The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-08


| long letters full OF gossip from Vailadoiid.
makes no mention Of Columbus's death. twas
| not until twenty seven days after the deathbed
| scene that brief passing allusion to the event
| was made In an Official document to tho erect
| that "the said Admiral Is dead" 1t IL not even
certain where the body was first placed. though
n ia usually affirmed to have been deposited In
tho Franciscan convent In Valladolid.. Mr..
Winsor considers 1t pretty sure-if any inier-
enco can be drawn from tho viii OF the son.
Diego Columbus. in 15U0-that within three
years after the death OF the discoverer ms
coffin had been conveyed to Seville and
pIeced inside the convent OF Las Cuevas In the
vault OF tho Carthusians. whore. In due time
tho body Of his son Diego and his brother
bartholomew wcro to repose beside his own.
Here tho remains were undisturbed till 1881
when tho records OF the convent affirm that
they wcro given up for transportation From
tim. date till 154O there Ia room for various
hypo.hcses rs to their abiding place. for the
Government Ia known to havo Issued three
different orders respecting tho removal OF the
body II Ia coniccturcd TINT tho transfercnce
OF tho romans was actually made III lo4l.
shortly after tho completion OF the cathedral
at Santo Domingo IL any record was made
at tho time TO designate the spot OF the
rcfntombmcnt IN that edlflco II has not
been preserved. and It was not till 1915
TINT somebody placed an entry IN the
cathedral books to the effect thnt the burial
had been made on tho right OF tho altar.
few years later. 1889. tho recollcctions ~ nSod
people were quoted to substantiate that state
ment Mr.. Winsor finds no other monitor OF the
matter till n century aitcrwnrd. when on the
occasion OF somo repairs u stone vault. as
serted by tradition to be that which held tho
remains o! the dscoverer. was found on the
gospel sido" OF the chancel. while another
vault on tho "cpistle side was thought to
contain tho body Of Bartholomew Columbus.
This was the supposed situation OF tho grave
when in l7!k3 tho Spanish authorities. acting
in concert with tho Duke OF Ncragua. rs the
representative Of the naviEators family. dc,cr-
mined on the removal Of the remains to Havana.
1t is II question which has been raised since
1877 whether the body Of Columbus WAS tho
one then removed the Bishop OF Snntu Donin-
go and his adhcrcnts claiming that the remains
Of the dscovcrer are still in their charge and
that It was those OF his son Diego which werc
reinterrc,, In Cuba. This has been denied by
the Madrid Academy OF History. but Nj. VIM
sor. though lie recognizes that the case pre-
scented in favor OF Santo Domingo has somc
weak points. is inclined to think that tho qucs-
ton has been thrown into the category Of
doubt. It follows that we cannot say with
certainty whore the bones Of Columbus lie.
It is VOL known that tho Catholic Church
has up TO the present time refused to canonizs
Columbus. Tho refusal has seemed UNI
Ineligible to American readers who have
drawn their conceptions Of the chnrac-
ter Of Columbus from the pages OF
Prescott and Irving. That the course taken
by tho Papacy in this matter was found
ed on exact information will be clear to those
who review the facts set forth in Mr. Winsors
narrative. and on which he bases discriminate
ing. but. upon the whole decidedly unfavor-
able judgment of the discovsrer. He quotes.
for instance. with approval some comments Of
DR.. Shea on the character OF the great naviga-
tor in which we arc reminded that he nc.
complished less than some other adventures
with vessels more poorly equipped than his
own. lie seems to have succeeded in attach
ing but few men to him who ad-
hered Loyalty to his cause. Those I'M
der him were constantly rcbelious and
mutinous: those over. him found him imprac-
ticable. To represent all those opponents as
inspired by Satanic hostility to u great SER
want of God. is to ask too much for our belief"
which. however. Is precisely what Prescott.
Irving. and Roselly dc Lorgues have attempted
to do. II is OF course, acknowledged by Mr..
Winsor that Columbus WAS devout Catholic
according to the Catholicism OF the epoch OF
the Borgia Popes. Tried by any higher stand
ard he falls short. He had none of the gsner.
osity and nobleness developed at all times in
all spirits capable OF loving God and man. In
his eyes tho name OF Jesus Christ was con-
vcnient Rgis under which to practise the most
lideous enormtics. 1t is truo that the revolt
ing use Of religion to cover moral obiIuitles
81
his time. but, as Mr.. Winsor has pointed out
tho beautiful example set by Las Casas to
his incorporates iustines us in condemninp
Columbus for his failure to comply with the
dictates Of humanity. As matter Of fact. tho
discoverer of the New World had no pity for the
misery OF others unless they were his personal
adherents. To slit the noses and tear of the
ears OF native heather no considered II poll
cy worth commemorative. With a chance OF
establishing wel-orderel. peaceful. and hu.
name society. among peoples ready to DO
moulded TO good purposes. he sought from the
outset to plant and organize among them tho
inherited evils Of European communities. He
talked great deal about making converts OF
the poor heathen. while the very first sight he
had OF them prompted him to consign them to
the slave market. The first vicar apostolic
sent to teach the faith in Santo Domingo re-
turned to Spain. because he felt unable to re-
main. powerless spectator Of the cr,leltes
practised by Columbus Las Casas records
that in 1494-06 Columbus was generally hated
In Espaiiola for his injustice. and that his treat
ment Of the natives caused tho death Of u third
OF them in those two years. The Franciscnhs.
when they arrived In the island. found the
colonists enthusiastic over thcir delivcrnnco
from the rule which Columbus had instituted.
and the Benedictincs and Domnicuns savctes
timony to the same effect. To Columbus also.
is traceable the beginning OF the monstrous
wrong sanctioned by Spanish law under the
name Of repdrtimientos. by which to every
colonst even the vilest, absolute power was
given over rs many natives as his means and
rank entitled him to hold. Las Casas says
that Ferdinand could hardly have had u conrcp-
ton OF tho atrocities pcrIetrated under this
system. 1t speedily caused tho annihllation of
tho native races Of the Antilles.
There are indeed some strange anomalies in
tha ,hor M ~ pbnu ,i.%