The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-06-14
HAD HIGH PURPOSE
Columbus Shown to Have Been
Moved by Religious Zeal.
Voyage Which Resulted In the Dis
eovery 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-
tion of the life of Christopher Column
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
fidel Turk with the aid OF the wealth
that he hoped 10 acquire through his
voyage.
In his writings, his journals, his will
and his pleadings to the Spanish SOW
ereigns there has been corded ample
evidence of this great passion Of an
adventurous and stormy life. He
quoted the holy scriptures and prophe-
cies therein TO prove thar he had been
selected to accomplish this and that
the holy sepulcher was to be returned
10 the Christians through him as
divine instrument
Before sailing from Halos on his
lirst voyage to America he exected
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
dnte Of December &c. 1892, we read the
hope that his men find .'tuns" of gold
ana spices ''in such quantity that be-
fore three yenrs the sovereigns will
undertake to prepare to 90 and con-
aper the holy sepulcher." that all the
profits of this, my undertaking, should
be spent in the conquest of Jerusa-
lem"
This pious ambition Is ascrlbed 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 frlars ar
rived with a MESSAGE from the grand
sedan Of Egypt in which the Moslem
Threatened 10 put to death all the
Y christians in bis d6minfohs ana DE-
\, stroy the, holy sepHlcher qt Jerusalem
eI1fthe war against the Moslems Of sGrp-
stnada was not terminated.
'ln The Indignation Of Columbus was so
fintense az this mehaee that he formed
A resolutions thnt Dwtre never forgotten.
That he Should aspire TO me recovery
ri OF the holy place was not unusual, for
every Christian primes and man OF
power nourished this one great dream
, Of every rious person OF the Middle
Ages. s'l q sA ls8At'lt' ~
" on his return. from oiH the hrst voyage
Il to America he made o vow, hoping 70
,lbuse his pottion Of the possible trees
II ure acquired from the arlRio furnish
seven wears an armyoof 4,e0O
horse and 10000 foot soldiers for d
! crusade and similar force within the
five following years. This was not
forgotten. Before starting on his
fourth voyage ne wrote to Pope Alex
! ander VII mentioning his vow and In
J forming him of his sorrow at not being
:. able To fulfil il, due to his arrest and
0 removal from power.
When his outlook was brightesf
i many royal fayors were granted Co
|. lumbus. Some of the royal promise,
e never maturcd. In very imposing in
c strument known as the majorat. datet
I February %, 1893. he provided for hi
family and disposed of the wealth tina
J, he expected would surely flow into hi
!. Golfers. He made provision that thu
, one supreme ambition of his whole
i life be carried 10 It's desired end.
d In one of the articles of the docu
II ment appeared the words, Because u
\ the time l started 10 80 and dIscove
!, The ladies 1t was with the intention o
- duplicating the king and queen. on
sovereigns that the revenue whicl
= their hlghnesses might have In the In
|, dies they should determine TO spen,
II in the conquest OF Jerusalem" HI
1t will provided for crusade directe
% by his descendants.
D. During the period OF his disfavoi
0, while jealous enemies were Intriguin
a against him, he recalled that his voN
p remained unfulfilled. He considers
~ II his duty TO arouse his sovereigns {
~ the enterprise. TO remind them tina
n. II was originally proposed as III
Il. great object 10 which the profits o
o. his discoveries should be directed.
or the library Of the cathedral of Sevill
e. there still exists the manuscript yo
r ume that he prepared with the aid 0
~ friar, quoting all those passages q
the Bible and in the writings of tn
Fathers which he conceived to contai
prophecies Of the discovery of the ne'
a, world and the recovery Of the hol
at sepulcher. events which he attempte
q. to show would succeed one nnotho
I'd and be accomplished through him a
q divine agent.