The Washington herald., 1912-08-25

degrade the admiral. But these reports
that he had prevented Indians from be-
ing baptized In order to soil them as
slaves. and also of the liceufious acts of
some OF his followers. caused her to
doubt.
According to oviedo. Bobadiila. an Of
ficer of the royal household. was very
honest and very religious man. The rec
ords give us his formal instructions and
orders; but we are expressly told that
there were verbal Instructions which we
may well believe involved charges against
Columbus Of which history SAYS moth ng.
and this. is, apparent from the events
which followed. A passage In the letter
addressed to the admiral reads: we
have directed Francisco de Bobadiiia
the bearer of this. to tell you for US OF
certain things to be mentioned by him.
We ask you to give faith and credence
to what he says, and to obey him. May
%. 1882" Cwinsor. p, Ss7)
After Ferdinand had dictated this let
ter there is reason to believe that the
Queen prevented its transmittal for more
than a year. The commission to Fran
cisco Bobadilla, commander Of Gala
trava. Is dated in March. 1883. while Bob
adilla was not actually dispatched to
take command in Hispaniola till July,
800 Why was this delay? The best
reason which may be assigned Is that
Isabella desired to fully satisfy herself OF
the secret charge against Columbus that
he was a hereto: for about this time
she became imbued with an unusual
Christian zeal.
Pope Issues Bull.
Pope Alexander by a bull Of June q,
1879. which Isabella almost forced him
to promulgate. had authorized Cardinal
Alfonso Ximenez de Cisneros, grand In
uuisitor, to reform the monastic orders
throughout Spain. which according to all
historians were sadly In need OF II, De-
ing disorderly and Hcentious to a loath-
some degree. With her attention on
these conditions while supporting the ef-
forts of Ximenez, and Fonesca reporting
all the unfortunate occurrences In His
pan!ola as due to the acknowledgement
of that secret hereto Columbus, no won
der she at last was led to inquire:
Had he kept the colony in condi-
ton worthy of her eueenly patronage
when II could be reported to her that
the daughters of caciques were founo
among these natives bearing their n.y.
brid babes. What authority had my
viceroy TO give my vessels to such
ends? she asked windsor, p 3oil
Now was Columbus truly in such
great danger that the terms of his con-
tract would have little avail. and the
circumstance of his writing from the
interior to Bobadilla, before being for
mally notified of his arrival, that he
was about to 20 to Spain and would
willingly resign his authority. Is ar
evidence that he realized his peril and
the cause of it: while he must have
been equally certain that the real
cause would never be publicly pro-
claimed.
Charge wns Hercsy.
The fact that Bobadilla ignored Co
lumbus, the latter receiving his letter
Franciscan, and that the new governor
under royal authority made proclama.
ton directly to the people. indicates
that the principal charge against him
was OF such a character that the sover'
eigns proposed to ignore II: while 9TH
er circumstances show quite definitely
that the main charge was heresy.
When Columbus at Bonoa met the mes
senger who made to him the informa
announcement that the government was
| to be assumed by Bobadilla. he not only
wrote a letter of submission to the lat
| ter but sent a secret communication &c
the Franciscans asking to be affiliated
| with their order, a circumstance which
| would have little significance as an at
tempt to evade such charges as NAL
feasance, cruelty TO the natives, or any
sort OF accusation except one-it might
be effective against the charge Of heresy
! though II did not prove to be so. Roman
Catholic writer's have frequently pointed
with pride to the fact that Columbu,