The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-10-04

lclneS, cosby drugs, silks ana pOTCcfallJ.
The luxures of life are its pressing neces-
sites, and Europe everywhere felt hard
times. That trade to India, which made
every nation surprisingly rich that has ever
had it, from Babylon to England, was inter-
ruptcd, and iorty years later all thought
turned to finding a way to India. This IS
the unrecOgnized key to the movements of
Columbus and Da CANA. India once found,
Portugal became enOrmousy wealthy from
it. until the Dutch captured the trade and
ruled commerce, only to Yield In turn TO
England, who became mistress of the seas,
and has since been their ruler.
When some great work is TO he done, it
seems as if God calls the man for the hour,
educating him through devious paths, for
his mission. st. Paul, Augustine, Luther,
William of Orange, Cromwell, Washington
and Lincoln, were not more surely called
for their high work than was Columbus.
At the time when he undertook his first
VOYAGE, there was not in the world an f9}thhfir
liar education, apt qualities of courage,
adroitness, tremendous perseverance, I'M
conQuerable resolution. and thorough SCI
entific knowledge to fit him for this great
lssSI1. The more one reads and cont.n-
plates the life of Columbus, the more one
admiration grows at the patience, honesty,
fairness Christian spirit, and high minded
ness of the great diScoverer. Columbus was
ihc man for the hour, and the clock OF des-
tiny struck high noon when, on October IL,
1892, he landed on the shores Of the new
world.
Europe had reached its depth of moral
degradation. Lowell puts into his mouth
the words: Yes. Europe's world reels on
to Judgment" Surely the drunken reve!ry
of sin and crime, in camp and court IN oty
aud country, was only rivalled by the cru
city, tyranny and fiendshness that made the
church chamber of horrors. The worst
none, Alexander BOrgia, that wicked Span
lard poisoner. fratricide and adultcrer, was
On the papal throne. The lnqqlSluon IN
Soain was burning alive thousands of poor
hcretics each year; 100000 jews We're
driven out of Spain, robbed, malTeated and
murdered. Germany, sunk in ignorance,
was burning witches in great numbers
The daylight, however, was beginning
Forty-eight years before Guttenburg mad
begun printing; war was assuming the wood.
en- form: a Tudor was on the throne OIL
England; Prince Henry, the Navigator, was
sending his ships down the African coast
Savonarola was turing Florence upside
down with reforms that made the pagan
renaissance grow pale; the Moors We're
being driven from Spain, and IN Bone
mia. the ferment of the reformation was
working from the ashes of jerome Ifuss;
while the printing presses Of Venice, tome
Florence. StrasbuTg and Paris were nooulhG
the world with new thought -
The siNty-nine years of Columbus me
were largely spent upon the sea- the last
fifteen in exploration of the new world
His four voyages may De thuS ~ iiopHt]c 80!
First voyage, sailed from Palos, August
3. 1892. 3 ships, 90 men; gone
months. II days; returned to PaloS. o.,
Second, from Cadiz, September 20. l4p5'
II ships, 1900 men; gone : years 3 months'
| 16 days; returend to CadlZ.
Third, from Sam L.ucar de Barramada'
May 30, 1893, with ships; gone years.
| 4 months, - days; returned to C2diz.
| Fourth from Cadiz, May IL, 15O2 car,
ayels. $50 men; gone . years months "a
days; returned to San Lucar de Barra-
media. o.,
The taking of Constantinople, the metrop-
oils Of the east. by the Turks, l453, drove
out in great numbers the learned men OF
that center of ecclesiastical and classical
lore and scattered them. throughout Italy
ana southern Eu1upc. The Medici at Flor
| cncc welcomed them. and Milan, Kom(
Venice Genoa, Pisa Sena, Padua and We
roma became ccnters of new and increasing
interest in learning. 1t is curious fac
that as far as concerns the new world, near