The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

unrovernable passions. left the port of
San Lucar de Bsrameda, May 30. 14ss;
and after a roundabout passage. In which
the main land of South America was
touched. reached Hispaniola to find va
rious dimculties awaiting the admiraPs
attention. The gold mines were being
worked, but the work was being re-
tarded by quarrels among the Spaniards
themselves, as well as with their dusly
reighbors: while some of the latter cap
tured in war were being shipped TO Spain
and sold into slavery.
II has been regarded as blot upon
the character of Columbus that he In
augurated this system: but his connection
with this traffic In much more significant
as an index to the man in evincing his
Jewish character. Believing himself as
the divine agent to regain aE1 rebuild
Jerusalem. he saw nothing in the law Of
Moses which prevented him from selling
these ,savages into slavery in order to
procure the necessary funds for such a
purpose. Let US grant that the Mosaic
law Of slavery was instituted for people
living under entirely different conditions
from any in the time of Columbus. and
built up from its previous existence In
surrounding nations; yet Columbus could
10 doubt find justification in the injunc-
ton:
maids, which thou shalt have shall be
of the heather that are round about you;
of them shall ye buy bondmen and bond
maids.
Moreover. of the children of the
strangers that do sojourn among you,
Of them shall we buy. and of their fam
lilies that are with you. which they begat
in your land; and they shall be your pos
session.
And We shall take them as an in
heritancc for your children after you.
TO inherit them for a possession: they
shall be your bondmen forever" Levitt
Gus xxv:H-6)
Acquiesced in Project.
It is true. although some protest was
made and certain Indian returned by
Isabella. that even she. despite her ar
dent Christian policy. acquiesced in this
project Of Columbus. Munoz says he
could not find that the slavery question.
which the theologians were authorized
to decide, was ever settled, though the
sale OF Indians. It appears. continued as
long as the Indians lasted. And in the
details of working this problem out the
agents Of Fonseca were able to secure
evidence against Columbus that he even
prevented the Indians which he had cap
tured from receiving the Christian rite
of baptism, In order to sell them. a cir
cumstance almost sufficient to prove to
Isabella that he was a hereto.
Ferdinand did not need that evidence
to convince him. and II only the Queen
and public opinion could have been salts
fed. no doubt would have repudiated
his contract with the admiral and might
have ordered his execution. on receiving
the report of Bishop Boyle Of the sec
ond expedition who had previously to
leaving the islands actually eXcommuni'
Gated Columbus as a hereto: a charge
We conclude, which Isabella at that time
would neither believe nor tolerate. Hence
the admiral on his return to Cadiz from
that voyage. June II. 1886. was favorablS
and well received by Isabella. with a
show of welcome from Ferdinand. Or
ders were given almost Immediately &c
prepare all necessaries for a third voy-
age. but the execution of the orders
were delayed by Bishop Fonseca nearly
two years, till May 30. 1888. who mean
while by the means in his power wa.
endeavoring TO destroy Isabella's interest
In Columbus, a policy which eliminated
as We have seen in the temporary down
fall Of his secretary, Simeno.
Queen I'm Doubt.
As already observed, Isabellas sympa
thies for Columbus could not be over
come without at the same time convinc
ing her of the truth of these secre
charges involving as she believed tn,
most serious Of all crimes. and accord
ingly her religious convictions and WON
anly instincts had both to be worked
upon before she would yield to Bobadills
the necessary authority to supersede and