The New York herald., 1876-10-13
PROCEEDINGS At THH CENTENNIAL GROUNDS
Chief Justice Daly'e Dedica-
tory Address.
Tribute to Italian Maritime
Enterprise.

cost $4,000, and stands twenty-five feet
from the ground. the statue OF Columbus be-
ing ten feet height and tho pedestal twelve
feet high Governor Hartranft escorted by the First
and Second regiments, weccacos Legion Washington
Grays ana the First CITY Troop, arrived ON tho
grounds about three O'Clock y. NJ, and shortly al
terward the exercises were opened by over
ture Alouzo n vtl honorary Consul OF 1taty
aud a member Of tho Centennial Committee. then
made few appropriate romarks, aftcr which tho
umens was formally uavc,lsd. Addresses made
by Governor Hartrantt, Baron Blanc. Mr. Nunzio
Fnelit tho Monument Association and Hon. Morton
McAlichacL Chief Justice Daily said:-
cHEv JUSTICE pALY's ADDRESS
Tho act completed to-day by The erection and dedi-
cation OF statue of the discovcrcr OF America IL
or tho many interesting events oi this Centennial year.
The work Of Italian hands and the gilt OF Italians 10
commemorate the completion OF tho nrst century OF
our national Independence, IL comes appro-
ately; for not only are indebted TO an Italian tor
tho general discovery Of the land We inhert but " IL
10 two natives Of Venice John and Sebastian Cabot,
ana TO Giovanni da vcrrazano, native Of Florence,
that We the discovery and exploration OF the
OF North America while tho name Of another Italian,
Amcricus yespucius, bestowed by German
mogrxpher, Waitzemullcr. IN 1907, has been perpe-
luatcd designate tins great Continent in tho UNI
verkHlly recognized name OF Amorica-
No occasion lifting the present recall
what in my Judgment. has never been adequately
knowiedged, The very large share which ltaans had
In creating the OF maritimo enterprise Europe
which ultimately led TO The discovery OF America
The great merchants OF the Mediterranean, when in
the Middle Ages was the centre OF the commerce Of
lhe world we're ltalianS Tho maritime cities or
Venice Pisa Genoa, Amain wero the nurseries Of
the most skiliu and experienced III Europe, and
when maritime enterprise, In Tho fifteenth century,
was turned IN the direction OF exploration and dis
covery Is was tho nautical knowledge matured In
Italy, tho portuiaus charts and maps found there.
the improvements In tho astroiabe and tho mariners
compass which had there been made thai were chiefly
available, and from the discovery Of Madeira, in tho
century, by Geuoesc captains service
OF Portugal 10 the death OF Columbus the brightest
names in that brlnan! period OF maritime
discovery so arc tho movosn set winch
QUO direction, resulted In The discovery Of tho
passage around the Cape OF Good Hope and IN another
In the discovery oil america, may be SAID 10 have
ce,ved It's nrst impulse from the account brought 10
Europe by Ita,n Marco Polo, Of tho rich and won
derful countries ho had visited Ia the unknown lands
OF Eastern Asia; though the early explorations OF
Prince Henry OF Portugal, surnamed the navigator
along ,hc westorn coast OF Africa may have had no
further object tnan obtain knowledge ol the coun-
OF the Moors and to spread CnristtHniy IN that d.
rection the continuation OF Prince Henry's discover
les by the Portugese ind AS they did, passage
bv woIcr 10 those Indies which Marco Polo had
described while the object Of Columbus IN sailing d.
rectly the Atlantic was to hnd nearer passnge
by water 10 tho same rcgon--an idea that became
liked in his mind early period OF his lfe by the
perusal and careful study OF tho journey OF Marco
Polo in the thirteenth century
Observation and truthful narrative OF Cadomosto an
Italian, who OF Prince Heprys captains, that
Europe received the hrst intelligent account OF the
along tho western coast OF Africa, and OF
vbat had been ccrtaned respecting the geography
and people oil that region.
tho Indies would be by sailing westward directly
across the Atlantic, was, before he adopted u, enter
tanned advocated by tho Italian coxmographer and
astronomer Toscaneli: and when Columbus, then
young mariner OF twen seven. Was deriving preca-
rous subsistence 70 LISBON S Sy mnkDs nx ana selling ~,
vestlgation tho great project 10 which nc aicrward
devoted his fc, he communicated with Toscanclli and
received from the venerable cosmogrnphcr map OF
tho world winch the atter had projected to demon
srae his theory OF tho shorncss OF the distance
the unknown Atlantic between Spain and The eastern
AS oilen happens In the evolution Of great idcns,
both and Columbus were right 10 their general con-
ccption that land would be found within the limit OF
moderate voyage across the Atlantic, but the land
VIII ich existed did prove to DO, as they had sup
posed, great extension Of tho eastern part OF tho
OF Asta but vast independents continent
lying between with great oceans on either sido OF IT,
the result being often proves In the discoveries OF
science, that The direction OF inquiry was the true
ono and tho nna discovery different, but infinitely
greater than what had been looked for.
The idea OF reaching Indm by sailing westward
across tho Atlantic was not a new one. IL had been
suggested than l0O0 yoars bcorc, both by Ars-
tolle and by Strabo, but IL was lar from being pre-
yatling idva of tho fifteenth century. On thc
trary Columbus when advocating It, found his prln-
cipal antagonists In the cosmographcrs and men OF
science, ana has himself declared that he was never
abic TO convince ono Of tncm voltaire has wtilly
said that when Columbus urged the probability OF a
ne hemisphere they maintained that did not exist,
and when he discovered it they claimed that It had
long been known.
To the day OF his death Columbus believed that what
he haa the eastern shores Of ASIA Tho
widest dream of his Imagination would never havo
pictured what he had done and was instrumental in
bringing about that hc gave to tho world new con-
tincnt toward which vast tide OF emigration would
now which, less than our centuries would be hllcd
with 600 OF the desccndcnts Of Europe, and that
the dwcllcr upon the western extremity Of tnat new
world would look out upon great ocean, on tho far
shores Of which lies tho land no pursuit
OF and supposed no had iOund.
II not reserved for Italy to assist in the accom-
<t{sh.x s,f . tyvSa nj "a In ri tnMQ 0nn
We are told that be nrst applied to tho government
OF his native city and was unsuccessful But no had
long been absent from Genoa His real merit was un-
known and the little Republic at that time not
only embarrassed by foreign war, but dishcartcned
BY rcvcrscs, which,. paralyzng her commerce. had
broken her spirt But independent OF this, Is II re-
markabie that he should have failed In this attempt
when II required seven years o! unwearlcd applica-
tons in SPAN before he succcedcdr And even his
anal success was not due 10 the appreciation OF the
tcligcnt tho learned for council OF distinguished
men pronounced against him. but to a undetermined
woman attracted by the largcncss o his views, who
his religious zeal Tor bringing the IN
OF pagan lands TO knowledge OF tho nith.
a. a n an
continent was brought 20 tho knowledge ot the
world.
That memorable voyage has been described In many
languages and by many pcn but literary art could not
the effect Of tho simple details as recorded
BY the great navigator himself
A voyage OF thirty yhvo days, from the Canaries TO
tho West Indcs OF three vessels about the size oil our
ordinary sailing yachts would not Tor iss length be
III our ~ tnht " "so hoSs
formidable undertaking
From the earliest antiquity the unknown regions Of
the Atlantic TO the vest werc regarded as begrt win
horrors and during thc many centuries OF ignorance
and superstition which had prevailed In Europe tho
difcult,ss dangers and Supernatural obstacles with
which the human Imagination invested this un
tsavorscd part OF tho eobo had greatly Increased and
taken the form OF n widespread and universal popular
belief The difficulty Of getting anybody 70 venture
with Columbus upon such voyage Is seen In the TACT
that all VINO would 60 we're promised by tho govern
msnt pardon for past criminal offences and discharge
Of thor dcbts
II was the criminal and the debtor, unable TO poy,
that wero invited, and one oi the most serious DIFF
hcultiss with which the great dscovcrer had 10 con-
tend the kind OF men which he had TO manage and
control the prosecution OF his voyage The constant
tho supcrstlttous fears awakened by tho
slightest Incident tho general and unconrcaled wish TO
90 back before half OF the distance was achieved and
disposition to mutiny, with the secret resolution
10 drop him qoctIy overheard and rcturn-and yet
how wonderfully d0 this wonderful man manage this
materali When CONSERVATION is spread by the dis
covery Of the variation OF tho compass phenomenon
not previously observed recorded-she frightened
k.a 49, sl.A