Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-05-05
1merica Discovered Dy the Irish.
LECTURE BY HON. A. NJ. wADDELL, N. c.

LECTURE ny HON. A. VI. wADDELL, ". c.
A large and distinguished audience
assembled at Lincoln Hall, Washington,
on the night of the 18th inst, TO hear the
interesting and instructive lecture of the
Hon. A. NJ. Waddell, OF North Carolina,
in regard to the settlement OF the Cont
nent before the discovery by Co'umbas
He had delivered it in several of the
Southern cities during the past Summer,
and vas invited by the leading members
of .hc Senate and House OF Representa-
tivcs 10 repeat it nj the capital.
Beginning with an allusion 10 Nico's
system Of "historicnl returns" and Civ
ing Goclhe's conception Of that subject
0he circular theory OF civiization) in
few sentences, the lecturer said that his
investigation of the subject under discus.
sion was prompted By a passage in Hum
bo'dl's Cosmos" which stated, as fact,
that the frs, voyage OF ;h, lcclanders TO
Greenland. in 933. "wa' followed by yoy
arcs 10 North Carolina" This. lie said.
excited his curiosity and caused him 10
read everything bearing on the snbiec.,
the result of his conclusions being that
lIumLoldrs statement was not only true.
5u, less than the whole truth. FOR, in his
opinion. the evidence which he was about
to offer established the fact that voyages
to and from the settlement on the coast
south OF Chesapeake Bay were made by
Ccl,ic race before tho discovery OF
Greenland 10y E.ic the Red.
lie then briefly rccoun.cd the several
VOYAGE, of NOrhmcn to the northern
part of America. beginning with LieFs
VOYAGE in the year 1000, to Vinc!and or
New England. giving the evidence on
which their real occurrence is based, in.
cludng the finding OF the Ranic stone on
one of The islands in Ballin's Bay, which
attracted 50 much attention among the
learned when Rala's great work, Anti
qaiiatcs Americana" was published in
1881.
Leaving, then, the discoveries on the
northern coast, he began the discussion OF
his main subject, which was to prove that
the county lying between Virginia and
Florida was, before a. d. 1000, settled
by Christians, Vas designated Hiitram-
annland, or the Land of the White Men,
aud WAS expressly called Ireland it Mik"l'
or Great Ireland. To fortify his position
he gave rapid sketch OF the wonderful
literature of Iceland, Distinguishing the
S.gas which treated Of these maritime
expeditions and vindicating their
authenticity, particularly the "Landama-
box and the Eorbiggja Saga" the latter
of which contains the romantic story OF
Biora. the champion of BraidaVik. who
was discovered in this country OF Great
Ireland thirty years after his disappear.
ance from Iceland, by Guidiict Guidlang'
son. who visited the country in lO29.-
Many other evidences of like kind
were produced. lie thea, in ailusion to
the story of Prince Madoc's voyages to
this Continent, recited some remarkable
facts going to show that the country was
inhabited by Celtic lace at a very early
period, and gave a very Interesting nc
count of the early civilization OF the
Irish race, about whom, lie said. there
seemed TO be wonderful misapprehension
even among enlightened people. Fol
lowing this up with an account OF the rise
and fall of free government both in Ice
land and Greenland, lie camc TO discuss
Columbus voyages. So far from making
any attempt TO rob the latter OF his glory
he gaye him full credit Tor his discovery
and mentioned one or two Curious and
interesting anecdotes connected with 1t.
In reply to the very natural question OF
what became of those carly settlers. he
observed that bis inability to answer 1t
furnished no argument against the fact
that the Irish did make voyages to this
country. The same question, he said'
might, with equal propriety, be asked IN
REGARD to whole races who have existed
on each of the four Continents; Tor IN
! stance, the Mound Builders" on this