Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-10-10

p. TALMkcE ON THE SUBLIME
MOTIVES OF COLUMBUS.

rho Central Fact on This Memorial Day
n THAT tho Great Achievement Was n
Religious Discovery Voyage Was
n Gods Name.
BROOKLYN, Oct. 9.--Rev. DR.. Tai
images discourse today was occasioned
by the Columbus observance now taking
place. In the overfiowing audience
were many who had come to the city to
participate in the patriotic ceremonies.
The subject was, "Half Planet" the
text being Deuteronomy iii, q. "Lift up
thine eyes westward"
80 God said to Moses in Dible times,
and 80 he said to Christoforo Colombo,
the SON OF wool comber of Genoa, more
than four hundred years ago. The ma
dons had been looking chiefly toward
the east. The sculpture of the world,
the architecture of the world, the laws
Of the world, the philosophy of the
world, the civilization of the world, the
religion of the world came from the
east.
But while Columbus, as his name was
called after it was Latinized, stood
studying maps and examining globes
and reading cosmography, God said to
him, Lift up thine eyes toward the
west" The fact was ii must have
seemed to Columbus very lopsided
world---like cart with one wheel, like
scissors with one blade, like sack on
one side of camel, needing sack on
the other side to balance it. Here was a
bride of world with no bridegroom.
When God makes half Of anything he
does not stop there. He makes the other
half. We are all obliged sometimes to
leave things only half done. But God
never stops half way, because he has the
time and the power to go all the way.
do not wonder that Columbus was
not satisfied with half world, and so
pieces Of carved wood that were foated
TO the shores of Europe by westerly
gale, and two dead human faces, unlike
anything he had seen before, likewise
doated from the west, were to him the
voice Of God saying, Lift up thine
eyes toward the west" . But the world
then, as now, had plenty of Can't-be-
dones. That is what keeps individuals
back, and enterprises back, and the
church back, and nations back--igno-
minious and disgusting and dishearten-
ing Can't-be-Dones.
Old navigators said to young Colum-
bus, 1T can't be DONE" The republic
of Genoa said, 'It can't be DONE" AL
phonso v said, .'It can't be DONE" A
committee on maritime affairs, to whom
the subject was submitted, declared,
1T can't be DONE" Venetians said, ''It
can't be done.' But tho father of Co
lumbus' wife died, leaving his widow a
large number of sea charts and maps,
and as If to condemn the slur that differ
ent ages put upon mothers-in-law the
mother-in-law Of Columbus gave him
the navigator's materials out Of which
he ciphered America. After awhile
the story Of this poor but ambitious Co
lun.bus reaches the ear of Queen Isabel
la. and she pays eighty dollars to buy
him decent suit of clothes, so that he
may be fit to appear before royalty.
The interview in the palace was sue
cessful. Money enough was borrowed
70 fit out the expedition. There they
are, the three ships, in the Gulf OF Cadiz,
Spain. II you ask me which have been
the most famous boats Of the world, l
would say, first, Noah's ship, that
wharfed on Mount Ararat; second, the
boat of bulrushes, In which Moses fioated
the Nile; third, the Mayfower, that put
out from Plymouth with the Pilgrim
Fathers, and now these three vessels that
on this the Friday morning, Aug. 8,
14o2, are rocking on the ripples. am so
glad 1t is Friday, 80 that the prows Of
those three ships shall first OF all run
down the superstition that things begun
or voyage started ON Friday must neces-
sarily prove disastrous.
Show me any Monday OF Tuesday or
Wednesday or Thursday or Saturday
that ever accomplished as much US this
expedition that started on Friday. With
the idea that there will be perils con-
nected with the expedition, the sacra-
ment Of the Lords supper is admins
tered. Do not forget that this voyage
was begun under religious auspices.
There is the Santa Maria only ninety
feet long, with four masts and eight
anchors. The captain walking the deck
Is fifty-seven years old, his hair white,
for at thirty-five he was gray, and his
face is round, his nose aquiline and his
stature little taller than the average.
know from tho decided step and the
set of his jaw that he is determined
man. That Is Captain Christopher
Columbus. Near by, but far enough off
not to run into each other, are the
smaller ships, the Pinta and the Nina,
about large enough and safe enough TO
cross the Hudson river or the Thames in
good weather. There are two doctors
in this fleet Of ships, and u few lands
men--adventurers who are ready 10 risk
their necks In wild expedition. There
are enough provisions for year. cap
tain Columbus, where are you sailing
for" III do not know" 'How long
before you will get therey' II cannot
say" "All ashore that are going" is
heard, and those who wish 10 remain go
70 the land. Now the anchors of the
three ships are being weighed, and the
ratlines begin to rattle and the sails to
unfurl.
The wind Is dead east, and 1t does not
take long to get out to sea. In few
hours the adventures wish they had not
started. The ships begin TO roll and
pitch. Oh, II is such a delightful sensa-
tion for landsmenl They begin to bother
Captain Columbus with questions. They
want to know what ho thinks of the
weather. They want 10 know when he
thinks he will probably get there. Every