The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-02-07
ACCIDENTS OF HISTORY.
A Chapter on Triaes Which Have De-
termined Great Events.

A curious volume might be penned on
trihes which have determined great
events. 1t was but a trife which gave
Spain for so many generations the lord
ship of the New World, and enabled her
by the wealth she derived from that
source, to become the most powerful
nation in Europe. 1t is well-known that
Columbus, dispirited by the refusal
which he met at 50 many courts, dis
patched his brother BartOlomeo to ask
aid from Henry VII, of England. But
on the way the messenger fell into the
hands Of pirates, and by the time he
reached London, he was so destitute he
had to try to earn the money to cloth
himself in proper style before he could
be presented at court. But by this time
it was too late. Even the fact that Fer
dinand and Isabella supplied the funds
to equip the expedition was mainly due
to the accident that Juan Perez de Mar
chenal, the queens cOnfessor, happened
to be passing at the very moment when
the weary mariner was knocking at the
/ door Of the La Rabida monastery to beg
little bread and water for his boy
Diego, and was struck with the noble
face of the dusty pedestrian. Had Bart
tolomeo Colon reached London in time !;
had Christoyal been by any chance a
little later or little earlier at the mon
astery door, the fate of Europe might
have been changed and the destiny of
the Anglo-Saxon race altered. Three
centuries later it was again revolutions
lied, for in 1906 the English held Bue-
nos AyreS and it is no secret that Napo-
leon was almost persuaded to abandon
Europe as a field for his ambition, and
try what he could accomplish in the way
of carving out an empire among the dis
satisfied provinces of South America.
When citizen Bonaparte seemed little
likely to sit on the throne of Louis Ca
pet, he was on the point of offering his
sword to the Sultan, as at latter period,
Won Moltke actually did. 1t is curious
now to speculate what would have been
the present state Of the Eastern question
had Napoleon carried his intentions into
effect, or supposing that Moltke had re-
manned in the Turkish service whether
the Danish war would have been fought,
or Prussia's supremacy established at
Sadowa or Sedan.
The cropping of Louis Wis chin
brought on three centuries of bloodshed:
and sarcastic remark of Frederick the
Great on Elizabeth Petrovna, of Russia
reused that virtuous empress to take
such a vigorous part in the seven years
war that at one time Prussia seemed we'll
nigh stricken unto death.
1t is hardly forty years since Louis
Philippe threatened war against the Tex
an republic, because an..irate citizon had
shot the trespassing pigs of the French
ambassador As it was he prevented the
Lone Star sovereignty from floating their
European loan, and thus the King and
the pigs combined FASTENED the anexa-
ton Of Texas to the United States. The
Dutch are said to have ''iockeyed' us
out OF Malacca in exchange for Java. by
representing on the map, which our sim
ple-mlnded ENJOYS took for granted, the
one territory as large and the other as
small, and among the most firmly rooted
traditions OF American diplomacy is one
which represents the English commits
sloners agreeing to the surrender of Ore
gon, because q country in which sal
mon does not rise to the Ay. cannot ba
worth much" Laws have been altered
through accidents, because the oueen,s
printers boy forgot to deliver Lord Bea-
conslleld's amendment to bill
But if triAes have determined the fota
oil laws and nations, accidents equally
small have caused men to follow pur-
SUITS, the results of which have been not
much less momentous to culture and civ
lhzatlon. Cowley became a poet owing
TO sperusal Of Spencer's "Fairy Queen 8
ana pr Joshua Reynolds had never
Thought OF painting until Richardson's
Treatise" fell into his hands. Shakes.
peare might have ended his life ii !
prosperous wool-comber had he been
prudent young tradesman; Corneilla
showed no liking for any literature
except the law until he fell in love
ana felt compelled to tell the ladv "a
IN poetry; and Moliere might have 70.
NAMED making tapestry had not bis
grandmother nettled hispride bv wish
ing That he could be an actor lie M
rose Balboa might never have discov-
cred the Pacific had he not been npsne.
l
ces,ful as a shopkeeper in Hisnan;olo
anu found It necessary to fee to tbe |
mainland, concealed from his cred;tars
IN i cask on board Eucisdo's yessel ond
II Is certain that had Cortez become S, .
Well,briefed lawyer in Salamanca be
would never have lived to nroudlr
tell Charles V. that he had qiyen h;I
more provinces than his father had left
nm cities; lgnatius Lovola was . s al
aler and the Order Of Jesuit might new sew
q nave been founded had he not acc;.
dentally beguiled the tedinm If Of n.y.; 49,
! me nlTecessitated by wound while road
ing The Lives of Saintsp Gibhons az az
, termined to write his famous work af t
listening to the monks singing vesne - - =
Inc u Temple Of Jupiter, Rome and peI' I =
rontalne was stimulated to cultiyate II it
e erat, after hearing some verses ss ~ -
raraday might have remained ionr
nneyman bookbinder had not kindIyJ MT Mr
lance lance invited him to hears Hnmnb ~,
ilavy lecture, and Vaucanson oniaP 10y 4