Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-03-15
COLUMBUS AND ISABELLA.
A SEVERE ARRANGEMENT OF TWO
HISTORIC CHARACTERS.

HISTORIC CHARACIERS.
By all means let us have a Worlds
Fair-tbe biggest and best that can
be created-to celebrate the -four
hundred years since John Cabot dis
covered the American continent.
But why, In the name of all that is
logical as well as historical, does any
body talk OF raising monuments, in
connection Herewith, to Columbus
and Isabella!
AS even our school text books OF
today correct the former widespread
error as to Columbus having been
an original discoverer of our cont,
nent. to talk now Of raising monn-
ment to him rs a diScoverer of
something that had already been
discovered several times before, is
rather like raising monument to
our own historical ignorance.
But, aside from this indisputable
fact, there is another particular rea.
son why every thoughtful man
and woman should condemn this
spasmodic effort to place either
Columbus Or Isabella on pinnacle
for the youth otour country to honor.
At this time the humanitarans of
the world are striving to extermlnate
that hateful traffic in human flesh
and blood-the African slave-trade,
now carried on by Mahommedans.
And for Christian America now to
come forward and to hold up as a
hero Columbus, the originator of the
most cold blooded, cruel and treach.
erous slave trade in all history; or
Isabella, who accepted the slaves
and pocketed the gold he stole; this
is to publish to all Christendom the
baseness of our National ideals
Columbus-who, as his son Ferdi.
nand states, was descendant Of IA
notorious pirate-in his constant
roaming from one point to another,
visited, in the fifteenth century, the
home Left Ericsson, the tenth century
discoverer of this continent. Having
undoubtedly heard, there and then,
what any visitor can still learn there
now of that former discovery and
settlement, Columbus FASTENED back
to Spain to procure an opportunity
of visiting this country himself. He
hung about the Spanish court for
months, trying to procure means for
gratifying his ambition by tempting
the cupidity of the King and Queen
with promises of treasure as return
for their investment.
But that pious couple, evidently
thinking a Spanish form in the hand
was better than promised gold mine
in the bush. had finally declined to
have anything to do with il; and
Columbus was making preparations
to leave, when Don Luis SAINT Angel,
chancellor of the exchequer, told lisa
bella be would advance 10000 forms
if she would guarantee further help
if needed. To this speculation she
agreed, and Columbus set forth on
his voyage, and, as Professor Brooks
says, "discovered" the West India
Islands as pirates " discover IA help.
less vessel at sea.
His conduct was worse than that
of any ordinary pirate, or even worse
than those who started the extermi-
mating wars of the ancient Israeltes.
For in those examples there was no
deliberate treachery, while all his
tory offers No parallel to the cold.
blooded meanness, ingratitude and
of Christopher Columbus's
dealing with the gentle people who
received him, as he himself says, "as
one sent from heaven
Nor in all pagan history Is there
such an example of cruel calculation
as is portrayed in his own letters aid
those of his officers relating to this
affair. They narrate how these peo-
pie, whom Columbus describes as the
best be had ever seen, received them
with overwhelming kindness; how
the King of one island was soon won
to treat him as brother; how they
freely gave of all they had, aud con.
Quoted their guests gladly to the
and yet Columbu first
letter to Spain after landing inform,
ed "their Highnesses" how easy it
would be to overcome this unsuspi-
cious, unarmed people and send them
to Spain as slaves!
And what was the response to his
request for vessels loaded with cat.
tie and other necessaries, to come
Is licensed for the traffic in slaves,r
which he offered to return 7 The
official answer was: "Their High.
nesses will send the vessels i
The gold must by all means be pro
cured !" In less than twelve years
after Columbus first landed, of all
those prosperous, peaceful islanders,
not single soal remained alive. In
that short time the whole population
Of the Lucayan group, forty thous-
and men, women and children, were
killed under the lash OF the slave
driver or by tue sword of the soldier.
The whole history of the horrors
that were the sole result of Colum.
bus,s and IsabelIa's joint specula.
ton may be read in detail in the ac.
count gwen hy the Dominican friar