The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-07
DISCOVER OF AMERICA.

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 The question-whodiscove America? is getting into the class with that of the nativity of Gains wife. In fact. the word .'discovered'' is a misnomer for 1t leaves the impression that when Colum- bus came it was an unknown and unpeo- pled country. which it was not by great deal. Researches show that it has been inhabited from the most remote an- tiquity, and it may yet be shown that It had a civilization as ancient as that Of any portion of the Old World. Evidences are being exhumed in Central and South America that point to a civilization as remote and as perfect as that of ancient Egypt, and much more is likely to be de- veloped in the not distant future.
 But leaving these evidences of ancient peoples out of the discussion, and coming down to history, or to thoroughly credible tradition. it is folly to say that Columbus discovered America" for it is not correct. True. he found the American continent, but he is not looking for it and didn't know at the time that he had discovered anything new He was trying to get to India. and thought he was there when he bumped against what it is the fashion to call the New World, and it may be true that the people of his country knew noth- ing of this continent, and to that extent he discovered it. but he was a long way behind in his find.
 Although the belief that Madoc, the welsh Prince. 'discovered' America about 117O,is principally dependant on le- gend, it is not so improbable as it might appear Those old adventurers were reck- 4essly venturesome and sailed into many unknown waters. and if this Madoc stum- bled on the American continent there is nothing surprising about it. Naturally he didn't know what he had found, and there Is no evidence to show that there was any effort made by him to settle here but to deny that Inc saw America is idle.
 In the case of the Norseman, Lief Eric son. there is hardly a shadow of doubt that he did land on our continent about one thousand years ago, and that some of his countrymen made temporary settle ments in the land called Vinland by him, and which was probably in some portion of New England. though it is claimed for Labrador or New Foundland. The pre- else point is immaterial. but the fact re- mains that this adventurous sailor sight ed the American continent five centuries before Columbus did.
 But a late Irish American writer in The al loi ha EricGon mn, take back seat. by some five centuries. for he writes:
 Please allow me to inform you that St. Brendan, a native of County Kerry, Ire land, who founded monasteries in Lis towe Ardfearth, Tralee and Killarney the latter place still retains the saints name. and is called St. Brendan's College, which is well known the seat and fount of learning-discovered America in life year of our Lord, 463. and made three successful voyages. which are still re- corded in the archives of Kerry"
 Of course you can't shut the Irish out of it. When it comes to desperate ven lures they are always there. and those who know anything of history do not need to be told that the ancient priests and monks of Ireland were prepared to run any risks and endure any hardships for the purpose of carrying their religion into unknown countries. And this re- ported discovery by St. Brendan is not at all mythical, for we are told by com potent authority that there are q dozen Ms books relating to 1t in the great libra ry at Paris" and that accounts of the I1 i,, 4 and spanish literature of the Middle Ages.
 And so. while it Is folly to claim that Columbus was the first white man to discover America, that fact detracts but little from the credit due him. for there are two points in his favor. The first is that he boldly ventured into unknownN waters and that he was apparently ig- norant of what was claimed to have been done centuries before. He reasoned that there must be somewhere in the far West large body of land to balance, as 1t werA, the great Eastern continents, and be went out to discover it. That when he first sighted this continent he was ig- norant of the fact that he had found continent unknoWh 10 modern Europeans, detracts nothing from the credit due him as a keen sighted and Intelligent naviga- tor, and as a geographar much ahead of his time
 Another point to be considered is that, so far as is now known, the discoveries made by these carly adventurers were followed by no permanent or practical re- suits, for if any settlement was made by the companions or followers of St Bren- dau, Ericsson or Madoc. they were of brief teuvrc and no traces of them exist. to- Iumbus. on the other hand, made possible The present wonderful oiyiizetion of America, and for thai. if nothing else. he Is emitted to all the credit and fame which