The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-09-13


horizon for this horizon was to Colum-
bus and his companions second creation
of God. The dawn, as it spread over
the sky, gradually raised the shores of
an island from the waves. It's distant
extremities were lost in the morning
mist 1t assembled gradually, like am
phitheatre, from the low beach to the
summit of the hills, whose dark-green
covering contrast strongly with the blue
heavens Within a few PAGES of the
foam of the waves breaking on the yellow
sand, forests of tall and unknown trees
stretched away, one above another, over,
the successive terraces of the Island
Green valleys and bright clefts in the
hollows afford half glimps into these
mysterious wiles Here and there could
be discovered few scattered huts, which
with their outlines and roofs of bry leaves
looked like beehives, and thin columns of
blue smoke rose above the tops Of trees.
Half.naked groops of men women and
children, more astonfshed than ffiglrten-
ed, appeared amongst the thickets near
the shore, advancing timidly, and then
drawing back, exhibiting, by their ges-
lures and demeaner, as much fear as
curiosity and wonder, at the sight of
these strange vessels, the previous night
had brought to their shores.
Columbus, after gazing in silence on
this foremst shore of the land so often
determined by his calculations, and so
magnifcently eoloredb by his imagination,
found it to exceed even his own. expec-
tations. He burned with impatience
to be the. first European to set foot on
the sand and SO plant the cross and the
flag of Spane, the. standard of the con-
quest of God and of his sovereigns, eff
feeted by his genius. But he restrained
the eagerness of himself and his crew
to land, desirous of giving to the act of
taking possession of new world sol
emnity worthy of the greatest deed, per-
haps, ever accomplished by a seamen,
and, in default of men to call God and
his angles, sea, earth, and sky, as wit
nesses of his conquest of an unknown
hemisphere. He put on all the inignia
of his dignities as Admiral of the Ocean,
and the viceroy of these future realms !;
he wrapped himself in his purple cloak,
and taking in hand a flag embroidered
with cross, in which the initials of Fer
dinand aud Isabella were interlaced like
their two kingdoms, and snrmounted
by a frown, he entered his boat, and
pulled toward the shore, followed by the
boats of Alonzo and Yanes Pinzon, his
two lieutenants. On landing, he fell on
his knees, to acknowledge, by this act of
humility and worship, the goodness and
greatness of God in this new sphere of
his works. He kissed the ground, and
with his face on the earth, he wept tears
of double import aid of a double meaning
as they fell on the dust of this hemis-
phere, now for the first time visited by
Europeans; tears of joy for Columbus
the overfowing of proud spirit, CRATE
full and pious; tears of sadness for this
virgin soil, seeming to foreshadow the
calamities and devastation, with fire and
sword, and blood and destruction, which
the strangers were to bring with their
pride, their knowledge, and their power.
It was the man that shed these tears !;
but it was the earth that was destined
to weep. {. Almighty and eternal God, =
said Columbus, as he raised his fore
head from the dust, with a Latin prayer,
which his companions have hanbed down
to us, g who by the energy of the cre-
ative world has made the armament, the
earth, and sea; blessed and glorifed be
thy name in all places May thy maj
esty and dominion be exalted for ever
and ever, as Thou hast permitted thy
holy name to bemade known and spread
by the most humble of thy servants in
this hitherto unknown potrion of the
empire" He then badtized this land
with the name of Christ, the island of
San Salvador: His lieutenants, his pi-
lots, and his seamen, full of gladness,
and impressed with a superstitous re-
speet for him whose glance had pierced
beyond the visible horizon, and whom
they had offended by their unbelife, over
come by the evidence of their eyes, and
by that mental superiority which ever
awes the minds of men, fell at the feet
of the Admeral; kissed his hands and his
cloths, and recognized for moment the
power and the almost divine nature of
genious; yesterday the yictoms of his
odstinacy, now the companions of his
success, and sharers in the glory which
they had Knocked. Such is humanity,
prosecuting discoverers, yet reaping the
fruits of their inventions. s