Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-10
QUEEN ISABEL.
A Reply to Mrs. CorOnel's
Article.
The Part She Played. in the
Discovery of America.
Columbus Entitled to All the Glory
of the Discovery.
An Interesting Study Of the Great
Queens Work in Assist
Ing COlumbus-New
Facts Cited.

Mr.. Il. j. BaWn OF San Diego has prepared
Isabel of Spain
In recent issue of the Times there
appeared particularly graceful and
interesting article on the voluminous
merits and virtues of that historical
character, Queen Isabel, or Isabella, the
consort OF Ferdinand OF Spain. Mrs.
Coronel, the author, has in most ad-
mirabh manner sustained the reputa-
ton of her sex, for vindicating the
claims of woman in every department
of honorable human activity, to recog.
milton in the largest sphere of benevo-
lent, religious or historical usefulness.
No one who has read the article referred
to will not give unreserved tribute to
the pure motives, careful investiga-
ton and that singularly pleasing
diction that charms the reader
and would, without reflection, carry
conviction by the smoothness of the
sentences and the plausibility that sur
rounds the carefully compiled matters
more or less related to established
and generally recognized historical
facts. There is probably no American
who is entitled to, ordinary respect in
the body polite of this nation, who
would not be grati6ed to see the statue
of Queen Isabel, (although Isabella is
better) adorn the Columbian exposition,
not alone as an historical figure repre-
senting the virtues and genius of woman,
but as monumental tribute to one who
is alleged to be entitled to divide with
Columbus the immortal renown of hav-
ing conceived the possibility of the
existence OF a new continent,
and finally by discovery, dem
onstrated the truth of his philosophical
conclusions. This natural and uni
versal feeling and desire can be assumed.
Let us see, taking the historical article
in the Times, written by member of
the Historical Society of Southern Cali
fornia, whether the lofty claims made
for Queen Isabel are historically true.
By way of parenthesis it may be stated
that contemporaneous and ante-modern
narrative history is, in large measure,
closely allied to fiction, while philosoph-
ical history, as it is called, is merely the
result of disordered active brain, occa-
stoned by riding speculative hobby
too long. After referring to the impos-
sibility OF Columbus obtaining in Portu-
gal, or the land of his nativity, the
necessary aid to carry out his wonderful
project, Mrs. Coronel says that he went
to Spain, and he appeared there
at 4.an inopportune moment, for
the war of Granada had be-
gun and Ferdinand and Isabel
were too deeply engrossed in this strug-
gle to give ear to the pretensions of an
unknown man, who came at such
time to lay before them project so ex.
travagsnt. Yet. notwithstanding the
embarrassing situation, Queen Isabel
comprehended at once that this man
was genius, and, through her inf1u-
ence, the project which he presented
was referred to some wise men of
Salamanca that they might make
an examination of it's merits.
They were unable to come to
favorable conclusion, but the
queen held out some hope to Columbus,
SO that he did not lose heart, and the
plan he Nhad formed OF remaining in
Spain seemed more promising. The
war with Granada having come to an
end, the queen gave hearing to Co.
lumbus for tue purpose Of making her.
self acquainted with the details of his
project. She approved of it, and for
the purpose Of removing every obstacle
in the way, aed I'M order not to burden
the nation and make it responsible for
what might result from means furnished
by herself, her jewels being pledged to
obtain them, the expedition was fitted
out.
This quotation is introduced for the pur-
pose of showing subsequently that few
of the alleged facts and conclusions
reached are not entirely in harmony
with the consensus of historical facts as
they appear in what are usually recog-
nized as historical guides. It should be
remembered that previous to this Gin
opportune moment" when the victori-
GUS armies of Spain at Granada gave op-
portunity to the conquerors to pillage
and partake of the splendid prosperity
of the Moors, that Columbus had
"hawked" his almost miraculous con-
ceptions of the existence of a new
continent over portions of Spain, and it
was occasionally tina. in various monas-
teries he could get learned ecclesiastic
to listen to his "foolish and heretical
notions that violated the fundamental
principles of the Catholic church, that
the world moved. or would always move
OUTSIDE the orbit Of the Pope's Decree"
While Ferdinand and Isabel were en-
gagged in q struggle TO subjugate the
Moors, neither one would listen to
schemes tor the discovery of new con-
tinents. Columbus continued to hawk
his divinely appointed belief around
the country, and in his wan
derings he met Pedro Gonzalez de Men
doza, "the third king of Spain" This
cardinal while approving. as history
says, of the project, objected to it on
heretical grounds. He was finally made
to change his views, and used his influ-
ence with the king to accord Columbus
an audience. Other high Catholic cos.
mographers discussed the subject. and
arrived at the conclusion that certain
biblical texts wese in opposition to the
existence of a new continent anywhere
on this globe because the earth was too
fat, or not fla. enough. Finally
Columbus fortunately met Juan
Perez de Marchena, who had been
good Queen Isabella's confessor, and he
introduced him to some educated and
common-sense notables of the Catholic
church, and Columbus thought he had