The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-06-02
The Discovery and Colo nizatiOn
of America.
Lecture by the Hon. Edward Everett, oC
NInaaac usctfS.

Lecture by the Hon. Edward Everett, %
Mnssachusctts.
The hon. Edward Everett delivered last eyeniny the
tenth and last of the series OF lectures given before the
New York Historical Society during the season for
benefit Of the Library Fire Proof Building Fund TIE
fame Of the lecturer, and his reputation the
most accomplished orators and scholars Of the country
had the effect of crowding Metropolitan Hall to its fullest
extent with highly fashionable assembsge The plat
form occupied by the officers and executive COM
Diftee OF the society and several Of most distin
guished citizens, including Cen Winfield Scott. In tho
absence OF the Hon. Luther Bradish, President Mr.
De Peyster Vice President introduced the lecturer to
we audience by whom he received with the most
Ia''eiipg marks OF esteem After the applause which
after bis introduct had subsded Mr. Eyer.t
| cseded to deliver the following 10 e;ture:-
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HIsroucAL 60
| GETTY
Although appear before you at the season at which
the various religious moral and philAnthropic societies
usually hold their annual meetings. discuss the stir
r'ng topics OF the oay need not say to you that ths
propriees OF this occasion require TO abstain from
such subjects and to teect theme falling to ex
tent at least within the province historical society
propose accordingly this evening" to attempt
OF the history of the discovery and colonization Of Ame
rca and of emigration to the United States. / can Of
course offer you, within tho limits Of single address
but most superficial view Of vast subjest; but
have thought that even sketch would suggest import
| ant trains Of reflection to thoughtful minds Words
vri ten fpoken at best but kind of short hand
| to be filled up by the reader hearer. shall be
grafifed If, after honoring my hasty sketch with
your attention, you shall deem it worth filing up from
your own stores of knowledge and thought You win
forgive me, il in the attempt give certain complete
ness to the narrative may be led to glance at few
facts, which, however interesting may 10 you too
| familiar for repetition.
In the last quarter Of the fifteenth century an Italian
mariner citizen of the little republic Of Genoa who had
hitherto gained livelihood pilot in the commercial
service of different countries made his succes-
sivey at various courts in the South and West of Europe
soliciting patronage and aid fora bold and project In
navigation The state Of the times was in som, de1res
favorable to the adventure The Portuguese had for half
century been pushing their discoveries upoa
the coast Of Africa and they had ven.ured into the A.
lant'c as far As the Azores Several consprng causes
and especially the invention OF the Of printing had
produced general revival Of intelligence. STILL however,
the state Of things prevailing in this respect was very
different from what witness in the middle the nine
teenh century On the part Of the great of
there was but little the of the
Middle Ages The culture ceutred in the convent tn
court and the university places essentially dstrustfi
Of bod novelties. The idea of reaching East bv
voyage round the African continent had begun to assume
consistency; but the vastly more significant idea
that the earth is globe and capable Of being dr.
cumnavgated, had by become incoroo-
| rated Into the general intelligence Of the are The
Portuguese nayigators felt themselves safe a, thev
crept along the African coast-venturpg each voyage
few leagues farther-doublng headland-asceu
some before uneIplored river-holding palaver With
tribe of the native to turn the
Of their vessels boldly to the West embark upon an
ocean not known in the popular geography of the day
10 hsve an outer horeo that bourne from which
nj had everr nd
rience had not taught that any traveller could return
and thus to reach the East by sailing Western direc
tion. This was conception which human being q
| known to have formed before Columbus and which he
proposed to The governments of Ialy Span Of Portu-
GAL and OF England and for long time success
cfminate Eas not such to men 70 dis
ooked upon Columbus as weehle and the absurd They
Captain symmes. (APp'ause)
But the lustTous adventnrer persevered Sorrow and
disappointment couded his spirits but did shake his
faith nor subdue his will. His well instructed imaginA-
ton had taken firm hold of the ider that the s
sphere What seemed to the multitude of the edu-
| Gated Of that day doubtful and somewhat mystical
theory-wIat appeared to the uniformed q mon.
paradox conlradcted by every step we take DON
the broad flat earth which we daily tread beneath
serene Intelligence Of Columbus practical fact ON
which he wss willing to stake all he hadchaacter and
| life And 1t deserves ever to be borne in mind As tbs
most nusrous example of the col nec,ion Of scentac
theory with great practical results that the
America with all its momentous consequences to msn.
kind is owing to the distinct conception in the mind
Columbus Of this single scientific proposon the
queous earth is a sphere (Applau.e)
After OF fruitless lcitatiou altar
Offering In effect to this monarch and to tho
gift Of hemisphere the great dseoveer touches upon
partial success He succeeds, not in enli,ting
pathy of his countrymen ut Genoa and veac brave
brother salornot IN giving ectou to the spirit
of maritime adventure which had long prevailed in
Portuga-not in stimulating the commercial thrift OF
Henry the Seventh the pious mson of Catholic
king His sorowful ereverance touched the heart
noble princess worthy the throne which she adorned
The New World which just escaping the subtle king
craft Of Ferdinand ssved to Spain by the womaniy
compassion Of Isabella. CONTINUED applause)
1t is truly melancholy however, to contemplate tho
in CbrsseL dom ready pledge her jewels Floating
castles viii be fitted out convey the mserab BILE
native Of Africa to the goden shores OF AmercA-owsr
ing gsleons will be despatched to bBg hone guilty.
treasures to Spainbut three small vessels which
Without deck and neither Of them probably exceed
ing the capacity OF pilot boat and These pressed
into the public service composed the expedition fitted
under royal patronage to realize that magnificent
| ception in which the creative mind of Columbus had
| planted the germs Of new world.
NO chapter Of romance equals the interest of this sxps
dition. The most fascI atng of the works of fiction,
which have issued from the modern press have TO INV
taste no attraction compared with the pages in which the
fret voyage Of Columbus is described by Rosern aud
still mere by own Irving and Prescott the last
enjoying The advantage over the great Scottish historian
possessing the lately discovered journals and lstsrs Of
| Columbus himelf The departure from Palot where
few years before he had begged mossl of bread and
cup Of water for his chidhs anal farewell to
| the Old World at the Canares-ha entrance upon the
trsde Winds which then, for toe first time filed Euro
pean sai-the porenous variation of the needle
ward day after day and night after night un-
known ocean--tbe mutnous and ill appeased crew-at
engrh tokens oil And-the cloud banks the
ern horizon-the logs OF drift wood-the fresh shrub
floating with its leaves and berries-the focks OF land
bhdsihe shoals Of fish that nhabit shallow watef-the
ndescribabe smell of the shore-the mysterious presen
tment that goes before great event-and finally,
on that ever memorable night Of the 18th of October,
from he deck Of the Santa M.rs
and in the morning the real undoubted land swelling uP
from the bosom Of the Deep with It's plains and hills and
forests and rocks and streams and strange Of
men-thcse incidents in which the authentic history
Of the discovery Of continent exces the specous
much gold excels tinsel.
in the heavens outshipes the ckerng taper Applauss
But il is part Of 10 dwell upon this In
erctiIg narrative follow out this most wonderful
Of histories sinking it did into tals OF sorrow
for Columbus himself and before long ending In Of
frghtful tragedies in the annals of the world
Such 10 be the law OF humanity that events the
most desirable and achievements the most i'm portant
should either in their inception progress be mixed
with disasters, crimes and sorrows which 1t makes the
| heart sick to record.