The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20

written on board the Nina. was translated
into Latin, and within few months wa
printed in eight separate editions This
was letter written to Gabriel Sanchez, the
Crown Treasurer Of Aragon, and dated
Lisbon, March IA, 1893. Our author recog-
nizes the service rendered by Mr.. Henry
Harrisse in placing these eight editions of
the Latin letter in their proper photograph
cal procession. An Italian metrical version
OF this letter was printed at Rome, June
is, 1893 The poem fills seven pages. The
writer. Giuliano Dati. must rank as the first
poet TO occupy himself with an American
subject, No apology Is needed for the spa &c
allotted by Mr.. Thatcher to an account Of
the different printed editions Of the letters
Of Columbus announcing his discovery and
describing his first voyage. Books are not
reprinted except in response to public desire
and public interest. We know Of no other
work which, In the short space Of ten or
twelve months toward the close Of the fif-
! teenth century, passed through thirteen
editions and emerged from the presses Of
five Of the great States Of Europe While
however, 80 many editions Of the Letter"
we're issued, the first reference to the discov-
cry to appear In any other form is found in
the 1909 edition Of Bergomass Chronicle. p
1t is a recognition Of the event as worthy
. Of taking its place in published historical
work Bergomas gives the number Of ISL
ands named by Columbus. but records only
four instead Of five. Where Columbus says
that there we're six or eight species Of palm
trees, Bergomas is more definite. and says
that there were seven. The so-called Island
Of Women is called Mateniena. showing that
the chronicler had taken his account from
the Latin translation Of Columbus's letter.
We pass to the eight chapters devoted to
the ascertainment of the title to the New
Indies. and OF the line Of demarcation be-
tween the claims OF Spain and those OF
Portugal. As Columbus required the coun-
tenance Of Princes In order 10 hold his dis
coveries, 80 those Princes required the seal
of the Roman pontin, not indeed to possess.
but to retain in peace their sovereignty in
the New World. Mr.. Thaoher publishes
facsimles of three papal bulls issued by
Pope Alexander W.. who, it will be remem-
bered. was Spaniard. In the first bull, 1t Is
evident that the Pope knows nothing of the
primary conception OF Christopher Column
bus, the belief that by sailing westward he
could reach the eastern coast OF Asia. All
the credit of the discovery Is attributed to
the Spanish sovereigns. The Pope in the
first bull declares that the lands for which
the sovereigns were contemplating search
were unknown regions; therefore, they
could not be the lands to which Marco Polo
went, the lands Paolo Toscanelli had de-
scribed, the lands for which Columbus him
self said he was searching. The title to the
lands already discovered was bestowed by
the first bull upon the Spanish sovereigns,
and they were to have such other lands as
their messengers might discover. In the
second bull, issued May 4, 1893 "a day after
the issuance Of the first bully, Christopher
Columbus is called "a worthy man, much
to be commended. and fitted for so great an
undertaking." words which, az Mr. Thatcher
suggests, seem adequate for faithful sailor
in the forecastle, but scarcely warm enough
even for Pinzon The lands actually dis
covered are called islands and continental
lands" and are described as In the Ocean
sea, and not as per parties occ'dentdles VI
dicitur rersus Indios,' a. in the first bull.
BY the second bull. all persons, Of whatso-
ever condition or rank. were strictly prohib-
tied from going to the new-found lands.
or to any lands in the neighborhood to be
found thereafter, without the special license
Of the Spanish sovereigns. The injustice to
Portugal lay in the fact that whereas by
the first bull the Spanish sovereigns were
only protected by their discoveries after
they were in actual possession and occu-
patton, they were by the second bull pro-
tected from encroachment even on lands
not yet actually found, possessed or occu-
pied by them. The Spanish sovereigns
were to have everything discovered to the
westward Of a line drawn from pole to pole,
through any OF the islands Of the Azores,
or through any Of the Capeverde Islands.
The third bull which. like the second
bull, Is dated May 4, 1893, seems to have
been issued in Difference to the vehement
protest of Portugal, made through its Am
bassador The legal effect Of the third bull
seems to have been to place matters where
they were before the issuance Of the second
bull 1t restores the rights OF Portugal.
and says to Spain You are to have exactly
the same rights as those which have been
conferred on Portugal. no more and no
less It reasserted the doctrine Of title by
discovery and occupation The third bull
no doubt satisfied Portugal but must have
been unwelcome to Spain, which dreaded the
colonizing activity Of the Portuguese. Ru-
mors, indeed, were already rife that feet
was fitting out in Portugal for the purpose of
making discoveries in the regions visited
by the Spaniards under Columbus. The
Pope Alexander vi. was urged to correct
the third bull, and accordingly, on Sept.
20, 1893, the day following that on which
Columbus set out on his second voyage. a
fourth bull was issued, which reasserted
the right Of the Spanish sovereigns to all
the islands and continental La Ads discovered
and to be discovered toward the west and
south Portugal which had submitted a
remonstrance against the second bull,
naturally protested against the fourth bull,
which was equally detrimental to her inter-
ests, with the result that on June 7, 1894,
the Spanish and Portuguese Governments,
through their agents, mapped out for them
selves two separate spheres OF influence,
thus announcing at that time a doctrine
the modern name for which is hinterland, a
doctrine which divided the globe between
them, giving to the one what the other did
,a+ want and which iIlstly helonoed IN