The Statue of Cristopher Columbus
The Empress of France, Eugenia de Montijo, decided to send a gift to the Isthmian people, through her friend the former President of Colombia, General Cipriano Mosquera, of a full-sized statue of Admiral Christopher Columbus, discoverer of America.
The Bronze figure of Columbus is of heroic size, in the attitude of protecting, with his right hand surrounding the waist of a young and beautiful Indian girl - who symbolized America - crouches by his side. With his left hand he is apparently making a gesture of appeal or explanation. The countenance is noble and benign; while the face of the Indian maiden expresses wonder, with a mixture of alarm. After the fashion of a world largely indifferent to art, the nameof the sculptor has been lost, but the statue was cast in Turin, for Empress Eugenie, who gave it to the Republic of Colombia when the French took up the Canal work, to be erected at Colon.
The statue was shipped from Europe in early April 1870, (first voyage), accompanied by the special envoy of the Empress, Navy Captain E. Ferres, to make formal presentation of the gift. He arrived on the 29th of that month on the vessel, L'Emperatrice Eugenie.
The statue was allowed to remain in its case on Wharf No. 5, for two years, until in October, 1870, Sir Charles Bright came to Colon to land the cable that was give Colon its first telegraphic connection to the world. Mr. E.C. DuBois was then superintendent of the road, and in order to kill two birds with the same stone, he obtained the permission of the Panama Government to unpack the statue, and set it up as part of the celebration arranged in honor of Sir Charles and his cable.
A hasty pedestal, not more than two or three feet high, was built of brick, among the tracks of the railroad yard at Colon, and the statue placed thereon.
October 22, 1870, was the day appointed for the double event - the landing and the unveiling - and all the dignitaries of the Isthmus were invited to be present. General Buenaventura Correoso was then President of Panama. He came over with his suite, accompanied by the Catholic Bishop of Panama, and a crowd of notables.
But alas! there was a rain that day, the like of which the oldest habitant could not remember. It was a deluge. The people gathered, at least the few whose enthusiasm was waterproof, under umbrellas, around the statue, while the bishop offered prayer, and President Correoso delivered an oration. The writer of these sketches was to have read an address, but did not. There was a sudden adjournment - and champagne. Landing day was indeed a wet affair!
When Count de Lesseps arrived to inaugurate the Panama Canal, at the end of 1879, as he was of kin to the French Empress, and desired to glorify her and himself as much as possible, he asked and was granted permission to remove the monument from the railroad yard to the entrance of the new canal town, now known as Cristobal. There, it was placed in front of the residence of Count de Lesseps during his very short stay in that city. (Second voyage).
In June 1904 an agreement was reached to set boundaries between the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama, within the framework of the Hay-Buneau Varilla treaty. The Columbus statue, now located in the area of Cristobal was now under U. S. jurisdiction.
Because of this purely geographical accident, as of that moment, Panamanian officials began a protracted process of diplomatic negotiations to bring the statue onto Panamanian territory. But the Panama Canal Commission, backed by the Department of State in Washington, argued that included within those boundaries were all assets found there (for example, the statue), while Panama held a completely opposite view to that position.
Inasmuch as the diplomatic conflict was at an impasse and time was going by, the U. S. government suggested to place it on the dividing boundary line, in an effort to reach an amicable solution. Panama, however, did not accept this proposal.
The statue remained in the townsite of Cristobal until 1916 when the Government of Panama agreed to place it provisionally in the courtyard of the Washington Hotel, (third voyage). For many years it graced the architectural beauty of the famous hotel.
The arrival in Panama of Roy Tasco Davis as Minister of the United States to our country marked an important event in this struggle. The distinguished diplomat took special interest in ending the controversy. After various arrangements in Washington, he forwarded a note on May 31, 1930, to the Foreign Relations Secretary of Panama, Dr. Juan Demóstenes Arosemena. This note stated, "as it certainly seems that this statue is the property of Panama, the Government of the United States agrees to the immediate removal from its present site and relocation to any place that is satisfactory to the Government of His Excellency."
Once this situation was satisfactorily ended, it was decided to move the statue (fourth voyage) to a section of the Paseo Centenario between 2nd and 3rd streets in the city of Colon. It was placed on a beautiful base designed by Engineer Genaro Ruggieri, well known in Panama for having built many important works (the National Theater, the Government Palace, the Municipal Palace, etc.)
It was officially inaugurated on December 21, 1930, with the attendance of a distinguished audience that accompanied the President of the Republic, Engineer Florencio Harmodio Arosemena; Mr. Carlos M. Guevara, President of the National Assembly; and Dr. Manuel Herrera G., President of the Supreme Court of Justice to unveil the beautiful work of art, by pulling simultaneously on three cords.
Columbus, head lifted, pointing to the sea, overcame all obstacles and as a result of his goodwill his first voyage was rewarded with success, which he claimed for Castilla and León.
Nothing was more fitting than this beautiful statue of the Discoverer, a recognition from Empress Eugenie.
Equally fitting was the decision of the Government of Colombia at that time to give the name of this Genovese to the city that would be the custodian of such an important gift.
Curiously, Admiral Columbus made four voyages to the New World, and his statue was moved an equal number of times.
It seemed that finally, the Juan Demóstenes Arosemena Boulevard (formerly Paseo Centenario) would be the end of such a long pilgrimage, inasmuch as the statue has not been moved from there for over 62 years now.
