The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-03
THE DIsooynnEn or AMERICA.
A Celebration In Florence Which May
Revive an Old Controversy-AlfredS tille
Ives Writes interestingly from Munich.
NT,,.o;al, 1000

Revive an Old ContrOversy-AlfredS tilie
Ives Writes interestingly from Munich.
Munich, April II, 1898.
10 the Editor Of the Journal and Courier:
Last week Florence witnessed strik-
ing celebration in honor of Paolo Tos-
canelli and Amerigo Vespucci. King
Humbert and Queen Margherita were
present at the opening ceremonies, and
there were a fancy-dress ball, a grand
concert, tableaux vivants theatrical
performances and all manner of diver
sions, including a night fete on the
Arno. The city and the neighboring
hills were Illuminated. So much I read
in the Munchener Neueste Nachrich-
tung" But the names of the persons
to be celebrated start difficulties, and in
both cases there is slight chronology
cal one. AS for Paolo Toscanelli, we
can understand Florence doing him
honor, for he, like his companion, is
among the distinguished whom she
counts as her sons. But why quarter
centenary him in the present year of
grace? Authorities, generally accepted
as satisfactory, state that he died in
1882; that is several years before the
year in which Vespucci did or did not
reach the American mainland. Some
honors, no doubt, Toscanelli deserves,
because his ideas had considerable eff
feet In stimulating Columbus to under
take his first voyage Of discovery. At
the same time, it must be remembered
that the fundamental notion was en-
tirely wrong, for Toscanelli believed
Asia to be prolonged so far to the east
that it's coast could be best reached
across the Atlantic. So Columbus took
westward no! as his motto, and when
he lit on the present wasp's nest, Cuba,
thought he had come to the shore of
Cathay. Perhaps, however, the date
of Toscanellis birth has been chosen,
but that would make it a quin-centena-
ry and even then it is year late, for
he was born 1897. A like difficulty APP
plies also to Vespucci. If he did see
America and anticipate John Cabot, it
must have been in 1497. Hence for both
men last year would have been the
more accurate date. But did Vespucci
ever get to America at all in that year?
This celebration, / anticipate, will re-
vive an old controversy as to whether
he was before Cabot in reaching the
American continent; or, in fact, did
take part in that particular voyage. 1t
is very complicated dispute, over
which much ink has been split. These
seem to be the main facts, so far as
can ascertain: Columbus discovered
some of the Bahamas, Hayti and Cuba
in 1892. On a second voyage he revisit
ted Cuba, and on the third, four centu-
ries ago in the present year, he reached
the mainland of South America Now,
there is no evidence that Vespucci was
a, member Of any one Of these three ex-
petitions. But he claims to have par
ticipated in one which sailed in 1497,
and in at least three others afterwards.
In the latter he did reach the Brazil
coast, and that more than once. But
these visits were unquestionably later
than those Of Cabot and of Columbus.
Everything turns upon the authentici-
ty of the first voyage, when Vespucci is
supposed to have sailed along the
North American coast from at least
Georgia to Florida, and to have reached
some of the West Indian islands. But
here the difficulties begin. The anthem
ITCHY of the story is a very disputed
question. 1t seems that no original
documents appear to exist; the evil
dence is all more or less secondhand.
It also seems pretty certain that, even
If Vespucci were present on that expe-
dition, it was only in a subordinate ca
pacity, so that in any case our country
chr hic ~ Most
authorities incline to the view that he
was not a member of that first voyage,
and that probably the claim was made
by others than by himself. In other
words, his own good faith is not neces-
sarily assailed. Still, he has his de-
tenders, and the present celebration
will probably give rise to fresh flights
of literature Even if it can be proved
that Vespucci was in that expedition,
a nice question arises as to which won
that race John Cabot got to Nova
Scotia on the twenty-fourth of June,
1897; Vespucci may have reached his
supposed continent" few days ear
lier, but it would be rather quick work
as he left Cadiz on the tenth of May.
But, if we are discussing questions of
priority, what about the Mortimer, for
they knew MARYLAND and Vinland more
than nine centuries ago? This, at
least, is certain; that when Amerigo's
name was attached to the new world, it
was another instance of the too COM
mon fate:-Hos ego versiculos feel, tu-
lit alter honores.
There seems to be in the senate at
Washington thirty-two gentlemen with
a decent mind. I say decent advisedly;
for the others I can only regard them
as a wild set of Indians engaged in a
sun-dance. Such disgraceful scenes as
that which occurred last week make
the heart faint, but they will continue
to occur as long as the free and en-
lightened (O people continue to elect
to office Doors and illy-educated men
instead of gentlemen and by gentle
men ] mean man pre-eminently of
culture. And that wild man Bryan
comes east to advise at such time!
o, Lord, how long! One is apt to quote
the opening lines of the first Grafton
against Catiline where this know
nothing Bryan is concerned. Cannot
some one tell him: go west, young
man; farther west than California-and
stay there!" BY the way has not our
senate committed an infringement OF
the Monroe doctrine. Nothing could be