Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-07-11

IeroClIy MN 10 MS VIII, ana ADAPT
! ing him TO his interest and convenience.
| Language, too, so happily adapted TO the
expression Of mans multarious conscious
ness, is altogether indispensable TO an accurate
definition OF n human being. 1t is the magic
lamp Of Aladdin, which gives 10 mind its use
fitness us well as form and mobility 10 thought,
and constitutes the worlds encbantment, in
the character Of intellectual reciprocity. Man
may, therefore, be defined an omniverous, gre
garous, contemplativo, talking, two-legged
animal, constituting distinct species, reIi.
! giously denomjnated immoras. Man is, per-
haps, the only animal in whom causaIty Is
sufficiently developed to establish an appre.
hension OF Deity, and therefore appropriately
doncminated the only religious one; which
consideration may be entitled TO more respect
than a superficial observer might willingly
concede.
Notwithstanding he indefinite diversity and
apparent incongruty Of the phenomena of
creation, nature il impressed with the immu-
liability Of Omnipotence; and passivey sub
servient 10 the iulalIIbiluy of cause and effect.
She has supplied man with aexibllity of ply
steal constitution which, under the advantage
Of gradual transition, enables him to bear with
apparent impunity every variety of climate and
vlcssitude OF season hence he may not, I'M
reasonably, be supposed, under every adms-
slbe inducement, during the lapse OF a thou
sand generations, 10 have cmigrated, in all di-
rections, far from the birthplace of his earliest
progenitors. He is the creature Of circumstance
& susceptible OF indefinite modification by the
external impulses to which he is necessarily
! subjected and though the problem of his
div Hrsity of ply steal and intellectual character
whetn,r Gctnepding upon distinctive orig mali.
tv or mon extri.sic circumstances, may be
OF 'ack nowled god dnscult SOLUTION, yet no sug.
geston has the advantage OF grester piausi'
blity than that OF Inc pentatnch, wHlch con-
necs the whole human race in the brother
hood Of consanguinity. 1t makes nothing,
however, TO our present inquiry, viz: whether
tho Ethiopian is a man, whether there arc five
or five hundred varieties Of mankind hni
whether he and the European are Of the Same
species; which should, long since, have been
settled in the mind OF every one whose edu-
cation is above his alphabet.
! That thesprncplos Of science should be
respected, and their suggestions implicitly o.
beyed, requires only, that they should be- dis
tinctly apprehended; and, therefore, if the
Ethiopian and the Brilon are included in the
Same specific definition, it would be prcposter-
Gus to bestow upon them different geological
epithets. They should alike be denomnated
men or beasts. Upon this subject science is,
especially, neither mystical nor coy-she has
emphaticalIy declared that the sexual produce
of an unnatural union of different species shall
become extinct in its own generation, and
therefore If tho mulatto retains the physical
ability to reproduce n successor, his parents,
howave diverse in complexion, or physiogno-
my, were incontroverlibly Of the same species.
And who will venture to deny the reproduce
Tive efficiency of any possible compound of
Afr can and American or European consan-
guinity7 The subject, therefore, Of homogen-
business, between black men and white, shonlL
cease 10 be agtatcd, until The established prin-
cpes of natural science, shall have been eff
fectually superseded and he who would at
tempt TO excuse the holding an African in bon
dage, from the consideration of specific differ
cnce between himself and his slave, is an out
law TO the commonwealth Of literature, and a
degraded serf Of dogmatical ignorance. The
sentiment, that the negro is not human be-
ing, very naturally arose in the minds Of our
semi-barbarous ancestors from tina! wide con-
trast of color which, TO Ignorance, seemed in
compatible with the identity Of species, but
science should blush that there is, at this day, a
single individual OF the American nation, tc
whom providence has not denied the natura
capacity Of even, an Ethiopian, from whom
this prejudice is not eradicated.
An admission, that the human race includes
different, and even numerous varieties, offers M
advantage 10 the advocate of slavery. Eacf
would, notwithstanding, be recognized IA men
and be entitled TO all mans inalienable priv
leges. No greater distinguishable difference
of structure or complexion, exists between th
negro and the aiistocraiic descendant of tn
magnanlmous pioneer OF American indepen
dence, than between the proud courser OF al
Arabian bandit and the vnlg gar rosinante OF
Canadian Frenchman. There are differen
varieties of the same species of animals de
, nominated horse, or more technically, eguu
caballus, distinguishing it from the species
equus asinus, or ass; and however different il
proportions, color or activity, yet TO degree q
improvement or degcneracy has ever bee
=, thought justification for change OF epilhe
Nor does the produce Of an admixture G
varieties lose any of the specific Characteristic
or appropriate functions of its progonors.-
On the other hand, the mule, or joint descen
dant Of the horse and ass, retains but imper
I lectly the pecularilies Of the parents, while III
function Of propagation has become altogethe
extinct; its history and existence terminstn
with single generation. Such, then, is tn
= criterion by which we are TO distinguish he
tween species and varieties OF beasts and mer
ITO be continued