Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1892 — Columbus or Vespucci. [ARTICLE]

Columbus or Vespucci.

Every schoolboy of course, knows that if Columbus had never America would have been discovered all the same, when Pedro Alvares Cabral, the Portuguese admiral, was carried by the trade winds over to the coast of Brazil in 15-30. But in that case it would not have been discovered by Spain and the whole course of the inevitable European settlement on the continent must have boon mod.tied. When that can be said of tjt.v particular event there can be no question as to its importance. There is a kind of historical critic, rather conspicuous in these latter days, who finds a peculiar satisfaction in pointing out that Columbus discovered America without knowing it—which is true. That he believed and died in the belief that he had reached Asia is certain. It is not less sure that Amerigo Vespucci, from whom the continent was named, by a series of flukes, misprints and misunderstandings, went to his grave in the same faith, lie thought that he had found an island of uncertain size to the south of the equator, and that what Columbus had fouud to the north was the eastern extremity of Asia. But the world which know* that Columbus did, as‘a matter of fact, do it the service of finding America, and is aware that without him the voyage from Palos would never have been undertaken, has refused to belitjfie him because he did not know beforehand what was only found out through his exertions.— [Saturday Rev«w.