The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-10-27
Origin Of the 1aoians.--Re-
call offhs Iens.

the discovery of the American continent
than by finding it to he ovenpread by the
Indian race--a race before this period Lost
to history. Philosophers and historians
were alike taken aback by thls announce.
nent. One of the most prominent theories
to which The discovery gave rise was the
suggestion of the probability of their being
descendants of the "lost ten tribes of Israeli
This theory, which, so far as my reading goes,
was first advanced by Grotius, was very pop.
ular with the first settlers of the colonies,
and furnished an additional impetus to the
efforts made for their reclamation by the
venerable and apostolic Elliot, and his co-ia-,
borers and successors, influencing this branch
of benevoience and humanity down to the
present era. But although it has been a
fruitful and favorite theme of discussion with
divines and philauthropists during the entire
period, (say $40 years,) at least down to
Boudinots "Star in the West" and JAWS,
discourse before the New York Historical
Society in 1919, think the question of their
origin is as far from being satisfactorily
solved now rs ever.
1t is not proposed to enter into this dis
cussion at this time, far less to revive the
opinions of those who have staked their
learning and judgement on the topic, but
merely to contribute suggestion respecting
a point of historic interest, which, on the as.
sumed afhuities between the Jew and Indi-
an races, Is equally applicable to the one as
to the other of these very marked branches
of the human family. Biblical commenta.
tors on prophetical events have manifested a
disposition to hasten on, as it were predic-
tions which are often obscurely and symbo-
Ideally stated, while they generally occurred
in fixing definite value to the LEADING
sacred types and symbols. One of the
most undisputed of these interpretations re-
lates to that feature in the prophetical chron-
ology which makes the biblical period of one
day correspond with one year of our system.
In the 9Th Daniel, Is, IA, it is predicted
that from the taking away of the "daily sac
riee," during which the people of God shall
be "trodden under foot" till their recall and
the "cleaning of the sanctuary. which is APP.
pretended to signifya period of spiritual and
moral enlightenment on the true character of
the Messiah, two thousand and three hun
dred days shall intervene. This seems to be
plain language. Tacitus informs us that the
conquest of Judea was finished by the cap
ture of jerusalem under Titus, A. D., TO-
Having carried the city after long ard
bloody siege, during which he was once
driven out of it, he finally succeeded in tax
ing its last stronghold, the temple, on the
10th day of August when-not by design,
but caprice, it seems-a Roman soldier set
fire to it by-a burning arrow, by which it
was reduced to ashes and ruins. Thus end
ed the daily sacrifice" This was the sec.
ond temple-the temple in which Christ
personally had taught, 1t was never rebuilt.
though once attempted by Julian.
On the assumption that the prediction in
Daniel refers to the first taking of the daily
sacrifice by the burning of the temple under
Nebuchadnezza, 58S before Christ. the pre-
diction expired in 1912, the beginning of the
preaching of John Elliot, Of apostolic memo
! ry, to the American Indians. If the second
period Of taking away the daily sacrifice be
meant by the burning Of the second temple
by Titus, then the prediction is unexhausted.
and will not expire till A. d. 237o. To
what extent human is to concur with d;pine
influence in this great moral event. those
can best Judge who have devoted most at-
tentlon and exhibited most wisdom in dis
cussIng the subject. design ONLY to make
use OF the facts tn observe that If It is sup-
posed that the spiritual and moral deadncss
OF heart ofthe Jews or Indians is to be made
sensible by this call to repentance, either ma.
t'onaAy or indioiduaIy, the importance
and vitality of the call at this time NAV be
we'll judged Of Shall men wait till Il he
proved that the Indians are descendants of
the Jews before efforts are made to reclaim
them Shall the indian priests and pow.
vows have hundreds Of years farther scope
to practice demonology, magic, and witch
craft, before their errors, are exposed If at
last they are not proved to be descendants
OF the Jews, or even 10 have Pathological af.
finities with them, on whom will the blame
of not preaching the Gospel to them rest
If they have the Jewish blood in their se;ns
even in the most diluted quantity, accorlin,
to the affinties OF races the fault will be still
more pungently ours. Eliot's voice has now
been heard afirmatively on this question
2l2 years. Brainard repeated this call at
exactly 100 years from its first ,,.terance---
namel y, la lT42. Butsin every view are the
aborlgincs not moro particularly our ssncipb-
bors" than the idolatrous races of the Orienty
Ii they want bread, or hunger and thirst
ct ten for any lack of knowledge or Of
bodily comfort they arc certainly near n
our own doors. Shall we, like the Ler;,e
Cr.st L. y