Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-02-27
COLUMBUS CENTENARY.
A Mighty Contest Over the Great Navi
gators birthplace.

gators birthplace.
Seven cities contended for the honor
Of having given birth TO Homer. There
are as many claimants for the glory
of Christopher Columbus Genoa.
Oneglia, Boggiaseo, sayona and sew
eral others. Posterity, however, has
not as yet granted definite possession
TO any of them; but in presence of the
discovery of very recent and very au-
thentic titles, it inclines more and
more to admit the claim of new
conner for the inheritance of honor.
This new pretender is none other than
the town of Calyi. Corsica, Christie
pher Columbus was not then Genoesc.
but Il Corsican, tits to the Able Casa
nova. learned investigator, that the
honor is due of having called halt to
what threatened to soon become the
prescription of the ages. This nine-
teenth century Benedictne has con
secrated his whole life to the accom-
plishment of this great work; the old
archives of the Italian republics, the
dusty registers of the libraries of the
Renaissance have at last welded up the
secret that race spirit has kept hidden
so long. Even the Italian historians,
staggered and convinced in spite of
themselves, now only ask for brief
delay of grace to make the an,ende hon
orabie to the little cornt,y SO long
robbed of her great son. The origin of
this historical err<' is easily found.
Corsica. subject,E or rather in state
of rebellion against Gcnoese domina-
ton before. during and after the fif-
teenth century, sought no other glory
than TO be found ON the battlefield,
under its heroes, the Ornanos and
Sampieros, while Able Casanovas of the
day taught their countrymen that their
highest good was to die brayely. These
poor people lived fighting, and so could
give no attention to the glory of dis
coyery.
The most serene republic, always on
the lookout for gain, appropriated
Christopher Columbus. This jewel
was an ample compensation for the
tribute which little Corsica stoutly re-
fused to pay. The piece of robbery
passed unobserved, all the more easily
as the town of Calvi, to which Genoa
had left its magistrates, its customs
and a certain autonomy, had ended by
contentedly accepting Genoese domi
nation. Whence the famous inserip-
ton still carved over its gate, "Civitas
Calyi semper fidelis. A citizen of
Calvi, especially if he brought any
prestige to the republic, was appropri-
ated without ceremony, and the confis-
cation of the great sailor, by letters
patent so to speak, chimed in harmo-
niously with the character of that COM
mercial and speculative people.
The little town of Calvi, now making
preparations for the celebration of this |
great centenary. will at last see its
name redeemed from an unjust OBJ |
liyion. Perched on rock, on the west !
coast of the island, Calvi was long
deemed impregnable. Nelson thought
it worth his while to come and attack
it in person, and lost an eye for his
pains. The English succeeded in cap
turing it, but the Corsicans beat them
out of it again. In the clear autumn
evenings one can see from the summit
of its citadel the dim outlines of the
shore of the continent and the spurs of
the Maritime Alps.-PriS Figure.