The Irish standard., 1910-11-05
COLUMBUS AND COLUMBIA.


and Columbia" Rev. M. O'Brien, pas
tor of ST. Thomas church, delivered
the following address on the evening
of October 12-Columbus Day-before
an assemblage of the members of
the Hennepin Council K. of C. and
their friends at the society's club
rooms, Fifth avenue south and Eighth
street. The reverend speaker said:
We are met tonight to commemo-
rate an event which proved to be one
of the most important in history. We
are met to join with the whole world
in one paen of eXultation and to lay
a laurel on the brow of him at whose
mighty spell vast continent arose
from the shadowy sea-a continent
filled with unknown races and des-
tined not only to enlarge the bounds
of the earth but the mind of man as
we'll.
The year 1892 was an epoch-making
one. Its spring marked the fall of
Granada and saw the Christian Cross
replace the Mahometan Crescent; it's
autumn witnessed the discovery of
America by Christopher Columbus.
What a contrast between these two
historic events. On the verge of
Granada persisted the olden world of
fatalism; on the island of San Sal
vador began the new world of liberty
There despotism sank away; here
the rights of man dawned. Beneath
Mendoza's cross uplifted on the
Vermillion Towers fell the social
structure founded upon warfare, while
beneath the banner set by Columbus
on our coral reefs arose another meth
cd of living which, begotten in faith
and in self.sacritice, was soon to be
the harbinger of labor and of trade.
The old order died amid the harsh
booming of artillery; the new order
was ushered in with the pealing notes
of the tie Deum.'
Such is the work whose annivers-
airy we are celebrating. Such is the
work that has made the twelfth day
of October memorable one. The
name of it's hero is on every lip; his
triumph is sung in every language.
Others had gone before him and had
accomplished nothing. He went and
the wilderness blossomed as garden.
They went for piracy and for con.
quest, he for the spread of the Cos.
pei and the glory of Christianity
Their voyages had protited the world
nothing and Columbus was as much
of Il discoverer as though Ericsson
never lived.
When our Genoese navigator was
a boy the enthusiasm that was stirred
Hermit and the Abbot of ClairvauA
had not yet died out. The poetry Of
the Crusades and the glory of Chival
ry struck a chord in his youthful
breast. He dreamed of conquest. He
fancied himself leading the serriet
ranks to the rescue Of the Holy Sepul
chre. He grew in years and in frame
and the practical efforts Of the mar
were on par with the generous as
pirations of the boy. But the Cru
sades had taught him a lesson; ant
he set about his work more with thu
precision of the engineer than will
the zeal of the troubadour. For year,
he brooded over theories, separating
the gold from the dross in the cru
chile of his great brain. Like Copper
nicus he convinced himself of tn
spherity Of the earth. He conceived
the idea of going Westward, and h
saw beyond the ocean the Cipange o
his dreams. Could he reach Asia b,
going west not only would nations b.
gained to God, but Jerusalem Nigh
be rescued for the Christians Whe1
after long and anxious work he foun,
himself able to defend his theories h
sought means to put them in practice
That was not an age of private entel
prise. Every great undertaking shout
have the support of royalty or it wa
destined to be nipped in the bud Hi
own Genoa, engaged in petty wars
had neither time nor money to devot
to such an undertaking. He turne
his eyes to Portugal, nation muc
in harmony at that time with tn
drift of his ideas and with the vision
of his fancy. But Portugal prove
perfidious. King John and his cour
while denouncing him as an adve1
turer, had ship sent to take pc!
session of the unknown shores. Blu
Columbus was not to be foiled TIL
God who had destined him to be tn
christoperus, the Christbearer to tn
West would not permit him to b
robbed of his prize; and this breac
of good faith ended with the quic
return of frightened crew.