The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-22

telescope OF herO-WorSnlp anu SCI III
him star of the first magnitude. Others
whose eyes have perhaps been dimmed
by prejudice do not perceive nm TO pc
the morning star of American history.
Columbus has been villified and canon
lied by orator and writer. Indeed, with
in the past few days, after Columbus
had rested in the grave for nearly four
centuries, men have been found brave
enough to stand and call him liar and
a scoundrel. If I gather anything like a
correct idea of the man, do not think
they would have been SO liberal in their
epithets during the lifetime of Column
bus, except at long range. History
should speak truth even of the dead, but
needless abuse from any source reacts
upon the one who makes use of it.
Detraction cannot rob Columbus of his
achievements. All that has been spoken
or written derogatory of his personal
character cannot alter the historical rec
ord of the deeds which made him IA
nous. There are some facts which no
one will deny. Columbus was possessed
of an ambition to open an eastern pas
sage to the Indies. This was the master
purpose of his life. He faithfully pur-
sued his object through long years of
Encouragement and defeat. He over
came adverse circumstances and sur
mounted disheartening obstacles. He
sailed away into an unknown sea, follow
ing the pathway of no other mariner. He
stood alone against the timidity and sup
erstition of his fellow voyagers. He
found land in the western sea and his
discovery marked an epoch in history.
Whatever else may be spoken or written
concerning Columbus these cardinal
facts remain. Because of these achieve
ments he receives today the honors OF
this anniversary.
Though it is probably true that Column
bus never stood upon the North American
continent; though it is certain that 9th
ers were before him in the discovery, the
Norsemen antedating his voyage by 900
years. their discoveries were barren of
results, while that of Columbus was the
beginning of American history. Whether
OF not Columbus was a good man we
cannot withhold theneed of praise. We
honor him for what he did, though we
may not praise him for what he was.
We remember him not as a saint. but a
discoverer We praise not because he
was immaculate in character, but that
he was intrepid in enterprise. On Mem
orial Day when we commemorate the
deeds of our citizen soldiery we do not
ask if they were successful in business OF
spotless in life. We only ask IT they
were good soldiers in time of need, and
if they were we strew flowers upon their
resting place and speak for them our
words of eulogy. So tonight | simply
ask
Did Columbus Unlock the Gates
of entrance to the Western World? and if
he did my tongue shall speak his
praise.
Columbus lived in a time when the
world was rousing from the lethargy of
| mediaevalism. TWAS time of general
awakening in literature and art, in sci
ence and religion. The printing press
| was already at work and ready to cross
the water to the New World. The foun-
dations of modern England were being
laid by Henry VII. AT Florence, Savon-
orola was antedating the Reformation.
| Already Copernicus was in the world
and soon thesname of the navigator of
the deeps of the heavens will be written
| in history by the side of the name of the
Lord Admiral of the Seas. Fendalism
was grown old andl tottering to its fall.
1t died in the Providence OF God before
| it could plant its castles on American
mountains, it's armored knights central
American people, or its serf toll on
American soil. Time stood with two
indispensable gifts in his hands for Co
lumbus-the mariners compass and the
quadrant, without whichhhe could not
have made his voyage.
| Such was the time-what of the man?
There are some characteristics
! of Columbus worthy of careful
| consideration. He possessed many nat
ural and acquired qualifications for his
work. In early life he had acquired a
practical knowledge of seamanship upon
the Mediterranean. He was the heir of
the knowledge and theories of the past.
| He was an earnest student of the science
of his day. Long before the time of
| Christ philosophers, as far back as Aris-
tatle, had taught that the world was
round. The ancient geographer, Strabo,
promulgated the theory that the ocean
/ encircled the land, SO that one might
sail from the eastern shores of India to
the westward shores of Spain. He knew
the results of Marco Polo's travels, and
was in correspondence with Toscanelli, a
distinguished scientist of Florence. 1t is
even said that Columbus made a voyage
| to Iceland and familiarized himself with
the traditions of the voyages of the
Norsemen.
But Columbus had other qualifications
than those of nature, education and oc-
cupation. 1t is true that he was an edu-
Gated man in the science of the 18th CEN
| fury; it is true that he was a man of
practical experience as a navigator; it is
true that he was man of indomitable
will; all this is true, and yet you have
not disclosed
The handspring of His Career.
He was man of one idea, but his
faith made that idea a religious idea.
You cannot explain the life of Columbus
and leave God out of the equation. Co
lumbus moved with the impetus of a re-
ligious faith that must have seemed to
those about him fanatical, and which did
partake in some measure of that element
He felt that he was divinely commits.
stoned to search out a new passage to the
Indies by way of the west, and to rescue
the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem and Con-
stantinople from the domination of the
Turks. He went SO far in this belief
that he imagined that there were certain
parts of the prophetical portions of Holy
Scripture that had reference to him.
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