THE GOVERNMENTAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PART I. THE GOVERNMENTAL HISTORY OF THE FIRST GRAND DIVISION OF THE VIRGINIA-SOUTH VIRGINIA, OR VIRGINIA. tion. Ir is at once interesting and instructive to observe Introducby what a singularly slight instrumentality, oftentimes, great revolutions are originated and accomplished; and how not only the direct, but also the collateral agencies set in operation by passing events, forward the plans of the Omniscient Ruler of the Universe. Incidents, seemingly the most trivial and unimportant, have a momentous bearing upon the character and condition of men and nations. They affect the purposes of individuals, and, through them, in their nearer or more remote sequences, the destinies of communities and states, of kingdoms and empires. While moving in the sphere of their immediate influence we may not note their operation, but after the flight of years, when we come to look back upon the records of experience, we feel how much they have contributed to give to our career its complexion and its shape. tions and lumbus. While Christopher Columbus was meditating those Speculasplendid projects which afterwards led to the discovery enterprise of America, and had in vain appealed to one and of Christoanother of the powers of Europe to assist him in his pher Coproposed enterprise, he dispatched his brother Bartholo- He applies mew to the court of Henry VII. of England, to nego- to England and Spain tiate for the patronage of that monarch, while he for patronhimself besought the court of Spain. His brother was age. Introduc- unfortunately captured and plundered by pirates on his tion. voyage; and after his release was effected, before he found himself in a condition to appear before the Columbus haughty sovereign of England, Columbus, discouraged resolves and disgusted at the treatment he was receiving at the England in court of Spain, indignantly resolved to visit Henry VII. to visit person vented. in person. Just as he had begun to carry this resolution into effect the final overthrow of the Moorish Dynasty, by the conquest of Granada, was announced, and How pre- gave a new aspect to the affairs of the kingdom of Ferdinand and Isabella. The triumph filled them with the proudest exultation, and produced a liberality of disposition which seemed ready to interest itself in almost any enterprise which might add the lustre of munificence to the glory of conquest. Negotia tions of the friends bus with Two personal friends of Columbus, ALONZO DE QUINTANILLA, comptroller of the finances of CASTILE, and of Colum- LUIS DE ST. ANGEL, receiver of the ecclesiastical reveFerdinand nues in ARRAGON, availing themselves of the favorable and Isa- posture of affairs, came forward and presented the subject of his proposed enterprise in a well-devised address to the Queen. bella. Their ap queen. While congratulating her on the auspicious triumph peal to the of her arms, they lauded the munificence with which she had hitherto patronized all great enterprises, and expressed their surprise at her indifference to a project "the most splendid that had ever been proposed to any sovereign." They discoursed upon the favorable terms upon which Columbus offered to embark in the adventure, upon his sincerity evinced by his willingness to hazard his own life and fortunes in prosecuting it; and represented, in his design to apply to England, the danger of losing irrevocably the benefits which might result from the success of his schemes, and the glory Winter which would ensue to his patrons. Then, finally, appealing to the well known piety of Isabella, they spoke of the pre-eminent honor she might win to herself and her kingdom forever, by thus extending the sway of botham. Robertson. HOW AND WHEN DISCOVERED. PART I. tion. the church, increasing its treasures, and bringing within Introducits sacred pale the benighted and degraded people of unknown and heathen lands. prise. This was the moment of all others the most opportune, and the appeal was not idly or ineffectually made. Isabella ordered Columbus to be recalled, declared that Isabella pledges he should be employed on his own terms, and entered herself to so enthusiastically into his speculations, that, on Ferdi- the enter nand's suggesting the almost exhausted condition of the treasury, she replied, "I will assume the undertaking for my own crown of Castile, and am ready to pawn my jewels to defray the expense of it, if the funds of the treasury should be found inadequate." Prescott, With this she magnanimously stript her jewels from her person and extended them to St. Angel, who was so overjoyed at the enthusiasm of the Queen that he seized and kissed her hand, and engaged on his own responsibility to advance the monies required, rather than that such an enterprise should be lost or frustrated. vol. 2. receives While these scenes were enacting at the court of Spain, Columbus was proceeding on his way towards England wholly ignorant of the efforts which his friends Columbus were making in his behalf. When the courier of the the patronQueen overtook him and announced the resolution in age of Isabella, his favor, he was completely overpowered by the unex- 1492. pected intelligence. He repaired at once to Santa Fe where he soon forgot the wrongs and indignities he had suffered during eight tedious years of fruitless negociation for patronage, in the prospect of and preparations for his splendid enterprise. The terms and conditions for the adventure were concluded on the seventeenth day of April, 1492, as follows: I. Ferdinand and Isabella, as sovereigns of the ocean, Terms of appointed Columbus high-admiral in all the seas, islands the first enterprise and continents which he might discover and conquer, of Columguaranteeing the office to him and his heirs forever, with the privilege of prefixing to their names the bus. PART I. tion. Terms of the enterprise. NORTH AMERICA, Introduc- titles of dons, admirals, viceroys, governors, with the like prerogatives possessed and enjoyed by the highadmiral of Castile, within the limits of his jurisdiction. II. If for the better administration of affairs in any such islands or territories, it should be necessary to establish a separate authority, Columbus should have the privilege of naming three persons, and the crown to appoint one of the three nominated, to the office of governor or viceroy thereof. Columbus' age, 1492. III. The tenth part of all minerals, and of the free profits accruing from the productions or commerce of or with such countries, was given to Columbus and his heirs forever. IV. If any controversy, or law-suit, should arise with regard to any mercantile transaction, in any such country, it should be determined by the sole authority of Columbus, or by judges appointed by him. V. Columbus to be entitled to an additional oneeighth part of the profits as aforesaid, provided he advanced an eighth part of the cost of the expedition. Under these favorable auspices Christopher Columfirst voy bus embarked, on the third day of August, 1492, on the bosom of that hitherto, unmeasured ocean which stretched off from the shores of the old world into the unexplored regions lying towards the setting of the sun, pledging himself to his patrons, by sailing in that directhis expe- tion, to discover another Continent in the Western Hemisphere, or else to disclose a new and more expeditious route to the Indian Ocean. Aim of dition. The re sults of his explorations. I do not propose to enter into a detail of his adventures. It is sufficient for my purpose to remark, that the astonishing results of his explorations disclosed to mankind the existence of a country and tribes of men hitherto unknown to civilized society, and awakened among the rival powers of Europe a bolder spirit of enterprise and adventure: Each became ambitious to extend its dominions, to develope its resources, and to HOW AND WHEN DISCOVERED. PART I. enrich its treasury; and each fitted out its expeditions Introducfor exploration and discovery. tion. England in how origi son. sals of Co how re The application of Columbus, by his brother Bartholo- Interest of mew, to Henry VII., though it gained him no patronage, America was not without its beneficial effects. When it was pro-nated. posed to him the sagacious monarch comprehended at once the magnificent project,* and entered warmly into * Robertthe designs of its author. The subject became a topic of free conversation and frequent discussion in his The propoCourt, the attention of scientific men was directed lumbus to towards it, and a spirit of research and inquiry was Henry VII. awakened and cultivated. The return of Columbus, ceived. the triumphant and successful issue of his voyage, the discovery of a new and inhabited region beyond the Effect of sea, and his descriptions of the countries in it which he had visited-which even in reality seemed far to surpass the brightest visions of the imaginationt-and the pres- + See Irving's Coence of a few of the strange natives vouching the vera-lumbus. city of his statements, roused the attention of the whole of Europe, and the Crown of England eagerly assented to the application of some of its subjects to embark in a similar enterprise. these ex plorations. Naval Sci ence in But her attainments in the art of navigation were not now such as to enable her own subjects to carry out these purposes of exploration. For the space of two centuries, while commerce and the mechanic arts State of were making a steady progress in the north and the south of Europe, England had remained almost insen-England. sible to the advantages of her position, and looked with indifference on those projects and arts which have since become her boast, her pride, and her power. While other nations had been busily promoting the interests of trade and navigation, she had remained inactive, unaltered, and unimproved: Her own ships and seamen had not ventured out of sight of her coasts, while her mariners and her merchants were hardly acquainted with the distant ports of Europe.* *Bigland. Such being her condition, it became necessary, in Robertson. |