Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1910-12-27
SAYS COLUMBUS
WAS A FORCER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TrSo' :
CALLS HIM A LIAR.
never TO Be A Saint
Christopher Is Laudod as n Great
Seaman but Must FOregO
Celestial AurcOla.

Paris Dec. 26.-The association or
| literature with the personnel OF
! American embassies created In the
public mind by Lowell and others Is
worthily maintained in Paris by Jean
Henry Vlgnoud for forty years United
States secretary in the city OF light,
and now Americas honary consul
there.
He is OF course, the well known
authority on Columbus, and his thir-
teenth work on the great navigator
has just appeared in French. The
work is a resume of all the author has
already published on the subject, and
forms a fitting companion TO "Tos-
cannelli and Columbus" "The Real
Birlh Date Of Columbus" and Critical
Studies ON the Life of Columbus"
This monumental work brings j. II.
| Vignaud's career as an author TO
| fitting close, for he Is now so years
old. This venerable man, who was
| born. In New Orleans on November 27,
1882, has served his country long and
Loyalty. A captain in the Confederate
army, he was captured by General
Ben Butler at New orleans, and first
went to France as secretary Of the
| Confederate diplomatic commission OF
! Paris
In disposition he is slngularly gentle,
and the only person about whom he
has been known to say harsh word
was Ben Butler because OF his con-
duct at the Siege Of New Orleans
Vignaud Is now spending his re-
naming years at BagneuX, q pleasant
! suburb OF Paris, where he delights TO
talk to friends on the subject of Co
lumbus and his controversies. To
Americans the most interesting part
of the new work is that which deals
with the question of making Columbus
a saint. in accordance with the wishes
OF certain prelates and the knights
Of Columbus.
II do not wish to be called the
devils advocate" says Henry Vignaud,
but i cannot change the facts of his
| tory even to please such q great or
der as the Knights Of Columbus" The
DEVILS advocate, II may bo remember
ed, Is the name the official appointed
! by the congregation Of rites TO raise
all possible objections against nomi-
nation for canonizatlon.
you might as we'll try to put
Henry Quatre on the calendar OF
saints" continued NJ. Vignaud after
his liaison with Gabrielle d'Estres"
Columbus descendant, the Duke de
Veragua, may get as angry as he
pleases, but there is room for doubt
about the affinity between his distin-
guished ancestor and Beatrix Enrlque2,
/ Anyhow, the duke Is better author
| ity on raising fighting bulls than he
/ is on obscure questions Of history.
Christopher Columbus win never
| he put on the calendar OF saints. In
spite of all the efforts put forth, no
progress whatever has been made. I
1 lift my hat to tho great exporor for
having discovered America. But he
was vindictive, egotistical and proud.
He lied and he forged when II served
| his purpose, Though Plus X. is fond
Of making saints, Columbus will have
/ TO do without the celestial aureola,
and his admirers, of whom am one,
must rest content with the knowledge
that to their hero belongs the immor-
tai honor OF having discovered the
greatest OF The five continents"
The specific name of Henry Wig
naud's work Is "a Critical History OF
tho Great Enterprise OF Christopher
! Columbus" 1t tells how the naviga
tor conceived the project, of his weary
visits TO tho various courts, his pic
turesque encouragement by Queen 1sa-
bella, who promised to sell her Jewels
to find the money for the undertake
Ing, and his execution of the project
so pregnant for humanity Finally.
the author deals with Columbus's real
character, from which II is obvious
that one may be a great seaman with-
out being a great saint.