The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-10-22
The Character of Columbus.

from this latter that we derive our
information as to what occurred on
the memorable journey of discovery.
From Las Casas it appears that on
the 18th of October, 1852, the Pinta
tished up cane, log of wood, stick
wrought with iron, and a board, and
that the Nina sighted stake covered
with dog roses, "and with these signs
all of them breathed and were glad"
AT 10 o'clock on that night Columbus
perceived and pointed out light
ahead: and at 2 o'clock of Friday, the
18th of October, 1892, Rodrigo de
Triana, sailor on board the Nina,
announced what proved to be the
new world. The rising sun revealed
low fringe of coast dotted with
palm trees and smiling in the sun
light. Columbus, after putting on
his robes, Of state, bearing the royal
standard of Spain, landed, accom-
panied by the greater part of the
crew. When they had all ''giyen
thanks to God, kneeling upon the
shore, and kissed the ground with
tears of joy for the great mercy
received" the admiral named the
island San Salvador and took possess
sion of it in the name of their Catho-
lie majesties.
During the four centuries which
have elapsed since this simple yet
memorable scene took place, two
factions have developed holding
antagonistic opinions regarding the
personality and achievements of it's
central figure. One, regardless of
flaws in his character and methods
and looking only at results, seeks his
canonlzation at the hands IF the
church of which he was so ardent a
follower, claiming that he was guided
by more than human inspiration and
was the favored instrument through
which special providence brought
such great good to the world. The
other, losing all breadth of view IN
the minuteneSS of it's investigation of
his life and methods. finds him only
hardy adventurer, a pirate of the
Mediterranean during all his early
life, and man whose only motive
was greed of gold, which, to please a
superstltlous queen and in keeping
with the hypocrisy Of the age of
Alexander VI, he hid under the
cloak of zeal for religion: and his great
achievement was based on ignorance
and error, aud was 2the result Of
nothing but a lucky chance. The
truth probably lies between these two
extreme views. Columbus was
neither saint nor a fraud, but man
of mingled virtues and faults. who
performed a great work because he
was a little brayer and bolder and q
vast deal more intelligent and
lndomltable than any other nayi-
gator of his day.
ltmay be admitted that Columbus
was not the first European to discover
America. Not only the records of
the Morse, but the maps of the four
teenth and fifteenth centuries prove
this beyond reasonable doubt. No
less than tWenty-seven maps are
extant, made between 1851 and 1892
by different geographers working in
different parts of Europe. which
locate islands or masses of land in the
western Atlantic. They stretch from
Greenland to Brazil, have different
names and vary in location, but show
that 1t was the general opinion held
by the seafaring class Of those davs
that there was land to the west,
This unanimity Of belief can only he
explained -on the hypothesis that
ships, driven by stress Of wind or
otherwise, had sighted unknown
coasts and had brought back TO
Europe the story Of their Wanderings.
But there is vital difference between
these accidental pre-Columbian dis
>''Si A~' ethNt tilC hIoCcfCiG Ol OOlun-
bus. Hisis adm. tied to be the first
voyage made with the ayOWed DUR
pose of reaching land to the west.
He had heard the rumors and believed
them because he had seen the earth's
shadow On the moon and risked every
thing to prove their truth. There
fore, whatever results his exploration
produced are due to him. Nor are
the great results his only claim of
honor A man, who for twenty years
brooded over great and useful idea,
who battled with all forms of human
opposition to that idea, and who
risked his life in unknown waters
with untrustWorthy subordinates, to
prove that idea-even if we find him
boasting vainly of his great deeds or
whining when in chains and humilia-
tion-must challenge the admiration
of the world as an advanced thinker
and a brave man. The defects in