The Inception of tlie Plan. 181 



of the world, and there the theory of the spherical form of the 

 earth was sustained. Nothing is more worthy of mention, in a 

 similar case a few years after, than when Copernicus, who was 

 excommunicated by Rome because of his theory of the solar 

 system, applied to that university, its learned doctors answered 

 in this magnificent form : " Read Nicolaus Copernicus.^^ That is 

 the best defense of that scientific center, which was for centuries 

 the foremost in the world. 



You all know that Spain was consolidated by the marriage of 

 Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of Aragon and Castile. Por- 

 tugal was almost a part of Spain, as the King had married the 

 heiress of the throne of Spain, who unfortunately died without 

 succession — a misfortune that will never be regretted enough 

 by both nations. The only thing to be done by Ferdinand and 

 Isabella to finish their great plan was to drive the Mohammedans 

 from Granada ; but that conquest was extremely difficult, as the 

 cities when conquered were depopulated to be repopulated by 

 the conquerors. The last bulwark of the Moors in Spain was 

 so over-peopled by crowds ousted by the former conquests that 

 there were millions of inhabitants disposed to fight to the last, 

 as they had only the sea behind them. 



So strong was the struggle on both sides that Spain, instead 

 of keeping its soldiers in camps, built before Granada the city of 

 Santa Fe. King Ferdinand took his residence there, making 

 the conquest paramount to all other business. Queen Isabella, 

 going herself several times to bring supplies to the army, put all 

 her attention in that war ; and how is it possible that any serious 

 historian could think that under such circumstances these 

 sovereigns, being such great politicians, could support Colum- 

 bus or any other venture, whatever might have been the sorrows 

 of the man with whom the voyage was the only thought? 



The best proof that the voyage was not forgotten is that after 

 Granada was surrendered, on January 2, 1492, the capitulations 

 were signed on April 30 ; on August 3 the ships sailed from 

 Palos, and on October 12 of the same year Spain opened to the 

 New World the gates of history. 



And tell me when, before or since, in history have events gone 

 so quickly ? Tell me why to your great Fulton you delayed 

 twenty-two years to grant him in August, 1807, a patent to navi- 

 gate his steamer only for twelve months? Could you tell me 

 why, in the nineteenth century, the New York legislature was 



