The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-17
"Aut Tmarus sut Rhodope,
'Aut extremi Garamantes,
'Nec generis nostri puerum,


shore, Gley iucumber him with help, and
axe all tho praise for his safety
but IN the case Of Que who is entirely permeated
With a large thought Of the accuracy and final
utility OF which he has not the senblancs Of a
doubt: IN tle position OF one who sees with
scientific certainty, II is the most trying matter
Co have scIcllsts call in question the best
founded theory, the most systematically
#r3ushJ-oUt plan, engraven on one s
lear. through long and deep thought, and
+. ally Jeer at the arguments as though they
were merely the rawlings of an unsettled intel
lect.
VOW this was precisely what Columbus had
20 undergo, or if worse be couceivably possible,
worse vas II 90 wander 10 poverty for well Dlgh
..--te'n years, seeking recognition and help
from all the principal courts then holding arls-
t1-raLc sway over the most intellectual nations
.- Europe, and to whom else could he appear
We can hardly give TO ourselves an adequate
picture OK the patience aud manly courage re-
. Q44rs4 ln such a dilemma. Did he possess rank
winch was then almost the only tmmedlate
. stepping stone 10 power No. He was trader
and q foreigner OF lowly condition. Had
. .t wealth. which somehow always commands
. or at least, challenges, certain degree OF re-
+. spects No. Poverty was his constant com
. pAuiou. As 20 success, which is usually the
/ charm which evoEes regard even among the
/ mighty, there Was no full hedged presentiment
among his best friends. Therefore, remote, ttrl-
/ Treufe3. mciuuCtON slOtc, and, stranger,
I which initiates heavily against one in any
! country, yet firm in his tiXity OF purpose, do
! mauJiug conditions Of high character in them
/ selves, as well as all material and moral help
I
uusolved problem, and an exceedingly doubt
ful and hazardous one. we feel that the spark Of
creative genius must have been divinely lit up
IN his soul, transmitting his very countenance,
! ITO give the world assurance Of a man"-the
| like of whom never before stood before royalty
20 plead so nebulOus end questionable an hypo-
thesis
lIay we not rehenrse here briefly these terms.
or conditions, On them, indeed historians
have built many weary chapters The first
claim from which he never swervedl, was that
H a fa 1 rod ffar aa cFva
among tGOS8 proud old HidGlgOs de sdnGre dzuL
OF Spain, where nobility claimed that
it was 1000 years old, or more. In
the next stipulation he demanded the
hereditary title for himself and his son of ''The
zGHitvd.." Beyond this ne was to be viceroy in
all the lands TO be discovered, and the repre-
! sentative aud ''adelantado" Of these dis
/ coveries in the grandest and proudest
| court Of Christendom. Finally he TO
have claim for large tributes on all gold and
! precious stones as yet to bs found II certain
| ly required q flrmness Of faith capable Of re-
/ mOviuEeInountains," and a manly spirit hardly
| surpassed by any mortal thus to make and per
| slstently adhere to conditions as paramount,
/ even with his own royal superiOrS.
/ Il has been very truly said that one OF the
| greatest obstacles to any task Of importance IS
the absolute want of financial support. An alb
/ seuce Of the sinews of war does not strengthen
| the army or navy. We kHOW how authors and
inventors have been and are trammeled in their
work by dire poverty. ship and church build
ers form no exception to this rule. Never was
mortal more harasssd than Columbus, Genoa,
the proud republic which gave him
birth, gave him nothing else.
petitions and enreates Lisbon, through King
John /. of Portugal was not unwilling 70 listen
90 tho strange Hdventurer. YET Tneanly, if the
records be true, tried % take and apparently
did make some attempted use OF his charts,
maps and plans yet refused 70 the author that
pitul help he desired; nor is it out of the way
90 remark that EnEland's king, Henry VII, was
| approached by the brother of Columbus, and
the new world came very near being an appan-
! age Of the crown OF Great BMtain-thus almost
/ auneNiug le0ry the half OF creation to her
! IUWUlOus,
Finally by the help of the Rev. John Perez,
guardian Of the franciscan monastery of Santa
] Maria dc td RubiIG, confessor sometime to the
/ queen, the almost starving, certainly very
/ hungry aud needy Columbus, with his equally
destitute little son. Diego, or James-the man
/ ruth the large Molgtts-was introduced TO the
6ndly care Of Isabella. Queen Of CASTLE Leon,
1 who, with a Womaus insight and pity, listened
/ TO his burning words, heard his arguments, and
/ made the profer Of being ready TO pledge her
/ cIot5n JeTcig for the enterprise. Here We have
/ tho first really practical help offered
/ for the fudlment of the unequaled
| task or fitting out and collecting a crew
/ tIe charge of Columbus.
/ We pause here to emphasize the fact that, hu-
manly speaking, the discovery of this our new
world may justly be called the work of a re-
! iigious and bis holy influence from the cell of
poverty-stricken Franciscan monastery on the
mind Of that queen whose memory we cele-
IIALb anu keep eIeruQtly green IN our CDOuRQLS
who has always held, and shall ever hold the
noble title of isabella the Catholic" DI1
fooatna fdctt-the motive power of the grand
work was JUOmGn. May we never forget herl
Here again the manly quality of Columbus
looms up ia superior form. Not only had his
elOQuence and enlarged intelligence made a
deep and enduring impression upon the noble
queen, but his reasons and plans won over to
his cause such men as the treasurer of the court
Louis de SantRngel, AlonzO de Quintantla,
Archbishop Mendoza, the two dukes. Medina
Is. and 81 RgneriallV
minicau monk, Rev. Diego DeZa, and
/ the wealthy navgators, the two brothers,
| Martin 4loaSO and Vicente HuReS PSngon,
who ship builders actually gave
the cnrdUels, or vessels for the voyage, and &C
| companied Columbus respectively in the PIntd
| and Nina, whilst the soon-to Do admiral COM
| handed the Santa Maria, a name which
| Yves in itself a beautiful augury of and
/ for that land which was to be placed by the
1 authority of the Supreme PontlH under the per
peuual protection Of the mother of our Lord.
| And this brings us to the second view we pro-
| pose to take of Columbus under the character
| ana title of Navigator beyond his time.
1t is not without reason that we here in Sa
| vanuah should be proud of this title Ocean
| navigation by steam was made an assured suc
cess by the voyage of the very first steamship,
! The SdUanndh, sailing from this port to Eng
land en- route to Russia in 1919 On this vessel
both sails and steam were used, and the won
derful trip from st. Petersburg to New York
was made in twenty SIX days This was very
| naturally a proud achievement for our city and
| SHOULD not be forgotten, nor left unmeutiOned
| ]
northern books treating even on steamers, ETC.,
| but great as that feat undoubtedly was vet
! what was it when compared with the mighty
task of him who crossed the great UnknOlCl
| ocean, called by the frightful title Of the Mare
TeHebrOsuuY 1t is easy for us, accustomed as
we are to consider these matters after 400 years
of the most wonderful progress, vast adapta
tons of machinery, and all the Improvements
/ of the nineteenth century, to think Of voyage
which has been brought to the minimum of {
week, or scarcely so much, across the swelling
bosom Of the stormy Atlantic. Easy it is fol
, us 1 say, with the great accuracy Of compass
l Quadr-uJs, seXcants, charts, routes, maps and
? s0uuliugs by which the reckoning is made
| scientific certainty, aud even the chronometers
bhetusalve could tell an ordinarily skillful sea
man quite clearly where he is almost at any
/ given Time but how different were all thing
I.at the time of ColumbusY 1t is beyond question
appalling to think Of his setting GU
Win his men in fragile vessels-such a
NO mariner would now dare to trus
J for coasung voyGge-much less in whc
TO embark "uis life, his fortune, and his sacveC
honor. bound no one knew whittier, with fault
compass aud profound Ignorance o
! lis eveu-as- yetapl-upuO date unexplained va
riatiOus; Wian an uncertain GstT0Gbe, an instru
, Meut invented TO take the altitude OF the stars
| and grossly incorrect, charts projected simpl.
va planisphere and farcically decefying-anI
all ia open sailboats and doubtful crew!
q Tho poet Horace speaks Of the venturesome
l ness OF him who trusted himself on ship il
the sea called the Mediterranean;