The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-12
GOODRICH,S COLUmBUS.

We have just received an advance
copy of this very curious and interest
ing work; written by Hon. Aaron
Goodrich of this city, and published by
Appleton & Co., of New York.
The object Of the book is to correct
what Mr.. Goodrich believes to be a grave
error Of history, and to assign to Chris
topher Columbus subordinate part in
the great work of discovering the west
ern continent. The execution of this
task is admirable, the language good
and the style excellent. The events
and the actors are brought before the
mind of the reader with dramatic force
and effect: and certainly the author
presents S strong array of testimony in
behalf of his theory.
The preliminary chapters. showing
the high degree of civilization attained
by the ancient nations of the world,
and tracing back all the great inyen-
/ tons which undcrlie our material de-
velopment, the mariner S compass, gun
powder, the art of printing, &C., to the
Chinese, are particularly interesting.
A chapter is also devoted to the dis
coveries of the Mortimer. Intelligent
men are now agreed that the same
hardy voyagers who discovered Green
!
and built churches and villages, also
visited the northern coasts Of the Amer
lean continent, descending certainly
as far south as Massachusetts,, and pos
sibly as far as the Chesapeake Bay.
Judge Goodrich goes considerable
distance toward establishing the fol-
lowing facts:
l. That Columbus was not man Of
great scientific learning according to
the standard even of that day. In this
view he is confirmed by Humboldt.
II. That his whole theory of dis
covery was based on gross misconcep-
ton of the size Of the globe. If India
had been, as he believed, located where
the West Indies are, the world would
have been about ore-third smaller than
it is.
III. That he expected to fnd land
after sailing $50 leagues. This would
seem to confirm the story that Column
bus derived the knowledge Of these
lands from a pilot OF trader, named
Alonze Sanchez, who was driven by a
great storm across the ocean and land.
ed on certain islands, and who, return
inc. sick. died in the house Of Column
bus, imparting to him the knowledge
of his accidental discovery.
". That it was this discovery, and
not the scientific knowledge of Colum-
bus, as to the distance between Euro pc
and Hindoostan, that induced Ferdi-
nand and Isabella to compel the little
town Of Palos to equip two caravels =
Columbus, or rather the Pinzon bro
theirs, furnishing the third. That the
whole story of Isabella selling her
Jewels to raise the funds is an absurd
falsehood.
V. That Columbus was then about
fifty years of age. that even his own
son. Ferdinand. who was his historian,
is unable to give any account of his
previous life, and that there is a strong
reliability that he had been free
booter or pirate.
VI. That instead of being actuated
by that love Of Christianity which is
ascribed to him. he drove hard bar.
gain with the king and queen, by which
he and his posterity were to De emo.
bied, and to receive. forever, from one
tenth to one-fourth of all the revenues
of the lands he hoped to discover.
VI. That instead of being the truth
loving, religious man he is represented
to have been, he deceived the king ant
queen as to the riches of the islands ht
had discovered; and told many marvel
Gus Munchausenish stories about mer
maids, men with dog S heads and 9th
srs with monkeys tails, amazonians
one-eyed people, &c.
VII. That in spite of the protesta
tons Of the queen, he insisted on reduc
ing the Indians to slavery. and shipping
whole cargoes Of them to Spain to b
) sold; he to receive his one-tenth Of tn
fruits of this abominable traffic.
, VIII. That he was cruel, despotic
/ arrogant and treacherous.
We do not say that Judge Goodrich
has absolutely established all thes
points, but he has certainly don
i enough to compel the admirers of Col
umbus to take up the gauntlet he ha
: cast down, and defend their favorite.
a We do not believe il man-worskil
r and we are especially opposed to VOL
: Shipping as demi-god q very ordinar