Show r s 's Debt Dt to IJ 4 S. S L Ii r I I 1 rr I l y II I I I I I 4 tj X Y I I f l q n U 1 r 8 llA By ELMO SCOTT WATSON WATSONS S COLUMBUS day approaches tills this year It finds a project protect underway under underway s way for paying paying- homage to the name and achievements of Christopher Columbus on a greater scale than has ever before be be- before fore been attempted In the United States as well as ns In other other oth oth- er nations In the Western hemisphere hemisphere hem hem- his fame has been perpetuated per In the names of ot hundreds hun bun dress of cities titles towns and pub pub- He lie squares monuments have been erected In his ifs honor and the date of his discovery dis- dis c covery overy of the Now New World has lias been celebrated its as an important date In history and a holiday All Allot of ot these however have been Individual memorials Now the nations of the two Americas are ore planning plan plan- ning to operate co-operate in is honoring him and under under- th the fire auspices of the Pan J Pan American Union erect a Christopher Columbus Memorial Lighthouse Light Light- house a beacon for tor v navigators of ot both the sea and the fits air In the capital of Santo Domingo the land which Columbus called Th The Do Do- minivan republic already has lias set aside a acre tract of ot waterfront land for a Pan American park in n which w tI the e lighthouse Is to be built and appropriated money as Its share shore of pt the cost of ot the he t memorial L Legislation proposing similar ar ap rip have already been Introduced ced In the United State States Cuba and several other ther countries and the first step that of holding a competition In which the leading architects of the world have been Invited to submit designs toward realization of ot the memorial project already has hns been taken takes takeso No o one will deny the appropriateness of this form of ot a memorial to one of the most famous navigators na of ot all time and most Americans will applaud the Idea of ot thus honoring once more the fire man whose courage in tn facing the fife terrors of ot the fire unknown set him pon pow that vo voyage age which marks the beginning of American history From our school days the story of Colum Columbus us has been beena a familiar one to us all and his name acme stands out In our memory as one of the great figures In the history of ot our nation It should be remembered however that the discovery of America was not Dot a 11 strictly individual proposition and It does not detract any from the fame of Columbus to give glue proper credit to others who were there concerned In It t. t When a final reckoning of credit due is made outstanding among the names of those who motto were associated with the Genoese sailor in hIs bis greut great undertaking Is the name of a Spanish queen to whom America owes a debt of gratitude which has lias but scantily been repaid For had bad It not been for Isabella of Castile ro royal al consort of or Ferdinand of Aragon and queen of Spain the voyage of Christopher Columbus ml might ht never have bites been heen un un- d en To most must of us depending upon our school histories for our information about events e of df those e far off far ull times Ferdinand and Isabella ln ore are little more than mere names and except for fOt t their heir association with the name of omnibus Columbus are hot but and figure In the pageant IJ of or Jr r history We know that after falling ln to Interest t the fhe ruler of or Portugal al In hl his ambitious to find u a short route roule to tile rhe wealth of the rhe Indies 8 by sailing westward over O the J Atlantic Columbus determined to lay IllY his case before the rulers rulen of Spain To an nn American historian Washington laying Irving we are Indebted d for n clear pen picture e of at these t two wo monarchs ant and eSI especially V n of or Queen Isabella who were rl destined tn to have such an nn Important role In the history of our nation In hr his Life and Voyages of at Christopher Columbus ln Ir Irving writes tes The time when Columbus thus sought hip hh fortune for for- t tune unes at the court of Spain coincided with one of the most brilliant periods period of the tho Spanish SIt The union of the kingdom om nf ot Arn Aragon nn roll ami Jt D by y the marriage o of f f Ferdinand e and Isabella had consolidated the Christian power In the and put an nn end to th those e Internal f f whet BO eo long lonn the country and fl the flu of or the Moslems lems The whole force of 0 united Spain f was now exerted In the th enterprise of the Moorish conquest The he Moone I who had once spread over the whole country like I Inn nn an Inundation were now pent up within th the moun I tain boundaries of nt the n k Kingdom of or t Granada Th I victorious armies of I Ferdinand and Isabella were continually advancing and preying pressing ln this fierce flerN I people within narrower limits Under these theRe 1 BOV- BOV the petty kingdom of ln Spain began becan be be- can gan to f feel t l I and art net nf RIO one and t to rise rille to eminence In arl ars as 89 WIll well n JUI as arms Ferdinand and Isabella It has be ben n n remarked lived together not nol like man and wits wife whose whore estates I f are common under un un- d der r the orders o or the husband but bUI like lIce two mon mono e archs strictly allied They had ha separate claims to P sovereignty In virtue of their of-their their respective a they had separate councils kingdoms and were often otten distant f s from inch each other In tn different parts pails of their t P empire each exercising the ro royal al authority Yet Vat they thy were BO so happily united by hy common views common rommon In- In t wrests and n II greni deference for each other that this double a IJ administration never nver of ot purpose and of or detton All At oct acts prevented of ot sovereignty n unity a us 1 I 1 II 4 W I IF F R k b b q l S' S vi w were ere executed in tn both their names all aU public writIngs writings writ writ- ings were subscribed with both their signatures their likenesses were stamped together on the public public pub pub- j lic He coin and the royal seal displayed the united a arms of ot Castile Castlo and Aragon Ferdinand was of ot middle stature we well proportioned tl and hardy an active from athletic exercise Ills His Il ls carriage was fuss free freo erect and majestic lie had a clear serene forehead which appeared more mora lofty lotty from his head being partly bald His Ills eyebrows eye eye- b brows rows were large and parted and like his hair of a bright chestnut his clear eyes were and anImated animated animated ani anI- mated his complexion was somewhat ruddy and scorched by the tho tolls toils of war his mouth moderate well formed and gracious In Its expression his ti teeth tenth white though small and irregular his Ico s sharp his speech quick and fluent His Ills genius was clear and comprehensive his Judgment gravo grave and arid certain He was fuss simple in dress and diet e equable In his temper devout in his religion and 8 BO so Indefatigable In business that It was said he seemed to repose himself by working He was a great observer and judge of at men and unparalleled j In the tho science of the cabinet Such Is the picture E gwen given of ot him by tho the Spanish historians of ot his time While Wh giving his picture It may not be deemed li im Impertinent pertinent to sl sketch tho rho fortunes of a monarch w whose policy had such cuch an air effect upon the history of at Columbus and ond the tho destinies of the New World Success attended all an his measures Though a y younger son he had ascended the throne of Aragon Aragon Ara Ara- e gon by hy inheritance Castile he obtained by marage mar mar- ri j age Granada and Naples Napes by conquest an and he seized upon Navarro Navarre as appertaining to any anYone one who could take possession of at It when Pope Julius us II excommunicated Its sovereigns Juan and Catalina a and gave their throne to the first occupant He lIe sent his hla forces into Africa and subjugated or reduced re re- re duce to vassalage Tunis Tripoli Algiers and n most of the tho Barbary powers A Anew new world was n also al so given n to him without cost by the discoveries at of Columbus for tor the expense of or the enterprise was borne exclusively by his consort Isabella lie He had t three objects ts at heart henrt from tram tho the commencement nt of ot h his reIgn which he pursued with bigoted and per per- B se zeal the conquest of the Moors the ex of the Jews and the establishment of the I Inquisition in his dominions Contemporary writers have been enthusiastic In tl their des descriptions rl of ot Isabella but time has hns sanc sane ti tinned their eulogies She Sho is one of tho the purest and most beautiful characters In the pages of at history E A Cho o was well wen formed of tho the middle size with great d dignity and gracefulness of deportment and a e n mingled gravity and and 9 of demeanor H Her r complexion c was rues fair her hor hair hats auburn Inclining to r red roo her eyes were of ot a n clear blue with a benign expression and there those was a n singular modesty In her h er countenance gracing as It did a wonderful n fi firmness of purpose and earnestness of ot spirit T Though strongly attached to her husband and studious of hi his fame tame yet she always maintained her distinct rights as allied an prince She ex ex- exceeded c him In beauty in personal dignity In acuteness acute acute- n ness ess of genius and In grandeur of soul ing the active and resolute qualities of nf man with the softer charities of at woman she mingled le J In the w warlike councils of her husband engaged person person- a ally lly In his enterprises and In some instances Instance sur n passed him In the firmness and Intrepidity of her n measures measureR while being Inspired with a truer Idea of ot glory she Infused d n more lofty and generous o tl temper Into his subtle and calculating policy It Is la In the civil history of their reign however ti that the character ter of Isabella shines most ous Her fostering and maternal care wn was ron inn Jj directed IJ to reform the laws larva and heal th Ills engendered by a 0 lug Ion Ions course of Internal wars s She loved Jov d' d her people anI and while wh diligently flet l t their good she sho mitigated m as much as possible be the h harsh measures of or her husband directed to tb tilt I same end but Inh med h b a mistaken zea zeal Thu hul though almost bigoted h ii her piety arl i nr l ti too much under the Influence of ghastly advisers K still the she was Will hostile Je to every me measure calculated tr tc n adt advance anre relt religion at the thc expense e of or humanity she hf strenuously opposed d the expulsion of th the he J Jews Jeus and l the establishment of th the Inquisition thrush though un on- fortunately f for Spain her repugnance was slowly v vanquished vanquish d by her Jer on fc She he was I always 8 an sit n a advocate f for far clemency d I. th the Moors blunts although he t-hc w was the soul of or the war tsar n against S' S S' S c considered rd that WH essential to lu protect the Chris Chrls l flan tian faith and to I her subjects subject from fi fieret rc n and f formidable i While all her public l thoughts and arts acts were wore princely and august U her hN p private habit cio WOle simple frugal and l ti ous In th the Intervals of state business business- she sho as aa embed round her the men In literature and science clene 8 and directed d herself h by their counsels In D p promoting letters and arts urIs Through h her a age Salamanca r rose roue lo to that height which It as as ae among the learned Institutions of th the age ag s She he promoted Ih the distribution of at honors l and re re- v w yards ards for tor the of knowledge she he fostered the art of printing recently Invented and encouraged the establishment of or presses ii In III every Pr part of ot the kingdom books were admitted fee free 0 of o all In duty am and more we are told were printed Spain ln l at al that hat earl early period of tho art than In the in art present literary ago age It Is ond wonderful how much the tho destinies of at coun coun- tries rles depend at nt times tunes upon the tho virtues of ale als Le and how It Is III given to great sill spirits rite by log Ing ng exciting and directing the latent Intent powers of L nation to stamp It as It tt were with their thou 00 O.-J greatness Such beings realize the Idea of guard Ian angels appointed by Heaven to watch over th the destinies of empires Such had been Prince Henry for tor the kingdom of Portugal and such was now for Spain the illustrious Isabella Columbus appeared before Ferdinand and Isabella Isa Isa- Isabella bella early In and und after giving his bis project a n hearing bearing they referred It to the queens queen's confessor Hernando de Talavera with Instructions to summon summon summon sum sum- mon a council for its consideration This council counell coun coun- cIl ell was very deliberate deJ in Its actions and und after nearl nearly five years rears reported adversely for or the am am- sailor In 1400 1990 But nut through till the efforts of Juan Junn Perez guardian of the tile monastery of oLa a former conre confessor sor to Queen Isabella Columbus was given another hearing ing at court and In January HD 1402 1493 another council was summoned summoned sum sum- to consider his bis plans Contrary as It nUl may be to popular belief the picture of Columbus Columbu as a 11 humble suppliant before the Spanish rulers Is not strictly an nn accurate one I 1 j Rather than that of a n man ama asking fI favors his bis attitude at lit was that of a n shrewd bargainer In which he lie demanded of Ferdinand and und a n potent patent of ot nobility the admiralty of or the ocean the tile viceroyalty viceroyalty vice vice- ro royalty alty and government o of or nil all lands land's discovered 0 on nn his proposed ou voyage e a commission of 10 percent percent per percent cent upon everything within the limits of his IIII ad uti- which might aright be bought t exchanged x pd found or gained and three caravels els to cost ost Such were ere the towards which he be asked rewards asked rewards which according to a n modern historian if granted grunted would ral raise e him to tn a n dizzy height to a n point of rank power rind and riches s next to that of the throne thron Itself So It Is not surprising IH perhaps that for the second time the council reported ll adversely adverse upon his proposal and he be was dismissed e ed d from the he Span pan Ish court and departed sorrowing for tar Cordova u And then the hand hund of a n woman Intervened In the destiny of nf destiny of nf Columbus and played Its part In the future history of the American nation Two Iwu leagues from froth Granada he be Wt was overtaken O h by a 11 ro royal nl constable who olio lId hail hen been sent Int posthaste t hv by h Isabella u wit with II orders tor or hi his bis return lII HI His 1 demand t would he be grunted granted rust TuM r what It was that Influenced 11 the queen to In tal take tills this action has hits never neter b been n satisfactorily explained There Then only till I. I remains the till fact that h lt she hl did so 80 even n though thou h Ferdinand resealed the high price de lIe h hv Columbus I for for- his bis services sI and twirl lipid aloof from agreeing ln to tn the bargain until 1 Isabella won wan him hint over tr According to one r story which Ich tins has come to hI be he In inseparably as associated with the hp story of nr Columbus I the lip queen In order artier r to win FerdI wands nand's consent offered her hel Jewels pis as ns se security for motH money for rill the hp enterprise Although some saute fils- fils hove p characterised r this Incident as us u one on of those hits bits of pure romance that so often n reel creep Into the hl historical |