San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-10-21
OF MOST REV. JOHN
IRELAND.
Inauguration OF the Work of the
Congress Auxiliary of the
Worlds Columbian
ENnDSitinn

Inc greatest OF Things Is mlnd. Mlnu,
conscious, intelligent, potent to put iuto
action thought and wish. differentiates
itself absolutely from matter, rises above
it to immeaSurable heights, dominates
and moves the minimizing world. Mind
is the cauSative power in all orderly re-
suits. Without il, there is nothing, or
there Is aimlesS movement and chaos.
The universe is the product of the supreme
mind-God increate. Within the universe
there is created mind-man Whatever,
outside the workings of the First Cause,
comes in the universe of beauty, good
ness and progress, comes through man.
second creator. The manifestations Of
mind in men are of varied measures. The
degree of mini lifts man above man: the
higher the mind, the greater and the
nobler the man.
Through scenes of past ages, over which
fancy delights 10 hover amid Columbian
celebrate -CordOva'S court, the hill
side of La Rabida. Palos harbor, or saw.
age Guanabani-one object more than
ought else obtains attention We seek it
out; we fix upon H. the souls eager eye.
1t is the tigureOf Christopher Columbus.
The picture, Columbus unseen, whatever
the remaining forms, whatever the color
ing, is incomplete. meaningleSS;th the spirit
Is absent: il is void of inspiration. Col
the scenes, bringing into them motive
and purpose, producing and co-ordinat
ing results. All else in the scenes has
value so far as IL responds to the thoughts
OF Columbus, so far as 1t aids him to exc
cute his plans. The queenly and gener
Gus Isabella, the patient and ar-Seeing
Juan Perez de Marchena, claim our eS-
TEEN because mind in them understood
and followed superior mind in COlum bus.
In all places, in all occurrence. the sub
lime, the worshipful power is mind
Man. mind incorporate, is the greatest
being in the universe. The men among
men, mind towering above common
mind, are the wOrthiest of all objects of
vision and study:
This day four hundred years ago
America first unfolded TO the eyes of civ
ilized race her beauty and her wealth.
Fraught, indeed, with solemn meaning
for the whole world of men was the oc-
currence. Few expressions recorded in
story revealed great things coming as
did the world which. rising in swelling
choruSeS, rent the air above the decks of
the weary and wave beaten caravelS of
the admiral Ofsthe seaS-land. land! The
new land was in sight, so fruitful in re-
sources, so pregnant in possibilities. A
new world was given to human lOngingS,
10 human action; a new era dawned for
mankind, a marvellous epoch of human
progress. Since the preaching. of the
Christian religion, nothing has happened
of such great import for the human race
as the discovery of America. What has
occurred during the past four centuries
abundantly proves the assertion. What
will occur in the future will set it out in
yet clearer light. With much reason
America and her sister continents keep
sacred the centennial anniversary.
The solemn commemOration of the dis
Of apiaa hos ham ollntnl 70
the United States. IL was the right and
the duty OF the first nation of the CONT
nenG to charge itself with the gracious
task. She, as none other, is the giant
daughter of the progress of the age; she.
as none other, has the power to command
The Splendors which sbOnId mark the
com memoratiOD. She has inaugurated
was it that among the cities of the
United States Chicago be the chosen one
within whose portals the Exposition be
enthrOned. Chicago. fifty years ago the
prairie village, the StupendOuS city of the
present time, is the worlds object lesson
of progress The monarch OF our inland
seas, the central city of the nation, she
exhibits to the visitor the fulneSs of
growth with which the United States
has been bleSt. Almost halfway
across the continent, commanding
the highways of nations, the mart
in which meet for mutual exchange
the offerings of Europe and Asia Chicago
forebodeS the mighty destiny of the
United StateS-tO sit among all earth's
nations the admired queen, the arbiter in
the arts of peace and civilization of their
destinies the magnet in reSStless attrac-
ton knitting all peoples into one harmO.
Nous and iRdeStructibe brotherhood.
The Exposition will show forth the re-
suits of the discovery of Columbus. In
this wise he is hOnOred. What Columbus
gave 10 the world was not only the
America, OF 1492-America, however rich
in hidden treasures, tranquil and undis-
turbed in natures sleep. He gave the
America of lS92-the America which his
achievement made possible. He gave, in
large measurement. modern progress
amid all nations. America be large
hearted in thy justice to Columbus.
What thou art, and what thou hast, be
the world. Call thou upon all nations to
unite with thee in praiSng him who
was universal benefactOr, and to unrOlI,
also. upon thy banquet tableS their
choicest gifts-these and thy own, the
ripest fruits of human progress, bOun-
teous feast for the human mind. the like
of which was never set before men.
The Exposition will bring to the mem
DRY of Columbus yet higher honor. The
dawn which on that memorable diScOv
cry day purpled the sails of the Santa
Maria, the Nina and the Pnta, and diff
fused Joy untold into the souls Of Column
bus and his mariners, was the harbinger
to the world of a magnificent era of pro-
gresS. What, then, should be the record, |
told in future history, Of our cOmemOra-
tive celebration? This, and this above |
all else. that it did beget another era of |
progress for the world, diStancing the |
previous era, so much more deeply mark |
ed in intensity and in results, that it be- |
gan its course upon the higher plane to |
which the thinkers and tOilerS Of four |
hundred years had lifted mankind This |
we shall do, If we in the magnitude and |
wisdom of our work respond to the eXpec- |
Of the all-ruling Providence, who, in our |