Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-08-05

ton published in the Newport Daily News ol
| July 22d, "That the excavations reported were
made, no doubt can possibly exist, except in
the minds Of those who, from prejudice OF pol
icy, are disposed 10 withhold their assent "a
II established truths. Owing TO the necessary
absence of the Officers of the Army alluded To
and the removal by death of other witnes sses
in 1882, it might be difficult in come exion with
other causes, were the locations Of the survi.
vors known, 10 collect Mt this late day the lv-
ing testimony required, except perhaps in the
person of q Genoesc gentleman residing at
Newport, Ia Mr. Burtmer) and the gentleman.
lly proprietor of the Old Ruin in question -
These I am credbly informed by estimablc
citizens, are ready TO yield their testimony
should il be required" Antiquarian" ev-
identity receives much information from those
who are ignorant of the facts they state There
is no GenOese gentleman residing in Newport
nor any person OF the name stated by him.
This difficulty Of obtaining evidence of
the excavation of il had been made as stated,
IN presence of the officers of the army then
stationed here and u number Of scientific gen.
tlemcn of Newport, is all subterfuge; there are
many ofthc officers Of the army then stationed
here now living and within the reach of the
mail or of the lightning line; and pray whore
is the eminent citizen Of Newport of less years
than your ancient friend whose communication
placed the question in the clcarcst light where
in he said that he WAS present at the time al
udcd To, with Lieut. Barber Of the Army and
enjoyed also the personal acquaintance and re-.
gard of Professor s where is he has he been
taken away by death within lew weeks only
which has elapsed since he made the communi-
cation Let him come forward and give his
affidavit voluntarily, rs he made the commu-
nication alluded to. Neither the gentlemanig
proprietor of The old Ruin nor any other person
who regards his hon0r will testify to the exca
vaton stated IN the report. Nor can sim
gle individual be found, here or elsewhere, who
IS acquainted with the location of the old ruin,
and who has read the report alluded to, who
would endorse it as correct or certify to its
correctness. Does Antiquarian suppose
that the people of this vicinity who are ac-
quain,ed with all the facts and could not be
deceived by such fictitious reports would re-
nounce their own opinions deliberately formed,
aud go to the Royal Society of Antiquarians
at Copenhagen" which has been most grossly
deceived, TO correct their opinions from the
records of the College. Antiquarian says
The Report Of Professor Scrobien, as the re-.
suit of his mission was communicated to the
Royal Society four years previous to that of the
Committee ofwhch Professors Rapn and Gra-
etz constituted a ma jority which latter embody
ing that of Prof Scrobien was approved by the
according to the report Of committee read be-
fore the Royal Society of Antiquarians at Co.
pcnhagcn, it is conclusivcly established that
the race of men who built the old tower at
Newport were the offspring of Qbe Northmcn)
emigrants from the st. Lawrence, prior to
the year l070--I075. 1t was the report OF
Prof Scrobcn, which has been undeniably
proved 10 be false and groundcss, by which
the Royal College Of fAntiquarians was imposed
upon and deceived, but considering it correct
and true, coming regularly before the college
in the report of a Committee of distinguished
members Of the Society as the report of Prof
Scrobcn and as the result Of an important
mission to which he had been appointed by the
unanimous vote of the college four yeais be-
fore. The Report Of the Committee cmbody-
ing that ofProiessor Scroben wasapproved by
the Royal College, and was published by them
| in con JUNCTION with other information under
the title of" Antiquities Americanae,' copies
Of which were presented to many "lterary
J Institutions in New England" probably
elsewhere. The source being thus corrupt
cd, the poison was disseminated throughout
the world in general. "To rebut this, says
Antiquarian, "evdence is useless, argument
is unnecessary. Can it be supposed, the idea
is for an instant TO be harbored that man pos.
sessing the high literary requirements Of Prof
Scrobien, enjoying world wide reputation,
occupying the exalted position of "Professor
Geologiae" in one of the chief literary institu-
tions of Europe, position in point Of celebrity
second to none and attanable but by
few, should under any pretence practice dis
stimulation and deceit, which would enc vitably
result in degradation, and disgrace or can il
be admitted that the Royal College, during the
interval of six years, which transpires from the
promugation of the Report of Professors Ra.
pin and Gractz, to the publication of " Anti.
quatos Americana" holding an unnterrupt-
ed correspondence with similar Institutions in
this country and especially with the Historical
Society of Rhode Island, should not have dis.
covered so immense a fraud had it existed -
Certainly, the fraud was practsed on the
Committee of the Royal College in the first
place by the false and grcundless report of
Professor Scrobien, (Which had been very
probably palmed off upon him as before sur
mised,) aud innocently reported by him as the
result of his labors, and received by the Com
mittee as a true report, which four years after
n majority ofthe Committee, Professors Rapin
aud Graetz, embodied in a report submitted to
the Royal College, without suspicion of the
fraud, and which the Royal College believing
to be correct, and unsuspicious of fraud approv.
ed, recorded, and published in their work un-
der the title of ".lntjqnatos .4mericanae," and
distributed among similar Institutions, where it
was accepted a scorrect froma source whence il
came, without suspicion of the fraud, and with
out the means of detecting it, 1t is doubted fI
n copy of" Antiquator Amcricanae was pre-
scnted to the Historical Society Of Rhode Is.
land because that Socicty, The renerabie Pres-
dent of it, or any one of It's members, could
not hut have discovered the imposition upon
the Royal College, &c, at Copenhagen, and
would undoubtedly have exposed it for if the
members Of the II. |. Historical Society are not
aware that no excavations around the old ruin
were ever made, stated in the report at.
lribued TO Prof. Scrobcn (without which ex.
cavations the discoveries could not have been
as represented in the report alluded TOY every
one must know that the Island was never
much narrower than at present, and that the
tide never could have ebbcd and flowed in
close proximity TO the pretended temple, in
the vicinity Of the ruin, which is more than
seventy feet perpendicular height above tide
water in the Harbor, and 100 rods from the
shore. This alone, is sufficient to condemn
the report as fictitious. When the facts stated
in this communication shall be represented TO
The Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copen-
hagen as they assuredly WILDE if the Royal
College does not rctract the position they have
assumed in consequence of the imposition, and