New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-05

% i,solf II vas ,nassisted by science, and hardly
restrained by any perceptions oil the lhPoS'D''
any sense of the absurd IL sought nO' INC ISL,
lint the beautifnl and the grand, often producing
these often only what was grotesque OF reVoltins'
It's oroat achievements were Gothic architecture
Flemish and Italian art, the Dicna Commed,d ~ oup
ped the world of thought with myths WIN i's1"u9
with romance and UeOpled 1t win Deibgs '' -,
for,nod a common stock on which later ages nave
oortinuoIlv drawn When il turned 10 phSs""
science. il showed the audacty ana iIeSnhoos
90 onor,,y No accumulated labOrs OF hundreds Vi
.,ono,nors and mathematicans laid basis Tor INC
Cnor,ican svstem TO rise upon. No series oil eNpoi
ot,ors based upon calculations and familiar iac's leu
20 tbc discovery of America The lde'-the ui.'n'
evisted in the mind Of Columbus alone. IL - "'-
nitted that accidental discoveries previously hiaue
mr. any mathematical deductions from iacIs ahc""S
known could have had only the falhtest lhHnen'o
upon himself or his patrons. Had 1t been other"Iso
bi diGcultv would have been, not to obtain hear
inc for his project favor for his enterprise but 10
preyent himself from being anticipated IN 'he ac-
complishment of it by Others Instead OF tliS ins
proiect was regarded as visionary. what redeemed
it. what enabled him to gain attention Tor H. ana
finally the means of executing II, was the spirit Ill
which il was conceived, the motives and the senti-
ments which animated him. What seems TO us the
visionary side OF his character the eXaltatlon Oh Ills
religions faith, the enthusiasm of the Crusade,
was precisely that on which his own age was III luii
sympathy with him. 1t was in the same spirit that
the Catholic sovereigns were even then CARVING
ON the eonouest of Granada. Religious faith
was the common impulse under which all great Ell
terprises were then conducted. Columbus could re-
ceiye but little aid from the science of his time but
the religious zeal and ideas common to him ana II
sent him forth on his great errand
The biographer therefore, of such man should ne
allie 10 enter into these IDEAS to embrace this con-
ceptiou. and thus be placed, rs the French say en-
rapport with his subject. But NJ. Rosely de LOrgnes
goes much further than this or rather he taxes
unite different ground An ardent Cathollc, ne AIMS
10 inscribe the discovery of the New NOilu among
the plories of his Church-to enroll It among the
4ciq SanctoJ7m lie claims it rs proof Oh the mail
lible foresight and wisdom of the Church. lie eN-
presses a wish that the Holy See should place the
name of Columbus among that of the SAINTS, ana
tins assert her rghtfu claim, and the merit OF the
great act accomplished by her servant under her IN
spiration He attributes to the event supernatural
character and his objection TO Protestant MS
torians is that they have not recognized II as Such'
In every incident connected with II he sees dtect
and extraordinary interpostion of the hand ol
Providence. Thus, having narrated the wellknoWh
story Of the accidental arrival OF C0nmDuS' III lts'
at tho Monastery of La Eabida, tho superior OF
which became his friend, and furnished him with
recommendations to the Court the author comments
upon this fortunate coincidence, if such it can be
called rs follows: "HOw was he led to tins mOnas-
terv, Nobodq could tell f0U Wherever no disem-
barkcd whether at the port of Santa Maria, at san
Lucar dc Bauameda, Mt La Higuerra, or even ut
Palos his presence at The monastery Of La RabGa con-
not becrpldiHedon HatWaLpRcPs. This convent, then
completely concealed by pinctreC-, and visible only
from the seacOast, out of the GlrecttOue when
Columbus should have followed in going to uuelva
1t was not in losing his way that ne could have got
there. He must have been led there by one Of those
chances, admirably calculated, which reveal 10 us
the action of a superior power, before which we
adoringy fall prostIate' Instead of attempting TO
controvert this reasoning need only observe that
the writer is evidently making plea IN behalf 0l
the object he has so much at heartthe canonlzatloa
of Columbus. Even good Catholic may be allowed
TO withhold his belief until according to the regular
procedure in such cases.thc Authenticity oil the mira
Gle has been duly attested by commission and the
report been acted upon by tho Head OF the Church
Had NJ. Roselly de LorGues been hall as keen ia
searching Tor facts rs he has been i'll hunting after
miracles, he might possibly have made some valuable
additions to our knowledge Of Columbus. On some
minor matters he does seem 10 have thrown little
light But such scraps of new information as he
gives us are so buried under pile of words that il
would require laborous efforts to extract them. 1t
is amusing to find him apoogizng for his style. not
on account OF its verbOsity but Of It's breyiy We
have" he says, resolutcy sacrificed style to acon-
icisn aiming directly at the greatest breyty Away.
crtailing the phrase, and often the thought, and
voluntarily dcprivng ourselves of all appearance Of
literary form" His explanation of this short method
of procedure is continued through long paragraph.
We are reminded of Polonius: Madam, swear
use no art at ALL But whether for its art OF lis mat
ter its form or its substance. the work possesses no
such merit as 10 call for translation. Yet neither
did il deserve TO be subjected to the kind Of cOmp
aton in which Dr. Barry has presented IL ~ the
American public.