American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-16
AMERICAN ELIEGR,APH
America and the OLD w orId.

errors of the men of the Old World with re,
spect to the New, may justly claim some atten,
ton in connexion with our articles on the Cot
ton Plant. If the man of the New World in
the United States has made essential improve
.ments in governments and laws, and in the use
full arts, Notwithstanding the accusations of in
feriority that were made against him for
merly, and which not so directly now, but often
still by implication, continue to be made against
him, then it will prove q feicitous circumstance
to Africa if these 4 improvements be trans.
planted I'd. her Shores. We are not Of thos
who believe that the obstacle to the negro's pro
gress lies in his physical organization. He has
undoubtedly, made much progress under the
tuition of the whites since he has been SO init
mately associated with them in this country.
His heathenism has been the origin of his infe-
riority; but transfer him to the tropical eli
mates, and place him there in circumstances
favorable to his improvement, and he also will
advance in, civilization. There is propriety
in this work being done by people who them
selves excel in the art of government and in
mechanical skill, and such a people we shall
endeavor to show the people of the United
States to be. And here we shall quote ibe-
rally (although reserving much to be said in
the sequel) from the very able, and, in general,
pertinent observations on this general subject,
of Mr.. Williams, author of History of Ver-
mont. The accusations of American inferiority
were rife in his time, (forty-iye years ago. as
well as for long period anterior. Wegive as a
specimen of these accusations the remarks of
the Abbe Raynal, and, in connexion with them,
the conclusive reply of Mr.. Williams:
".It has been an opinion often adopted by
the historians and philosophers of Europe, that
oil the animals inAmerica are inferior in every
thing which constitutes their proper perfection,
to those of the same species in Europe. Nj. de
Button has ayowed this sentiment in it's fullest
extent. Copying from him, most of the Euro
pean writers have embraced and repeated the
same hypothesis. To add something new to the
conjecture, the Able Raynal has wished to find
some marks Of degradation in the Europeans
themselves, when removed into America J; that
he might from that circumstance deduce a con-
clusion, that there was something naturally de-
fcient and degrading in the American climate
with regard to the productions and powers of
animal life.
'tAmong other passages, the following are
remarkable for the singularity of the sentimcn,
and expression: While tyranny and perse
scution were destroying population in Europe
British America was beginning to be peoplet
with three sorts of inhabitants. The frs
class consist of freemen 1t is the most nu-
merous, but hitherto it has visibly degen-
Grated. The Creole, in general, though ha-
: bituated to the climate from their cradle, are
not robust and fit for labor, nor SO powerful
: in war, as the European, whether it be that
they have not the improvements of education,
or that they are softened by nature. In that
foreign cline the mind is enervated as well as
the body; endued with quickness and early
penetration, it easily apprehends, but wants
steadiness, and is not used to continued thought
: lit must be matter of astonishment to find
that America has not yet produced good
poet, an able mathematician, or a man of
genius in any single art or science. They pos
sess, in general, a readiness for acquiring the
knowledge of every art or science, but none of
them shows a decisive talent for one in par
ticular Is it possible that, although the Gre
oles educated with US have every one of them
good sense, or at least the most part of them,
yet not one should have arisen to any great
degree Of perfection in the slightest pursuit
and that, among such as have stayed in theil
own country, no one has distinguished himself
by n confirmed superiority in those talents
which lead to fame z Has nature then pun
ished them for having crossed the ocean Are
they people degenerated by transplanting,
by growth, and by mixtures"
Such is the account which the Able Ray
nal gives of the degradation which has come
upon the descendants of Europe in America. 1t
may afford amusement to an nquisitive mind to
examine the observations, and investigate what
has been the fact with regard to the descend
ants of those Europeans who settled in the
United States of America and we know not
how to conduct the inquiry upon fairer prin-
ciples, than to endeavor to ascertain what has
been the effect with regard to their government,
religion, population, and those arts which tend
the most to render human life more easy and
happy
"With regard to civil government. When
10 ""an ~ Europe came into America they
brought with them no other idea or senumvnts
rs to the nature or form of civil government,
than those Of the European monarchies. He
reditary monarchy was the established form of
government in all the Kingdoms from which the
irst settlers in America came. The authority
of the monarch was then everywhere esteemed
MS sacred and divine, something derived imme-
diately from the God of kings, not at all depend
ant upon or derived from the people, but re-
served, appropriated and impaired by the Crea-
tor of all, to certain European families called
noble and royal. Firmly believing in, and
deeply impressed with these ideas, the Spaniards,
the French, and the English, came into what,
in the singular language of Europe, was called
the newworld, and they everywhere attempted to
establish the same system and form of govern
ment And behold the first mark of their de
graduation in the American climate Believing
in monarchy, with all its high distinctions and
claims, of uncorrupted and noble and royal
blood, they Immediately found the distinctions
and privileges annexed to it were unnatural
useless and foolish Their business was to clear
up the land, to plant the country, and to provide
food and raiment. To men engaged in such
necessary and useful empleyments, nature and
situation suggested the vanity and folly Of the
European distinctions and titles and they saw
at once, that man was not any better for being