The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-09-16
HAD H|CH PURPOSE
Columbus Shown to Have Been
Moved by Religious Zeal.
Voyage Which Resulted in the Dis
eevery Of America Undertaken to
Procure Wealth to Save
Jerusalem.

History reveals that the discovery
Of America was the working out of
an effort to recover Jerusalem. 1t is
surprising that the one great ambi-
ton of the life of Christopher Colum-
bus, and one of the reasons for the
. trip which ended in the discovery OF
this continent, is almost unknown.
This was his scheme for the liberation
Of Jerusalem from the yoke Of the in
tidel Turk with the aid Of the wealth
that he hoped to acquire through his
voyage.
In his writings, his journals, his will
and his pleadings to the Spanish SOW
ereigns there has been recorded ample
evidence of this great passion of an
adventurous and stormy life. He
quoted the holy scriptures and prophe-
cies therein to prove that he had been
selected to accomplish this and that
the holy sepulcher was to be returned
to the Christians through him as q
divine instrument.
Before sailing from Palos on his
first voyage to America he exacted
what he believed to be a promise from
the king and queen that whatever
profits might accrue as result Of the
adventure should be employed for the
crusade. In his journal, under the
date of December 26, 1892, we read the
hope that his men find "tuns" Of gold
and spices Gin such quantity that be-
fore three years the sovereigns Will
undertake to prepare to go and con-
quer the holy scpulcher," 'tkat all the
profits of this, my undertaking, should
he spent in the conquest of Jerusa-
lem"
This pious ambition Is ascribed to an
incident which occurred while the
Spanish sovereigns were at war
against Granada, during the siege OF
.Baza, at which Columbus was present.
While before the city two friars ar
rived with message from the grand
soldan of Egypt in which the Moslem
threatened to put to death all the
Christians in his dominions and de-
stroy the holy sepulcher at Jerusalem
if the war against the Moslems of Gra-
NADIA was not terminated
The indignation of Columbus was so
intense at this menace that he formed
resolutions that were never forgotten.
That he should aspire to the recovery
of the holy place was not unusual, for
every Christian prince and man OF
power noufished this one great dream
Of every pious person Of the Middle
Ages.
On his return from the first voyage
TO America he made VOW, hoping to
use his portion Of the possible treas
ure acquired from the trip, to furnish
within seven years an army Of 1900
horse and $4,000 foot soldiers for
crusade and similar force within the
five following years. This was not
forgotten. Before starting on his
fourth voyage he wrote to Pope Alex
nnder VII mentioning his VOW and in
forming him Of his sorrow at not being
able to fulfill 1t, due to his arrest and
removal from power. -
When his outlook was brightest
many royal favors were granted Co
iumbus. Some Of the royal promises
never matured. In a very imposing In
strument known as the majorat, dated
February %, 1893, he provided for his
family and disposed of the wealth that
he expected would surely flow into his
Golfers. He made provision that the
5ne supreme ambition Of his whole
life be carried to it's desired end.
In one of the articles Of the docu-
'nent appeared the words, Because at
he time started to 60 and discover
she Indies it was with the intention of
duplicating the king and queen, our
sovereigns, that the revenue which
heir highnesses might have in the In
lies they should determine to spend
a the conquest of Jerusalem" His
77ill provided for crusade directed
y his descendants.
: During the period Of his disfavor,
;hile jealous enemies were intriguing
against him, he recalled that his vow
femained unfulfilled. He considered
it his duty to arouse his sovereigns to
ne enterprise, to remind them that
was originally proposed as the
>,reat object to which the profits of
is discoveries should be directed. In
ne library of the cathedral Of Seville
here still exists the manuscript vol
me that he prepared with the aid Of
y friar. quoting all those passages Of
ne Bible and in the writings of the
athers which he conceived to contain
rophecies of the discovery of the new
-orld and the recovery Of the loly
.pulcher, events which he attempted
o show would succeed one another
nd be accomplished through him as
!: divine agent.