The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-08


This table is truly valuable, and the author has
laid the world under Obligations by his silent and
persevering endeavors. The facts to be noted, and
the Legitimate conclusions to be drawn, are these:
/. The susceptibility of the human frame-the
skull at cast-to be modified by climate, morals,
and intelligence. The Saxons migrated to Eng
land and from thence, after several ages, to Anne
RIGA. All therefore of one stock; but note the
diversity of size in the brain The English, modi-
fed by their peculiar position, arc to the German
and to our own SO to 90 Again, the native
African, and the American African, are to each
other as SO TO s2 Plainly, such comparisons DO
prove original diversity of the race, but its
great susceptibility of modification. They go
directly and strongly to explain how different ma
tons and tribes, originally one and the same, may
in time be made to change most widely In their
structure and appearance one from another.
2. There is no need of different origins for the
human race. DIR. Morton and others suppose that
different localities and climates require men OF a
radically different structure to be adapted Tor them
But we see by the above table how plastic is the
nature of man-how his constitution is made to
change with circumstances-how new habits be-
come a second nature to him-and how such second
nature and new forms may be propagated through
showed, by full statistical tables, how the white
race has become accustomed TO endure the abors
of the field under direct tropical sun on the island
of Porto Rico. Cuba furnishes similar proof.
3. Between different nations there is not so wide
a diversity az between different individuals of the
same nation, The English and the Hottentot, both
fellow subjects of her majesty, show difference OF
81 cubic inches. But see how closely the gap is
filled by the nsensible gradations: we repeat the
mean numbers in the tablets, 79, 80, 50, SO, "a,
Sc, 81, SO, 90, sc. The extremes between ndivid-
uals Of the same nation are generally much farther
apart than 81 inches; we calculate them thus: Ia,
l5 10, 10, 20, 81, 49, a. Is, %, %, 80, 3D. 49, a.
Reasoning in this manner, therefore, we have
stronger grounds TO say that different individuals
of the same nation sprung from different original
source, than to say the like of any two nations.
How oddly great men sometimes reason!
4. There seems to be a connexion between the
size Of the brain and the elevation Of the races
pecially such elevation relates to pocer and IN
flence. The mean size of the Caucasian brain Is
SO cubic inches that of the negro, 80, and that OF
| the feeble Mexicans, Peruvans, Hottentots and
Australians, 49, II is much TO be regretted that so
small number OF English and American crania
have been examned-only five Of the one and seven
Of the other--plainly an indecisive number. But
Dr. Morton is not to blame, for with his own hands
he has measured 623l What an employment And
into what will not the curious spirit OF philosophy
next attempt to pryi We believe some striking
| and useful results would be arrived at by such a
comparison between the two branches, John Rull
and Brother Jonathan, springing from the same
stock; especially if the dimensions OF the crania in
various directions taken. The American head
is higher and deeper from front to back, we think,
and the English broader and rcundcr.
8. The wide difference between individuals and
nations the largest individual measured ia, and
| the smallest 5S-the one about double the other |!
| The greatest difference between two nations on
their average is 2l-quite large their differ
| ence on the political or intellectual scale. How
wonderfully subject both TO degradation and
| 10 Improvement These investigations have an
4 important bearing on education theories, and
measures for the moral and physical improvement
of the country. They speak loudly in favor of re-
| ligion, knowledge and civilization Let them be
carried on until every nation shall be investigated
and compared. The causes Of these great modif-
| cations OF the brain-tbat vital organ-shoud be
| clearly and distinctly known. These causes, we
believe, moral and intellectual, existing TO
their aid many others which are purely physical !;
for very much in the physical world, even in local.
tiles and climates, is under human control. These
investigations may give new impulse TO the
moral elevation Of man. To suppose that disa-
| grccmcnt exist between the facts If Science
and revelation is preposterous How Is 1t possible,
| coming, as they both do, from the same great
/ sourcel The one must, from necessity, shed light
| on the other. We confess, indeed, that such sp-
pcations ofosteology-thcse scrutinies into "with
cred bones and skulls, and heaped-up dust" are
| not exactly like Hervcy's "Mcditations among
| the Tombs, but they come TO the same moral re-
suits, and lead practically, though with redoubled
| force, TO the same line Of conduct
Independently Of the Scriptures, the unityof the
human family IL evident from variety Of proofs:
I. The languages of all nations obviously de-
rived from the same stock; the confusion OF Babel
not great 10 destroy all trace Of an orgi-
/ nal community Of speech; and hence, no language
has yet been found TO stand alone disjoined from
| all others. BY searching out such words are
We may hope TO ascertain much Of tho original
| speech Of mankind.
II. The early history and traditions Of all nations
on the old continent, far they known, con-
in tracing their origin TO the region about east
i Of the Mediterranean. The American aborigines