Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-11-17
From the Scientific American.
The influeHr Of CiimateGnd Laws on Our People

The Influence Of Climate cand Laws on Our People.
The following is the abstract OF a lee
tue recently delivered In this city by
Prof Smith, on the influence of climate
and governments on the national charac
ter of the Ameri cans:-
"OId Hippocratus in his essay on the
external influences which affect the NOR
al and physical condition of man in the
formation of national character, has
carried out his inquiries so admirably
that no modern author has heen able 10
improve them. The form Of government
under which man lives is eminently cal
culated 10 exert al influence on his type
of character. The ancient Greeks and
Romans held up war US their idol. and
looked down with contempt on the less
glittering but more useful pursuits of hu
man industry. But not so with the Amer
icans--his god is not in the camp; and
whereas with the former, peace was the
exec eption-during the existence of this
country as nation, she has spent but
six years altogether in war. Hence it is
that America has no equal and no pre-
cedent. II would be interesting to in
quire whe Their. since America combined
many of the characteristics OF the ancient
and modern commonwealths. there is liz
the government of the United States
potentially which may inpart to the
American the elegant refinement. the
taste, genius, dialectic aCumen and rhe-
torical power Of the \ Athenian-the pat
riotism and bravery of the Lacede nonian
the noble carriage. spirit. and dignity
of the Roman--the commercial enterprise
of the Venetian and Genoesc--the un-
wavering fidelity and love of religious
freedom of the Swiss; and, lastly. SHALL |
say. the moral courage Of the Dutch.
Blu. in the formation Of our national
character and temperament, .here are in
action other active moral agencies, be-
sides form of government. The different
races of men which are here assem- bled,
under the same political institutions.
necessarily modify each others charac-
ter proportiona.ely to their respective
numbers and :beir various degrees and
religious elevation Of character. The ba-
sis of the American population is SUBJ
stantially English or Anglo Saxon. 1t
was during the reign OF the Anglo Saxon
power In England that principle of liber-
sy began to show that its recognition in
human governments was essential TO ma
.ional happiness. From the Norman
conquest TO the settlement of the United
States. that principle in England was
more or less shackled by arbitrary rule,
and not until the American Rev olution
was 1t left free to work out its normal
effect in giving character and happiness
TO a people. Such, then, being the
foundation Of our national institutions
and national character, il must follow that
the emigrants coming from other lands
than the British Islands must acquire TO
greater or less degree, the Anglo Saxon
character, The ethnologist. IN surveying
the population and condition of the Uni
ted States. cannot fail in view of the /
diversified effects of climate, TO perceive !
that uniformity of national physical T
character cannot exist over SO vastanex ex-
tent OF territory. Certain physical pc
culiarities will even distinguish the pop
ulation in each of the great national di-
visions of our country. The people In
the east will difFe. in some physiological
respects from those Of the West; those
OF the North from those Of the South;
those of tho Atlantic and Pacific States
from those Of the great valley Of the Mis-
sisSippl; and those of the elevated noun
tain region from those of low and cham
paign countries. 1t follows that whera-
ever men are exposed 10 the same phys /
ical conditions the same temperament I
will predominate, and of course give them
ID community OF character. According
20 general laws. the dark races occur in
tropical climates. the fair under the in
huence of climates far from the tropics,
and the intermediate shades Of color un-
der the varieties Of temperate climates.
TIE physical tempcraments are in great
degree governed by the same laws-the
melancho!ic AMI choleFic pcrvading in