West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-03-21
COLUMBUS UNDER A
=. SEARCH-liGHT.
Some Interesting Facts About the
Great Italian Sailer.
sxo. '. MORTON.


are stories resting on slender basis of
fact. They have long held a prominent
place in our school books. In the popular
regard. they are Still in force. We are used
TO considering these storiss as facts and in
view OF the recent dates assigned them
recent when compared with many stories OF
the other continents--it would seem as
though they ought to be facts. But the sto.
ries refer to the heroic period 81 American
history. und like the story OF William Tell
they belong in great degree to the domain
OF legend. The imaginative powers OF the
early explorers and early settlers gave rise
to narratives in which tact is either absent.
or is disguised by an investiture Of romance
The story of Columbus Is one of these
school book narratives which have under.
gone distortion through the exercise of the
imaginative faculty. when a towering peak
OF the Hill OF D,fhculty Is successfully sur
mounted we Intensely admire the one ac.
compiishing the feat. We make him hero.
and we are intensely prone to attribute to
him impossible qualities. So the American
public has made Columbus hero. and in.
vested him with ali the glamor OF heroisn,.
He has been pi escnted TO us as high
minded Christian gentleman. whose SUI.
preme motive was the conversion of heath.
en- people. We are told his eighteen years
OF waiting in poverty and hardship came as
an unselhsh effort to advance the cause OF
true civilization. We are told he believed
the earth round when other men believed
IL fat We are told he thought to reach
China by sailing boldly out into the Allan.
tic when other men scarce dared venture
beyond sight of land The opinion that
America was then an unsupported as well
as unknown land is Impressed upon us. In
short. there is an effort to make IL appear
Columbus was inspired with an idea origi-
nal to himself and almost superhuman, and
that he deserves quite the entire credit for
the sucsess Of the undertaking
The voyage OF Columbus Is indeed a
great landmark in history. II profoundly
Influenced the career of the white race.
and gave il an assured dominance over all
other races. II has been given such halo
OF renown as to hinder us from viewing Il
in just light. II Is not a popular thing to
smash an idol yet IL does not require &C.
cess to unusual sources OF information TO
restrain us to revise the accepted estimate
OF Columbus and his voyage.
The true form of the earth was we'll
known to the contemporaries OF Columbus.
The American coast had on several occa.
sions been seen during the lifetime OF the
navigator himself. The evidence that he
knew he would find an important land be
fore reaching Asia Is quite too strong TO
gainsay. The presumption that he kept
liaf IN aIf -,
his personal ends. is almost equally strong.
His missionary real bears tell.taie signs OF
being assumed through motives OF policy.
The philanthropic motives attributed TO
him are manifestations of hero.worship.
Colsmbus was fairly educated. but not
learned. He was not leader Of men. lie
had enthusiasm but II was the enthusiasm
that moves TO action the personal friend
not the enthusiasm that moves masses OF
men. He was a bold. enterprising navi.
gator. He thought for himself and he pur.
sued great idea with unwearied patience
and in the face of disheartening obstacles
On the other hand. Columbus was an ad
yenturer sailor OF fortune. ready 10
serve any man who would indorse his
hobby. In early manhood he was a pirate
In his private life. his conduct was SO
questionable that in spite Of his missionary
protestations. the Catholic Church has
steadfastly refused to include him in her
category OF saints. IL Is alleged that one
OF these obstacles to canonizatIon has late.
ly been overcome. Yet IL is singular that
such missing knowledge should fail to
come to light until this late day.
In his day the heather were looked upon
as lawful plunder. They we're not won 10
Christ by the methods now In vogue. As
to the methods that were used. we find the
answer in the c, ueltes visited by the Span
iards upon the Red American. and all in
the name OF the Prince OF Peace Within
the span OF an average lifetime, the natives
OF the West Indies were swept away, and
America was filed with bloodshed from the
Rio Grande TO the La Plata. This extermi.
nation. be il remembered. began with Co.
iumbus himself
The Christianity of that day was as big.
oted as IL was artificial. without first put.
ting on the cloak Of religious zeal. he could
not have secured the aid OF any Christian
government whatever. When we view his
actual career. his eagerness 10 recover the
holy sepulcher and his assurance that the
land beyond the sea would yield the treas.
ure needful to effect that recovery. appear
as crafty expedients designed TO enlist
sympathy and aid where an abstract propo.
sition would gain no result
Columbus did not act on disinterested
motives.l He was not only harsh and cruel.
but he was greedy and grssping He drove
so hard bargain with Ferdinand and
Isabella as to show he was intent on secur.
ing power and wealth. and would sooner
starvc than cross the ocean without first
having the assurance Of the most lavish
reward. We arc taught TO pity Columbus
in his last days, yet he simply reaped what
he had sown. We are told to Judge a man
by the period in which he has lived. Like
Charity. this rule may palliate a multitude G
OF SINS but u will not make white out Of
black
In the time Of the navigator. we are often
told that ignorance hung over Europe like
pail. But this Is rhetorical exageera
tion. That education was neither honored
nor widely diauscd is indeed true. Yet
italy and Spain were the most enlightened
countries Of Europe. The splendid clviii
ration the Moors established in Spain was
neither extinct nor forgotten The literary
and scientific achievements Of the Moors
we're remarkable. and could not be unfa
mtliar TO the scholars Of that age. The
works Of the old Greek writer's were again
read In western Europe Books we're not
50 rare as we have been led to imagine
Diego. the son Of Columbus amasscd 4
library Of fs. 900 volumes.
in the condition Of Europe st this pc
Rod We End thekcy 20 the motives actua
ting Colu rbus. Il was growing into a
cluster OF iolerabiy well consolidated
monarchics. capable Of greater thlnrs thar