The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-10-22
COLUMBUS.

Tomorrow Friday will be OBJ
served with becoming ceremonies In
commemora.ion of the four-hundredth
anniversary of the discovery of Amer
lea by Columbus. and the children in
attendance on the public schools will
take the Leading part in the exercises.
That such an event is worthy of OBJ
servance no one will deny, and that 1t
is especially incumbent upon the United
States, the great republic of modern
history, to celebrate the anniversary is
also apparent. The proclamations of
the different executives making Octo-
+. ber 2lst holiday is significant that
the event is of national interest, and
that the country is unanimous in its
observance.
The history of the struggle of the
great navigator before he was afforded
the opportunity of testing his theory
of the rotundity of the earth, and the
long and perilops voyage across the
Atlantic, with mutinous crew in his
ships, is too well known to require re-
hearsal. These have been taught our
children IN early years, and there are
no facts with which they are better
acquainted, During the past few
days, from the pulpit and the press,
these stories of hardship and of cour-
age have been given wide circulation
and the people been made acquainted
with the character Of Christopher Co
lumbus and the difficulties he over
came.
The fact that the brave and adven-
turous Mortimer landed on the At
lantic coast and attempted to colonize
the new continent about five hundred
years before the Italian navigator
sighted land in one of the Bahamas
does not deteriorate from the honor of
Columbus. From the time of his dis
covery European civilization has main
tanned foothold, and it was the
knowledge gained by him that first
,mpelled the Anglo-Saxon and Latin
races to establish languages, laws and
customs in the new world, which have
resulted in the greatest good to the
human family. The discovery of the
Mortimer was simply ray of light
on the problem of spherical world,
which was soon obliterated by the pre-
vailing medieval darkness, and the
fact was hidden away in the archives
of some Scandinavian university, to be
dug up and given publicity by some
modern antiquarian. All fair
minded people will applaud the brave
and fearless spirit of the vikings, who
were not intimidated in their rude
craft by unknown or apparently bound
less seas, yet the objects they had in
view were simply rapine and robbery.
and no consideration was given to the
present or coming generations. For the
advancement of christianity and civ
ilization Columbus planted the cross
on the shores of the western CONT
nent, and those who followed him es-
tablished civil government, built
churches and colleges and changed the
country from the haunts of hordes of
savages to the homes of the peaceful
arts and industrial employments.
Judged in this manner, the discovery
of Columbus is the more important,
and the one that proved the more BEN
efcial. although Eve hundred years
later than that of the rowing bands of |
northern pirates.
The conception that the earth was |
round was an advancement in the |
realm of scientific thought, and the
perseverance to sail three thousand
miles westward, under most adverse |
circumstances, to demonstrate the truth |
of the thory was the stamp of great
ness in Columbus. Standing to-day, |
removed from the date by 400 years
of very fruitful history, and consider
ing the acts aud character of him in an
unbiased light, we believe the verdict
of the civilized world will be that
among the great men the name of
Christopher Columbus will stand prom
inent, and the discovery of America in
1892 one of the most important events
of all time.