The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-23
nscHrN TRIRFLRs.
Chapter on she Noted Accidents sf
HtstsFy.

NJ. Fournier wrote book OIL events
which never happened, and Lord Bea,
consheld's father was the author of q
iearMed essay on history which might
kave been enacted. An equally curious
volume might be pennei on triaes
which have determined great events.
IL WAS but q triHe which gave Spain
for 30 many generations the lordship oi
the New World, and enable her by the
wealth which she derived from that
source 70 become the most powerful
nation in Europe. IL is well-known
that Columbus, diapirited by the refu.
sails he met at 80 many courts, dispatch.
ed his brother Bartolomeo to ask aid
from Henry VII Of England. But on
the way the messenger fell in the bAnda
of pirates, and by the time he reached
London was so destitute he had To try
and earn the money TO elothe himself
in proper style before be could bc pre-
sente,l at court. but by this time IL
was too late. Even the fact that Fer,
diuard aud Isabella supplied tte funds
To equip the expedition WAS mainly
due 10 the accident that Juan Perez
do Marchena, the Queens confcSsor
happened 10 be raasing at tho very
moment when the weary mariner was
knocking at the door Of the la Rabida
monastry to beg little bi cad and
w"ter fot his hoy Diego, and wal
struck with the noble facs of the dusty
pedestrian. Baftolomeo Colon reached
London in time, had Christoval been
by any chance little later or little
earlier at the monastrY door, the fate
Of Europe might have been changed
and the destiny OF the Anglo-Saxou
race altered.
ALMOST RRyOLUTIoSfzRD.
Three centuries later IL was agaiI
nearly Ievolutionized, for in 1906 th,
English held Buenos Ayres, and i
is no secret that Napoleon was almost
persuaded to abandon Europe as fielt
for bis ambition, and try what he could
accomplish in the way of carrying on
an empire among the dissatisfied prov
inces Of South America. When citi
zen Bonaparte seemed little likely q
sit on ths throne of Louis Capet h.
was on the point OF Offering his sworc
20 the Sultan, as at later periol Vor
MoItke actually did. IL il curious I,
speculate what would now have beer
the present state OF the Eastern ques
ton had Napoleon carried his inten
tions into effect, or supposing tha
Moltke had remained in the Turkish
service whether the Danish war woulC
have been fought, or Prussia's suprem-
acy established at Sadowa or Sedan
The cropping of Louis WIS CHR
brought on three centuries Of bloodshed
and a sarcastic remark of Frederick
the Great on Elizabeth Petrovna, o
Russia, reused that virtuous Empress
to take such vigorous part in tn.
Seven Years war that at one time
Prussia seemed well-nigh strickened
unto death. Even Catherine Ii-pro
foundly suspicious Of Potsdam after The
scandal about Queen Elizabeth CAREFUL,
examined her husbands correspondence,
before she concluded an alliance with
the royal letter writer. 1t is hardly
forty years since Louis Philippe
threatened war against the Texan Re
public because an iratc citizen hac
shot the trespasaing pigs of the Frenc.
ambassador. AS it was he prevented
the Lone Star sovereignty from float
ing European loan, and thus the King
and the pigs combined hastened the an
nexation ofTexas to the United States
The Dutch are said to have s'jockeyed'
us ont of Malacca in exchange for Jaws
by representing on the map, which on
simple minded enovys took for granted
the one territory as large and the othe
as small, and among tho most firml,
traditions of Ameritan diplomacy i
one which represents the English com
missiOners AS agreeing to the surrende
of Oregon, "because country in whicl
a salmon does not rise TO u fly canno
be worth much" Laws have heel
altered through accidents beftrs tn
Queens printers hoy forgot to delive
Lord Beaconsfeld's amendment to
bill.
LEADING TO yocATloSs.
But il tritles have decided the fat
If laws and nations, accidents equal
snlall have caused men to follow pul