Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-15

wrote gave MS our Columbian traditions
and served as foundation for our best
works on Columbus. But little by lit
lie II was observed that many facts
advanced from this source were enron.
eous, and with time thenumber Of facts
thus oontradictcd hy criticism became
80 great that II was necessary to revise
carefully all that tradition had TO say
about the dlscoyercr OF America and his
work
But how is it that he writer's who
have heretofore devoted their attention
20 Columbus should have failed to see
all this, and should have neglected tha
task which you are only now under
taking"
Some Of these authors noted most
OF the errors which form the Columbian
legend and their lobors contribute to-
ward the present rccW0cut,on m they
did not urge this task Of historical re-
form as far as It is. first. because
the legends Of Columbus are endowed
with the prestige Of old and accepted
facts, and, secondly because the writ
ers were not In q position To carry
the work to the end
A sELF-PROVED HUMBUG.
when Humboldt wrote his Critical
Examination which lnauguratod col
umbian criticism: when D'Avezac
wrote his little monographs. so solid
ly ana so ingeulously put together.
which gave a new direction 10 Ameri-
can studies in France: when Henry
Harrsse published his Columbus.
which produced so great an impression
In the world Of savants, all the writ
ings Of Columbus We're not known. and
the rest could not be studied exhaust
ively.
THE documents published BY tho
'Raccota Columbiana and those
brought TO light by the Duchess d'Albe
completely changed the situation, I'm
rendering accessible to students papers
until then unknown or imperfectly
known and which were for the first
time presented In fac-slmiles-that IS,
IN their original form Among these
papers there are some whose import
ance was not suspected and which
throw much Hight on the formation Of
Coumbus's ideas.
These are the autograph notes which
he put on the margins Of the books he
studied. These notes are very numer-
GUS There are SCI on the historical
Rerum' OF Plus H. sos ON the Image
Mundr OF Cardinal d'Ailly and 1856 ON
his copy of Marco Polo.
Apparently insignificant FOR the
most part, they show the source OF
Columbus conceptions Thanks to
them, we can judge Of the formation
Of this system aud perceive the orr
gin OF each thought composing II. It
Is vast field which has scarcely been
explored, and yet which offers a rich
harvest"
1T was perhaps these notes which
gave you the idea OF writing on Column
bus?' / suggested,
THE idea Of writing a new history
of the discovery of America came 10
me I'm my youth For more than 40
years / have been accommodating the
material necessary. aud this work has
occupied me unlnterruptcdy ever since,
] have devoted 10 1t all my resourcea
and what time has been left to me by
my official functions
"And have you always thought Of Co.
lumbus what you think uow?'
mo, indeed said Mr. Vignaud, With
q laugh My Views on the true part
played by Columbus In the discovery or
the new world took form slowly ana
they were definitely fixed only after the
publication Of the 'Raccolta.'
1T was at first my intention 90 Limit
myself TO a critical history OF Column
bus great design ana to show his gen-
uine character. But ] realized that l
should have to show first how Colum-
bus filled the early years OF his He,
during which he is supposed to have
conceived and matured this plan. This
S. the object Of the book | am about
10 publish. and which viii serve as an
Introduction to the principal work de-
velOping Columbus design aud setting
forth It's origin and it's true nature. It
is In this that / hope 20 complete the
task which / have set for myself I'm re-
establishing the truth as regards CO.
lumbus and the discovery Of America
AUTHORS STRIKING CAREER.
Henry Vignaud, who Is now passing
green old age In peaceful diplomatic
work and historical research haS hau
a most adventurous career. Born AT
NON Orleans I'm 1880 Of an old Louisiana
family, he started teaching In the pup
Die schools when he was p years old,
and four years later turned his atten~
ton to newspaper work, editing lrst
L'Union de Lafuurche and then La
Renaissance LOusianaisc. Al the out
break Of the civil war he enlisted IN the
Confederate service and was appointed
captain In the sixth Louisiana regl-
meut. Captured and restored to pro-
visOnal liberty in New Orleans IN 1867,
he learned that ne was about to be ar
rested by the federal authorities and
sent to ship Island as "a prisoner on
account of his strong patriotic senu-
meuts Before the arrest could be et-
fected he brlbed Am official To supply
him with "a pass enabling him to leave
the city, and escaped TO Paris.
Mr.. Nignaud was appointed secretary
Of the Confederate diplomatic commit
Tee 100 Paris audt retained this post
as long as the tonfcderacy required ms
scrviCes. During this period feeling ran
high I'm Paris among the Americans
settled there, and uortherners ana
Foutherners were divided az sharply as.
in the United States. The measures
taken by the government after recon-
Btruction left Mr.. Nignaud free to re-
turn home when he wished, but he mad
by this time established firm ties IN
Paris
I'm 1859 he was appointed secretary "
The ROumauian legation I'm Paris HIS
Eplehdid diplomatic work attracted the
attention Of his own couutrymen, then
reunited, and he served on the Alabama
claims commission I'm 1872. In Febru-
nry, 1875, Gen Grant wiped out old
scores and paid "a generous tribute to
Mr.. Vguaud's ability by appointing him
secretary of the American embassy IN
Paris,
In the successive changes which have
passed over the embassy, Mr. Nignaud
has been the only man TO remain con-
Etantlv at his post, while ambassadors
have retired or other secretaries have
been transferred to other points. He
igSyESsk~ ~. ,E[lsSr,NlS. -l.slyEYs,