most　cruelly　misrepresented　and　slandered；　and　in　the　general
  disappointment；　and　the　constant　drain　upon　the　mother　country　to
  support　the　colony；　his　enemies　gained　the　ear　of　his　sovereigns；
  and　strong　doubts　arose　in　their　minds　about　his　capacity　for
  government。　　So　a　royal　commission　was　sent　out；an　officer　named
  Bovadilla；　with　absolute　power　to　examine　into　the　state　of　the
  colony；　and　supplant；　if　necessary；　the　authority　of　Columbus。　　The
  result　was　the　arrest　of　Columbus　and　his　brothers；　who　were　sent
  to　Spain　in　chains。　　What　a　change　of　fortune！　　I　will　not　detail
  the　accusations　against　him；　just；　or　unjust。　　It　is　mournful
  enough　to　see　the　old　man　brought　home　in　irons　from　the　world　he
  had　discovered　and　given　to　Spain。　　The　injustice　and　cruelty　which
  he　received　produced　a　reaction；　and　he　was　once　more　kindly
  received　at　court；　with　the　promise　that　his　grievances　should　be
  redressed　and　his　property　and　dignities　restored。
  Columbus　was　allowed　to　make　one　more　voyage　of　discovery；　but
  nothing　came　of　it　except　renewed　troubles；　hardships；　dangers；　and
  difficulties；　wars　with　the　natives；　perils　of　the　sea；
  discontents；　disappointments；　and　when　at　last　he　returned　to
  Spain；　in　1504；broken　with　age　and　infirmities；　after　twelve
  years　of　harassing　cares；　labors；　and　dangers　（a　checkered　career
  of　glory　and　suffering）；nothing　remained　but　to　prepare　for　his
  final　rest。　　He　had　not　made　a　fortune；　he　had　not　enriched　his
  patrons；but　he　had　discovered　a　continent。　　His　last　days　were
  spent　in　disquieting　and　fruitless　negotiations　to　perpetuate　his
  honors　among　his　descendants。　　He　was　ever　jealous　and　tenacious　of
  his　dignities。　　Ferdinand　was　polite；　but　selfish　and　cold；　nor　can
  this　calculating　prince　ever　be　vindicated　from　the　stain　of　gross
  ingratitude。　　Columbus　died　in　the　year　1506；　at　the　age　of　sixty；
  a　disappointed　man。　　But　honors　were　ultimately　bestowed　upon　his
  heirs；　who　became　grandees　and　dukes；　and　intermarried　with　the
  proudest　families　of　Spain；　and　it　is　also　said　that　Ferdinand
  himself；　after　the　death　of　the　great　navigator；　caused　a　monument
  to　be　erected　to　his　memory　with　this　inscription：　〃To　Castile　and
  Leon　Columbus　gave　a　new　world。〃　　But　no　man　of　that　century　needed
  less　than　Columbus　a　monument　to　perpetuate　his　immortal　fame。
  I　think　that　historians　belittle　Columbus　when　they　would　excite
  our　pity　for　his　misfortunes。　　They　insult　the　dignity　of　all
  struggling　souls；　and　make　utilitarians　of　all　benefactors；　and
  give　false　views　of　success。　　Few　benefactors；　on　the　whole；　were
  ever　more　richly　rewarded　than　he。　　He　died　Admiral　of　the　Seas；　a
  grandee　of　Spain；having　bishops　for　his　eulogists　and　princes　for
  his　mourners；the　founder　of　an　illustrious　house；　whose　name　and
  memory　gave　glory　even　to　the　Spanish　throne。　　And　even　if　he　had
  not　been　rewarded　with　material　gains；　it　was　enough　to　feel　that
  he　had　conferred　a　benefit　on　the　world　which　could　scarcely　be
  appreciated　in　his　lifetime；a　benefit　so　transcendent　that　its
  results　could　be　seen　only　by　future　generations。　　Who　could
  adequately　pay　him　for　his　services；　who　could　estimate　the　value
  of　his　gift？　　What　though　they　load　him　to…day　with　honors；　or　cast
  him　tomorrow　into　chains？that　is　the　fate　of　all　immortal
  benefactors　since　our　world　began。　　His　great　soul　should　have
  soared　beyond　vulgar　rewards。　　In　the　loftiness　of　his　self…
  consciousness　he　should　have　accepted；　without　a　murmur；　whatever
  fortune　awaited　him。　　Had　he　merely　given　to　civilization　a　new
  style　of　buttons；　or　an　improved　envelope；　or　a　punch　for　a　railway
  conductor；　or　a　spring　for　a　carriage；　or　a　mining　tool；　or　a
  screw；　or　revolver；　or　reaper；　the　inventors　of　which　have　〃seen
  millions　in　them；〃　and　been　cheated　out　of　his　gains；　he　might　have
  whimpered　over　his　wrongs。　　How　few　benefactors　have　received　even
  as　much　as　he；　for　he　won　dignities；　admiration；　and　undying　fame。
  We　scarcely　know　the　names　of　many　who　have　made　grand　bequests。
  Who　invented　the　mariner's　compass？　　Who　gave　the　lyre　to　primeval
  ages；　or　the　blacksmith's　forge；　or　the　letters　of　the　alphabet；　or
  the　arch　in　architecture；　or　glass　for　windows？　　Who　solved　the
  first　problem　of　geometry？　　Who　first　sang　the　odes　which　Homer
  incorporated　with　the　Iliad？　　Who　first　turned　up　the　earth　with　a
  plough？　　Who　first　used　the　weaver's　shuttle？　　Who　devised　the
  cathedrals　of　the　Middle　Ages？　　Who　gave　the　keel　to　ships？　　Who
  was　the　first　that　raised　bread　by　yeast？　　Who　invented　chimneys？
  But　all　ages　will　know　that　Columbus　discovered　America；　and　his
  monuments　are　in　every　land；　and　his　greatness　is　painted　by　the
  ablest　historians。
  But　I　will　not　enlarge　on　the　rewards　Columbus　received；　or　the
  ingratitude　which　succeeded　them；　by　force　of　envy　or　from　the
  disappointment　of　worldly　men　in　not　realizing　all　the　gold　that　he
  promised。　　Let　me　allude　to　the　results　of　his　discovery。
  The　first　we　notice　was　the　marvellous　stimulus　to　maritime
  adventures。　　Europe　was　inflamed　with　a　desire　to　extend
  geographical　knowledge；　or　add　new　countries　to　the　realms　of
  European　sovereigns。
  Within　four　years　of　the　discovery　of　the　West　India　Islands　by
  Columbus；　Cabot　had　sailed　past　Newfoundland；　and　Vasco　da　Gama　had
  doubled　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　the
  Portuguese　empire　in　the　East　Indies。　　In　1499　Ojeda；　one　of　the
  companions　of　Columbus；　and　Amerigo　Vespucci　discovered　Brazil。　　In
  1500　Cortereal；　a　Portuguese；　explored　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence。
  In　1505　Francesco　de　Almeira　established　factories　along　the　coast
  of　Malabar。　　In　1510　the　Spaniards　formed　settlements　on　the
  mainland　at　Panama。　　In　1511　the　Portuguese　established　themselves
  at　Malacca。　　In　1513　Balboa　crossed　the　Isthmus　of　Darien　and
  reached　the　Pacific　Ocean。　　The　year　after　that；　Ponce　de　Leon　had
  visited　Florida。　　In　1515　the　Rio　de　la　Plata　was　navigated；　and　in
  1517　the　Portuguese　had　begun　to　trade　with　China　and　Bengal。　　As
  early　as　1520　Cortes　had　taken　Mexico；　and　completed　the　conquest
  of　that　rich　country　the　following　year。　　In　1522　Cano
  circumnavigated　the　globe。　　In　1524　Pizarro　discovered　Peru；　which
  in　less　than　twelve　years　was　completely　subjugated；the　year　when
  California　was　discovered　by　Cortes。　　In　1542　the　Portuguese　were
  admitted　to　trade　with　Japan。　　In　1576　Frobisher　sought　a　North…
  western　passage　to　India；　and　the　following　year　Sir　Francis　Drake
  commenced　his　more　famous　voyages　under　the　auspices　of　Elizabeth。
  In　1578　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　colonized　Virginia；　followed　rapidly
  by　other　English　settlements；　until　before　the　century　closed　the
  whole　continent　was　colonized　either　by　Spaniards；　or　Portuguese；
  or　English；　or　French；　or　Dutch。　　All　countries　came　in　to　share
  the　prizes　held　out　by　the　discovery　of　the　New　World。
  Colonization　followed　the　voyages　of　discovery。　　It　was　animated　by
  the　hope　of　finding　gold　and　precious　stones。　　It　was　carried　on
  under　great　discouragements　and　hardships　and　unforeseen
  difficulties。　　As　a　general　thing；　the　colonists　were　not
  accustomed　to　manual　labor；　they　were　adventurers　and　broken…down
  dependents　on　great　families；　who　found　restraint　irksome　and　the
  drudgeries　of　their　new　life　almost　unendurable。　　Nor　did　they
  intend；　at　the　outset；　permanent　settlements；　they　expected　to
  accumulate　gold　and　silver；　and　then　return　to　their　country。　　They
  had　sought　to　improve　their　condition；　and　their　condition　became
  forlorn。　　They　were　exposed　to　sickness　from　malaria；　poor　food；
  and　hardship；　they　were　molested　by　the　natives　whom　they
  constantly　provoked；　they　were　subject　to　cruel　treatment　on　the
  part　of　royal　governors。　　They　melted　away　wherever　they　settled；
  by　famine；　disease；　and　war；　whether　in　South　or　North　America。
  They　were　discontented　and　disappointed；　and　not　easily　governed；
  the　chieftains　quarrelled　with　each　other；　and　were　disgraced　by
  rapacity　and　cruelty。　　They　did　not　find　what　they　expected。　　They
  were　lonely　and　desolate；　and　longed　to　return　to　the　homes　they
  had　left；　but　were　frequently　without　means　to　return；doomed　to
  remain　where　they　were；　and　die。　　Colonization　had　no　dignity　until
  men　went　to　the　New　World　for　religious　liberty；　or　to　work　upon
  the　soil。　　The　conquest　of　Mexico　and　Peru；　however；　opened　up　the
  mining　of　gold　and　silver；　which　were　finally　found　in　great
  abundance。　　And　when　the　richness　of　these　countries　in　the
  precious　metals　was　finally　established；　then　a　regular　stream　of
  emigrants　flocked　to　the　American　shores。　　Gold　was　at　last　found；
  but　not　until　thousands　had　miserably　perished。
  The　mines　of　Mexico　and　Peru　undoubtedly　enriched　Spain；　and　filled
  Europe　with　envy　and　emulation。　　A　stream　of　gold　flowed　to　the
  mother　country；　and　the　caravels　which　transported　the　treasures　of
  the　new　world　became　objects　of　plunder　to　all　nations　hostile　to