the belief of their inhabitants in idolatry, and from receiving amongst
them "sects of perdition." After the above statement, he adds, "Your
highnesses, as Catholic Christians and princes, lovers and furtherers of
the Christian faith, and enemies of the sect of Mahomet, and of all
idolatries and heresies, thought to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the
aforesaid provinces of India to see the aforesaid princes, the cities and
lands, and the disposition of them and of everything about them, and the
way that should be taken to convert them to our holy faith."


GOOD FAITH OF COLUMBUS.

Columbus then speaks of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain as occurring
at the same time as that in which he received orders to pursue a westerly
course to India, thus combining the two transactions together, no doubt as
proofs of the devout intentions of their highnesses: and, indeed,
throughout the document, he ascribes no motives to the monarchs but such
as were religious.

The diary to which this address was prefixed is probably one of the books
which their highnesses allude to in a letter to Columbus, as being in
their possession, and which they assured him they had not shown to
anybody. I see no reason to doubt the perfect good faith of Columbus in
making such a statement as that just referred to; and it is well to remark
upon it, because we shall never come to a right understanding of those
times and of the question of slavery as connected with them, unless we
fully appreciate the good as well as the bad motives which guided the most
important persons of that era.