The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-20
Bayard Taylor on the Arabs.

Bayard Taylor Esq, delivered lecture last evening
upon Tke Arabs before the members OF the Mech
Society and large audience He spoke in substance
oews-Those who hare only associated with their
ra,e have but little Knowledge of human character.
Tie hum,n race lie capable Of great varieties The man
who lives Amoog noun ains has native freedom In his
air. The brine Of sticks to the mariner 50 IN
eytaby does pnrtsEe OF his native climate, inst We
All whether IL is possible to judge all mes by the same
moral Standard This should teach us charity to Ill.
No people have suffered than the Arabs from one
sided Augment We have been taught to consider them
rs an outcAst race whose hand, are sgsn every man
and every mans handi against them The Arab OF our
sshoolboy days is fierce being with scimster in his
HAND ever ready to do the work Of death. Burchart
and Laylrd claiw our respecs,i ~ the only travel.
lsfs who assocAtsd and frAteruized with this peg
pie. In their steps followed and never treated
them IS enemies. l learned to love them,
and desired to be their advocate. To know the
Arabs one must know the East The intensity OF the
sunshine produced N the Arab eye-ths simeon s
terrible symbol Of those gusts OF wrath which ceaoae
the soul Luxury and incidence are their chArao
reconcile the one with other Our sky, bright Is is
rot to be compared with that Of the East After hfy
days Of desert travel left Is fascinated ~ the variety
it is sweet and rers hing Providence leaves none OF the
desert places of the earth without atonng quality
sing breath could pcin. Of resemblance
between the sailor and the BsdouiG Each free and
rov,s IN hs her. Of the
the type OF the The Arab Dialect In which the
Koran written still spoken in its pristine purity IN
Esirs around Mecca The Arab Is brave, and his OF
honcr il He devoted to the have
doubt that Christian knights first learned their senie
the crufades The law Of protection Is held in - much
respect among the Arabs the Koran The pride OF the
Arab his birthrght and dignity 10 his natural manner
The Arab generous, and his hospitality universal
the guest honor upon his host and the name
of stranger sacred The records OF generosity among
the earlier abs almost fabulous to those who
It'll the race Nahomet 10 Q fair example
Mr. Taylor related here several anecdotes Of the gene
rosty Of the Arabs He proceeded to say that tbs 90
wealth possessed, and though instances OF mag
unanimous generosity difficult to find now, yet the
spirit stin remained. Though fierce By nature and 70
yepgsful the Arab 10 not cruel bl odthirsty. As
simple enemy he il chvarous and humane but - An
ave, ger terrible In the last degree The msaner
crime o stealing 10 rare Amorg me .ri,ss fAOs s ds
though /. 10 allowed among some trioes, -. ae'
greatest f.ss srs cheating and lying but they to
of the nrst to strike stranger many travellers go
home under very erroneous impressions OF tAe peops
They lie generally through malice, careessness ano tne
natural tendency to sxaggeration which Is
OF the Arab this latter Is smost universal
1t s language ofroots, and abounds In bolo ana DILL
liant mases The Arab tongue belongs to the CHILDHOOD
OF the world When commenced to In Arabic
found the habit Of exaggerAon growing fast me;
but happy to say that with the loss Of the language
OF V6IRclty Anu now strlotly
speaking the truth 1t would require separate lecture
to treat upon the literature Of the Arabs would only
say few words on this branch Of my subject The ear
OF the Arab Is eelicaely sensitive to he rythm
and melody Of poetry, which with us is only
appreciated by highly cultivated minds. The works
Of Arab poets display daring lights Of Imagination The
sosgsof Arabs wild and full Of cadences
The bcatn Nile isugh in songs
like the notes Of the nightingale Painting and sculp
tire unknown but the architecture Of the Sara
glorious remnants those OF Greek Roman
art Like all imaginative people the Arabs are super VII
tous. All out OF the ordinary OF
ture ascribed to the gep Many Of the simpler peo
PIE believe that an echo is the voice Of fend mockng
them They believe that the spirits Of murdered people
haunt the places where they lived. Finally must al
uoe to the most prominent trait IN the Arab Character
h devotion God and in his unb FUNDED faith In Prov
dence. Religion is a vital power with him. which leaves
its impress Lis whole spiritual being. There is
much sincere religious feeling among this people,
amorg Christians. The Arabs not inioerAut
Amorg the Turks there much less tolerance The lat
ter far below the former in morality and hospitality
The OF the Arabs to the Divine viii is not fatal
ism it Is the resignation which CONTROL, after the blow
Is struck. Patience and resignation the great lesson
Of the East, ard We might stuoy and benefit by it,