Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-06-14

ANCIENT Ruins OF AMERIcA.--This
subject has from time to time attracted
a passing notice, from the period of the
European discovery Of our country, by
Columbus, up to the present moment.
Indian mounds and tumuli, in various
parts of North America, excited the
wonder Of the early colonists, and Of
some few casual observers, but the sub.
ject soon died away, in mere express
sion of vague surprise, and the comics.
sion of an inability to divine for what
these curious relics could have been
constructed. Some conceived them TO
be fortresses; others the cemeteries of
the aborigines but no profound re.
searches into their history, appear ever
to have been made. Caleb Atwater,
Esq, of Ohio, went further, perhaps,
than others. but still his inquiries pro.
we'd, like those of others, abortive; and
the design which, we believe, he en-.
tertained Of forming a museum Of such
relics as were found in these monu.
ments, was never carried into execu.
ton, as it should have been. Among
the articles dug up, have been rude va
SEES or jars OF we'll prepared earthen
pottery, it is said, arrow heads, &C.
| In more recent years, some travellers
have discovered the important ruins Of
| PaIenque, in Mexico, which, however,
though unsurpassed for unique and sin.
\ guar features, were not further inves.
tigated, from the difficulty Of obtaining
free access to that country while under
the dominion of Old Spain. A superb
work, however, was puylished in Lon
don by Lord Kingsbury, illustrating
these remarkable antiquities. From
thence the subject excited much notice
among the learned of Paris, which re.
suited in proposition which we regret
has not we believe been fulfilled, to
publish splendid volufbes with folio
| illustrations, on those and other anti.
quties Of the American continent
The scientific men of Copenhagen and
Stockholm also have recently turned
their attention towards this matter, and
have published an account of the early
voyages TO Greenland and our north
ern coast in the arctic seas. Since it
| has been conceded that this new world
may now perhaps boast Of an origin
more remote than that which has hith.
erto claimed precedence for seniority
on the other side the Atlantic, and
since il may be probable that while
they are in their green infancy, we are
in that interregnum which follows the
destruction of ancient empires, and
that our seas Of forests are like the Iii.
byian deserts only the tombs OF civil
zed generations that have passed away,
our country has advanced wonderfully
in the estimation Of Europeans. 1t is
no longer looked upon as the fag end
of creation, where the last efforts OF
the divine architect were slurred over
with careless and hurried hand. Eu.
ropeans now seem anxious who ofthem
shall claim the merit Of first visiting
this continent--not of discovering, that
belongs to Asia, unless she herself was
peopled from America. The copper
colored and yellow races Of aborlgines
Of the present day settle the questionso
far as regards the pretenslons OF the
sandy haired, blue-eyed, and falr-skin-
ned Anglo. Saxons and the undoubted
Asiatic origin of our aborigines by
Behring's Straits and from the islands
Of Australasia being indisputable, the
question reverts to the position assu-
med by some, whether an Immensely
populous and highly civilized race did
not long ago exist on our continent an
terror to the emigration from China,
Hindostan, &c. The ruins of Palenqne
by their pyramidal monuments, colos-
sal statues, and it is said inscriptions
indicate an Egyptian or Phenician or
igin. 1t is affirmed, however, that