The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-22

The anarchy and chaos which followed the
breaking up of the Roman empire, necessarily
produced the feudal system. The people pre-
feTring slavery TO humiliation by roooer chlets,
became the vassals Of territorial lords.
AnsolutiSm in the state, and olgoted lntoler-
ance in the church, shacSled poPmst unrest,
and imprisoned thought and enterprise In the
fifteenth century,
God always has in training some command
Ing genius for the control OF great crises IN the
affairs OF nations and peoples.
Neither rea ism nor romance furnishes a
more striking aud picturesque hgure than that
Of Christopher Columbus. The mystery about
his origin hight5ns the charm of his story.
That he came from among the tOilers OF his
time is In harmony with the struggles OF our
period.
The study Of the narratives of previous sx-
plorers. and diigent QuestIonings Of the daring
spirits who had ventured far toward the tabled
west gradually evolved a theory, which became
in his mind so fixed fact, that he could inspire
others with his own passionate beliefs. After
ten years OF disappointment and poverty. sub
Gisting most of the time upon the charity Of the
enlightened monk of the convent Of Rnoida, who
was his unfalJering friend, he stood before the
throne of Ferdinand and Isabella.
1t was happy omen of the position which
woman was TO hold in America, that the only
person who COmprehended the ma eStiC scope
Of his plans and the invincible quality of his
genius was the able and gracious Queen of Cas-
tile. Isabella alone of ali the digniLerieS Of that
age shares WITH Columbus the honors OF his
great achievement. She arrayed her kingdom
and her private fortune behind the enthusiasm
of this mystic mariner, and posterity pays
homage to her wisdom and faith.
The overthrow of the MohAmmednn power In
Spain would have been forgotten scene, in one
Of the innumerable acts in the grad drama Of
history, had not Isabella conferred immortality
upon herself, her husband and their dual crown
by her recognition of Columbus. The devout
spirit of thequeen and the high purpose Of the
explorer inspired the voyage, subdued the
mutinous Grew, ana prevailed over the raging
storms.
The mighty soul Of the great admiral was
undaunted by the ingratitude Of princes. and
the hostility of the people, by imprisonment
and neglect He died as he was securing the
means, and preparing a campaign for the res
cue of tue holy sepulcher at Jerusalem from
the infldel. He did not know what time has
revealed, that while the mission OF the crusadss
of Godfrey of Bouillon and Richard of the Lion
Heart was a bloody and fruitless romance, the
discovery Of America was the salvation Of the
world. The one was the symbol, the other the
spirit; the one death, the other life. The tomb
OF the Savior was narrow and empty vault,
precious only for its memories of the supreme
tragedy of the centuries but the new continent
was to be the home and temple of the living
God.
The rulers of the old world began with par
titioning the new. To them the discovery was
expansion Of empire and grandeur TO the
throne.
The nations Of Europe were 80 completely
absorbed in dynastic difficulties and devastat-
ing wars with diplomacy and ambitions, that
they neither needed nor heard of the grow
ing democratic spirit and intelligence In their
American colonies. To them these provinces
were sources Of revenue, and they never
dreamed that they were also schools Of liberty.
The northern continent was divided between
England, France and Spain, and the southern
between Spain and Portugal. France wanting
the capacity for colonization, which still char
RcteIiZes her gave up her western possessions
and left the English, who have the genius OF
universal empire, masters Of North America
The Puritan settled in New England and the
Cavalier in the south. They represented the
oppoSites Of spiritual and temporal life and
opinions The processes of liberty llberalizsd
the one and elevated the other. Washington
and Adams we're the new types. Their union in
a common cause gave the world republic
both stable and free.
The Mayfower with the Pilgrims. and
Dutch ship laden with African slaves. were on
the ocean at the same time the one sailing for
Massachusetts, and the other for Virginia This
company OF saints and first cargo Of slaves
represented the forces which were to peril and
rescue free government. The SLAYER was the
product of the commercial spirit OF Great Brit |
ain, and the greed Of the times to stimulate |
production in the colonies. The men who wrote |
In the cabin OF the Mayfiower the first charter |
of freedom, government OF Just and equal |
laws, were a little band Of professionals against |
every form of injustice and tyranny. The |
leaven of their principles made possible the |
declaration of Independence, liberated the |
slaves, and founded the free commonwealths
which form the republic Of the United States.
Platforms of principles, by petition, pro-
test, or statement, have been as frequent as re-
volts against established authority. The declar- |
alton of independence proclaimed at Philadel-
phia, July 4, 1116. is the only of them which
arrested the attention of the world when it was
published, and has held its undivided interest
ever since. Jefferson's superb capitalization
of the popular opinion, that "all men are cree
ate1 equal, that they are endowed by their Gre
ator with certain inalienable rights that among
these are life liberty and the pursuit OF hRppi-
ness. mad its force and effect in being the de-
Hberate utterance of the people.
The scope aud limitations of this idea Of free
dom have neither been misinterpreted nor mis-
understood. Benjamin Franklin, philosopher
and patriot, amused the jaded courtiers OF Louis
XVI. by his talks about liberty, and entertained
the scientists of France by bringing lightning
from the clouds. In the reckoning OF time, the
period from FrankliR to Morse and from Morse
TO Edison is but span, and yet 1t marks ma
terial development as marvellous as it has been
Deneficent. The world has been brought into
contact and sympathy
The time has arrived for both closer union
and greater distance between the old world and
the new. The former indscriminate welcome
to our prairies and the present invitation to
these palaces of art and industry mark the
migration can no longer be permitted to our
shores. We must have national quarantine
against disease, pauperism and crime. We do
not want candidates for our hospitals, our poor
houses or our iails. We cannot admit those
who come to undermine our institutions and
subvert our laws But we will gladly throw
wide our gates for and receive with open arms
those who by intelligence and virtue, by thrift
and loyalty, are worthy of receiving the equal
advantages OF the priceless gift of American
citizenship. The spirit and object of this exhi.
bition are peace and kinship.
The United States welcome the sister republics
of the southern and northern continents, and
the nations aud peoples Of Europe and Asia Of
Africa and Australia. with the products of their
lands of their skill and Of their industry TO this
city of yesterday, yet clothed with royal
splendor as the queen of the great lakes. The
artists and architects OF the country have been
hidden TO design and erect the buildings which
shall fifty illustrate the hight Of our civilization
and the breadth OF our hospitality The
peace OF tho world permits and protects
their efforts in utilizing their powers for mans
temporal welfare The result is this park of
palaces The originality and boldness OF their
conceptions, and the magnitude and harmony
of their creations the contributions of
America to the oldest Of the arts and the cor
dial bidding of America to the peoples Of the
earth to come and bring the fruiEage of their
age to the boundless opportunities OF this I'M
paralleled exhibition.
If interest in the affairs of this world are
voushsafed to those who have gone before the
spirit of Columbus hovers over us to day. Only
by celestial intelligence it grasp the full sig
Hflcance of this spectacle and ceremonial
All hail, Columbus, discoverer, dreamer hero
and apostle. We here, of every race and
country, recog nize the horizon which bounded
his vision and the infinite scope of his genius
The voice Of gratitude and praise for all the
blessings which have been showered upon man
kind by his adventure is limited to no language
but Is uttered in every tongue. Neither marble
nor brass can fifty form his statue. Continents
are his monument. and unnumbered millions,