of Columbus, as he brings his lips to, and kneels
on, the blessed land he has discovered, that historic prayer which he
had prepared long in advance, and which all Catholic discoverers
repeated after him: "O Lord God, eternal and omnipotent, who by Thy
divine word hast created the heavens, the earth, and the sea! Blessed
and glorified be thy name and praised Thy majesty, who hast deigned by
me, thy humble servant, to have that sacred name made known and preached
in this other part of the world."

Behold the true knight of the cross, with cross-hilted sword in hand,
the name of Jesus on his lips, the glory of Jesus in his heart. He does
not say a word of the glory which, from the discovery, is bound to
accrue to the name of Spain and to his own name; every word is directed
to, and asking for, the glory of the name of Jesus.

The great discoverer has knelt down, kissed the ground, and said his
prayer; now, look at that Catholic Spanish sailor standing up, in
commanding dignity, and planting his Catholic cross and his Spanish flag
on the discovered land; what does it mean? It means--the Spanish flag in
America for a time, and the Catholic cross in America forever.

Hail, flag of the discoverer! Spanish flag, the flag of the noble and
the daring. That Spanish flag came here first, had its glorious day, and
still in glory went back. Hail, Catholic cross! the cross of the
discoverer. That cross is not to go back, as the Spanish flag; no, not
even in glory. About that cross, only two simple words, and that settles
it; that Catholic cross is here to stay. Hail, American flag!
star-spangled banner; the banner of the brave and of the free. That one,
our own flag, came long after the Spanish flag, but we trust came to
stay as long as the Catholic cross--until doom's-day.

Honor to the lady, Queen Isabella the Catholic. Among all illustrious
women, Isabella alone has been graced with the title of "the
Catholic,"--a peerless title! And truly did she deserve the peerless
title, the lady who threw heart and soul, and, over and above, her gold,
in the discovery by which, out of the spiritual domains of the Catholic
church, the sun sets no more; the lady who paved the way over the
bounding sea to the great discoverer. Bright and energetic lady! She at
once understood Columbus and stood resolute, ready to pave him the way
even with her jewels. Listen to her words: "I undertake the enterprise
for my own crown of Castille, and I will p