Immortal morn, all hail! That saw Columbus sail By Faith alone! The skies before him bowed, Back rolled the ocean proud, And every lifting cloud With glory shone. Fair science then was born, On that celestial morn, Faith dared the sea; Triumphant over foes Then Truth immortal rose, New heavens to disclose, And earth to free. Strong Freedom then came forth, To liberate the earth And crown the right; So walked the pilot bold Upon the sea of gold, And darkness backward rolled, And there was light. _Hezekiah Butterworth_ All hail, Columbus, discoverer, dreamer, hero, and apostle! We here, of every race and country, recognize the horizon which bounded his vision, and the infinite scope of his genius. The voice of gratitude and praise for all the blessings which have been showered upon mankind by his adventure is limited to no language, but is uttered in every tongue. Neither marble nor brass can fitly form his statue. Continents are his monument, and unnumbered millions, past, present, and to come, who enjoy in their liberties and their happiness the fruits of his faith, will reverently guard and preserve, from century to century, his name and fame. _Chauncey Mitchell Depew_ Little wonder that the whole world takes from the life of Columbus one of its best-beloved illustrations of the absolute power of faith. To a faithless world he made a proposal, and the world did not hear it. To that faithless world he made it again and again, and at last roused the world to ridicule it and to contradict it. To the same faithless world he still made it year after year; and at last the world said that, when it was ready, it would try if he were right; to which his only reply is that he is ready now, that the world must send him now on the expedition which shall show whether he is right or wrong. The world, tired of his importunity, consents, unwillingly enough, that he shall try the experiment. He tries it; he succeeds; and the world turns round and welcomes him with a welcome which it cannot give to a conqueror. In a moment the grandeur of his plans is admitted, their success is acknowledged, and his place is fixed as one of the great men of history. Give me white paper! The sheet you use is black and rough with smears Of sweat and grime and fraud and blood and tears, Crossed with the story of men's sins and fears, Of battle and of famine all those years When all God's children have forgot their birth And drudged and fought and died like beasts of earth.