The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-06-17

al EruSoLoGicAL SOCIETY," OF New YoRK.--This
a ociety, which is of very recent formation, has jus
s; published volume of its transactions, which does
finite credit TO its members. The President is the
n 'snerable Albert Gallatin, who, as statesman and
q cholar, omms tula punctum.
q Ethnoogy or Ethnography as a SCIENCE has for its
'bect the study Of manhis natural history, social
lablts, and political organizations. The proper cas
licaon OF men into races and families, cannot be
scientifically made, without an analysis of their in
ntely diversified languages and forms Of speech
lence, philology may be ranked as department Of
| typography. On the continent of Europe, this
cience has, within a few years, attained an
ninent degree OF importance. chronological
ocieties have been formed in Paris and London
Chat of the former capital published the first volume
fits transactions two years ago The latter il is
'elieved, has not yet published any papers. There
remarkable fact recorded in the Paris volume
20 show that different races of men may be distn
uished by their peculiar organs of articulation, for
enturles after they have migrated from their ORR
inal habiats. The writer says, that the celebrated
lnguist, the Cardinal Mezzofanti, at Rome, can de
ect the ancestry Of an Englishman from his pronun
,iation, and tell him whether his forefathers were
Cells, Saxons, or Normans. The Cardinal Mezzo
anti speaks forty or fifty languages, not imperfect
y, but correctly, has been attested by natives of
is many different countries. His Holiness the Pope
calls him miracle tongues. This faculty of de-
Getting the original source of migrating families
will hardly be questioned
The present volume Of the American Ethnologl-|
cal Society will establish another claim to the con-
slderatlon and respect OF the world for American
science. 1t contains the following articles IL The
nations Of Mexico, Yucatan, and Cen
trail America, by Albert Gallatin. II. Ancient Re.
mains In Tennessee, showing the very curious fac
that the Phallic worship prevailed among the In
dams of that region, by DR.. Troost III The Crave
Creek Tumulus, Pyramid, or Mound of WESTERN
Virginia, by Mr.. Schoolcraft. w. Himyaritic In
scriptions of Southern Arabia by Professor Turner
Hebrew Instructor in the Union Theological Semi
nary of New York. V. The Punico-Libyan Monu-
ment of Dugga, in the Kingdom Of Tunis, by Mr.
The essay of Mr. Galatin is monument of
learning and philosophc sagacity. He shows con-
clusively, by analysis of all the languages oil
North and Central America, that they belong, gram
to the same family, however they may
differ exicay, or in words He very logically infers
from their total dissimilarity from all other lam
guages, as far as known, Asiatic or European, that
if we are to look to those quarters for the origin of
the Indians we must place that origin as near the
first dispersion of the human race as our chronology
will allow. His analysis of Mexican hierogyphics.
astronomy and chronology, arts and science, is too
elaborate for this short notice HIS argument, how
ever, against the foreign origin of Mexican astrone
|my is, to our minds, conclusive.
He says but very little Of the lapidary inscription
found in the Grave Creek Pyramid, and described
by Mr.. Schoocraft That inscription has been sup
posed to be Runic, Celtic, Iberian, or Numidian
Doubt upon the authenticity of that inscription,
as of Indian origin.
We cannot say more of this admirable volume, in
a short notice. 1t is on sale at Bartlett and Wei
ford's, and recommends itself to general patronage