdain, as one who is un
worthy of a place amongst them.
The flattening of the head is practised at
least by ten or twelve distinct tribes of the
lower countrY I the Klikatats,ltalapouyahs
and Multnomabs, of the Wallamotea and, ha
vicinity ; the Chinooks, Klatespe, Elate
tonis,Kowslitslue,Kadsmoas,Stllemooks
and Cheislie, of the lower clpluMbia'atiff
its 40; 1 , 119 jig' 2'PONY *th'
northern!' south. The. tribe icarlid risk
heads, or SatitA. who reside near the sow
ate of the Oregon, hive long since *With"
Loa this 0u1t9M.., ./: .),'
The mode by which thOlatteningie
efreeted. varier "ootteldetably with the dir.
(event tribes. The Wallantmet Indians
plebe th e tntent k obon after birth. upon a
board,, to the edges of !high so; attached
little loops of hempen .eotti'or leather, and
ether, sirralar ,cords are passed across and
beck, in a ikierag manner.' through these
foops, imelating the child, and binding it
firmly down. To the upper edge of this
board. in withal is a depression to receive
the back part of the head, another smaller l i
lanais attached by hinges' of leather, and
100 e obiieitely':uPen . the forehead,
the force athil.o"o,pre ,regulated by sew
esal strings attached to its edge. Which are
peseedihrough hetes in the board upon
which the Infant is lying; and secured
there.
The mode of the Chinooks. and others
near the sea, differ! 'widely from that of
theiipPerlndiane, jytict
appears somewhat
less barbarous and cruel. A sort of Cra
dle is fumed by excavating a pine log to
the depth uf,eight or ten inches. The
child is placed Ind& an a bed.of little grass
mats, and hound down in the manner a
base described. A little boss of tightly
woven and plaited grass is then applied to
the forehead, and secured by a cord to the
loop' at' the side. The infant is thus suf
feted to remain from four to eight mouths,
or. until the sutures of the skull have in
softie measure united, 'and the bone become
'Mid and firm. It is seldom or never ta
ken from the cradle, except in case of se
vere illness, until the flattenig process is
completed.
saw a young child from whose head
the board had just been removed. It was,
Without exception, the most frightful and
disgusting limiting object that I ever be.
held. The whole front of the head was
completely flattered, and the mass of the
brain being forced back, caused an enor
mous projection there. The poor little
creature'. eyes protruded to the distance,
of half an inch, and looked indented an 4
TWO DOLLARS PER ANNEX'
INEW SERIES--NO. 90.;
it cry, in which predicament it looked less
horrible than before
Dr. Seouler, an eminent naturalist, who
has dewed mut•.h atteroion 'to this subject.'
gives. in the Zoological Magazine for lat . '
a similar account of the compression of
skulls among the Oregon Indians.
[ Cdnespondenee of the •• Star told ilintter. w 4
LETTER FROM INDIA.
Dnototn, EAlrr txtota. Mitch lit 1844.
MR. D. A. BOICIOLIR--. n.
Desk Stß • • • I um awry • &et , /
cannot devote as much dine to this later as / •
could wish, for the cares of a Missionary in *la,
dark land are many. There are a thousand &Ingo
to perplex his mind and awoken his sympathy
and anxiety. Nis flock is scattered here and than,
over a large extent of country. surrounded by all
the wicked influences of heathenism and watched
with en eagle eye by those who have a bitter ha.
trod towards Christianity, in order to injure or lead
them astray, It is true we must trofwth and sole
the seed in Norton, and if It spring op, we magi'
watch over It with a careful and often with a wit*
ful eye, leaving the result with nod. All this hat
in be endured in a climate debilitating in the *xi
trerne. But the Missionary hes one ennecdottion *
—lt ie done fur Christ's enit e. to publish his GoeY,
pet among a people degraded and nicked.... ; ,
Though degraded and bane, they are filled with,
pride! and, I suppose, no people in the world
possess it ill tio great a degree a. the Hindcsiw,
Some of them consider our touch as pollution,—
The higher canto, consider the touch of thelowef
castes as pollution, and were they to see therein,
danger of being drowned, or burnt, or lying b.qM
leen by the way.eide, they dire not land nevistsorevi
or they would immediately lose their enete. 'Their!
system of religion engenders this, Satan newt
invented a more complete systoin far keeping tacit
in subjection to him than the Ilindoo system; it'
Is a masterpiece of work, and I hope, in its proper'
place, to unfold it before you. At the head of 114
this wicked system stand the haughty Bramit-.e,
more cute, crafty end wicked people are nowhere,
to be found. I shall illustrate this by ad incident
that has just occurred in the palace of the &kis or
King of divagunga, which is GO miles from Inary
In this country there are ;till some petty kimea
dome and king., who posses. dominioh weer thole
lands, and, int greet measure, over their people
by paying an anneal tax to the gest Italie Cesar
party. A Bretnin had succeeded id ingtatietinls
himself into the fltVor otthls Raja, by his incrigice r .
and, by craftiness, lie had succeeded In bliient
banished from dui Palaita all the . rotaineteflvi
Ikeji, except his two youitg children-:-thee*
Raja was placed at his complete control giedutei
cy. Lately the Raja died i the Orstrctin,
ed by Vatimiltstritagints lit conceedlog his 4111411)
for 8 dam brit* Which din!. h is aid, h i 14.214
doted the palace of Vieticoi itlid 4ton* 2 1/ lbtl
amount of tour hick of Of rupee% or teee4BllBlo4
theilwind dolhito. Mrs gogglisda fievenneent.4m
**distil), we tweetakthig the death et the
wet ewe sad leek, wieseilsu ref therehlei t imill
plead a food mead lice arrotthee heemerg-1140
Meru heels* the Mid hid * doe* the teslwsat
bald hi eirited WY 's htmdred toile*: " AWE' ilk
for aught any one knows, the Wets mar haleintai
pasintiL . butt Of the list reigning Ptingeefk
delis as weirdly murdered by the tiramilmo ip.
rube NirP temple in that place. , •
Cheating is 'a peculiar trait in the chattier a
this people, All of them will cheat whenever
they can, and take delight in it. Tbongh wicked
and degraded, they are very proud. Thrum*
pride and ostentation they deck themselves wide
very eoetly ornaments and jewelry. The OW
welt rings in their ears, in their tiose;mv &IV
fingers, and on their toes. They ere getwitalf
made of geld and silver sod act with prechnet
stones. hinny carry the greater pert of theft
wrath oh their persons, They are soma/mil
even murdered in order to obtain the jewels rely
wear, The dress of the women dams Nat little
from that of the men; instead of two pieces pg
cloth they wear but one—this is about 12 irer4l
in length end one and a quarter In breadtk,-.
One aide of a part of this is wrapped arootid.theihs
waist, the other reaching down to their anklow--e
with the other part they cater their head and
shoulder*, and by it they sometimes conceal *An*
ly their face. 'f hey adorn themselves with well
various and costly jewels.
The Caul, or net work, (see (sahib 1, Is) ii'*
circular ornament, made of gold, about at large*
circumference au a common nucer. Tb* ad
work consists of various and curious workmankrift
in gold, ttodded with costly and precious. liniap i
wrought over a small circle of icad. It le north
on the crown of the bead, haring a strap ,eit'itel,
same kind of workmanship extending in a *
with the nose immediately above the eye-boTA
where it terminates in a fringe-work of gold set
with precious stones. 'rho round then are plane
of gold like a half moon worn above the templets
on each aide of the strop that extends down freest
the caul. Around their necks they wear ratio let
ornaments. 'rite principal one is a wreathe
chain of gold about half an inch in breadthsr t Lef
front is a fringe.worie of gold with drops w
rest on the bosom--thoso drops consist tingle";
pearls, rind precious atones. This is the ismis S %
went mentioned by Isaiah, 3 chap. 19 vores= 4
chains or, in the margin of the rekrertea Ifilister
sweet balls. The original Hebrew word mea n est
drop, that is, it resembles a drop, or re pro44p
atone shaped in the form of a drop. Verimeet 1 1 4 F,":
ornaments are worn around their necks. sll(o4sri
lets are generally made of silver and woreweitiOl
the wrist—they are large and in them esesilikedlr ,
are frequently enclosed. They Wee wesillweelee
lets around the ankles; the priscipat ittealtritia
large silver chant, made like the awk en the !it
of bridles. They have abet /Ibis* to trkl, 4
small belts are shacked. and dee erhrikre . O,
hoops. , The Illee . ieSes with; Mho " 0 ,1 i t
of ~.. wel f have wen them
, W trait l 4l o6 l, ~ *