The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-07-12
Original.
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN
LECTURE No. 9.
BY R. II. H., NJ. d.
Faculties of tie Mind.


The different progress Of various nations in
general civilization, and in the culture of the
arts and sciences, tie different characters and
degrees of excellence in their literary produc-
tions, their varied forms Of government and
many other considerations, must convince US,
beyond the possibility of a doubt, that the
races OF mankind are no less characterized by
the diversity OF mental cndowments, than by
those differences Of organic ,.ion. which We
have already enumerated and considered
Such, however, has been the fleet # educa-
ton. Of laws, OF peculiar habits and customs,
and of the different forms Of government, in
modify ing tie mind and character of man,
that we cannot now disc, rne What shorld be
ascribed to original difference, and what
should be referred TO Iho operation OF these
external causes. rha. climate will exert a
powerful influence ON The mind, may be very
reasonably expected; aud II has an analogous
influence on the animal creation.
We are informed lnat The dog of Kamts
-'arka, insts ad of b,ing faithful and atlstch-
ed 10 his master, is malignant trcscherous,
and full of deceit He does not baik in the
ho. parts If Africa nor in GreenlaI and in
the latter country looses III, docili!y, SO as
no, to be fl for hunting.
Yet We are decidedly of opinion that the
differences of intellect are not sufficient in any
instance to warrant US in referring particu-
lar race to an originally ditfertn, pecies and
particularly protest against the sentiment,
which entirely denies TO the African the en-
j,yment of reason, or hat sscr bys to him that
VIC Gus, malignant, and treacherous propen-
SHY, which would degrade him below the
brute.
IL can be proved most clearly, there is no
circumstance Of bodily Structure, so peculiar
to the nel ru as not to be found 10 other far dis
tant nalions no character which does not run
into those of other races, by The same nsensi-
BILE gradatiou as those which connect together
all the varieties of mankind.
We cannot but admire the reasoning and
humanity of those, who, after tearing the
African from his native soil, carrying him to
the West Indies, and booming him there to
perpetual labor, complain that his understand
ing shows no signs of improvement, and that
his temper and disposition are incorrigibly
perverse, faithless, and treacherous. Let us
observe him in a somewhat more favorable
state than in these dreadful receptaces Of
human misery, the crowded decks of a steam
ship, or in the less openly shocking, but con-
strained and extorted, and therefore painful,
labors of the sugar plantation. The acute
and accurate Barbot in his large work on Afri
ca, says: 1.-The blacks have sufficient sense
and understanding their conceptions are
quick and accurate, and their memory pos
sesses extraordinary strength For although
they cfn neither read nor write, they never
fall into confusion or error in the greatest hur-
ry Of business and traffic. Their experience
of the truancy of the Europeans has put them
completely on their guard, examining all our
goods, piece by piece, the quality and meas
ure. and with as much sagacity and clearness,
in all their transactions, as any European
tradesman could do"
OF the initiative arts, in which perfection
can only be obtained in an improved state of
society, it is natural to suppose that the ne
groes can have but little knowledge but the
fabric and colors of the Guina cloths are
proofs of their native ingenuity and that they
are capable ofsslearning all kinds of tn, deli
cate manual labors, is proved BY the fact. that
nine-tC nths of the Africans in the West Indies
are negroes many are expert carpenters, and
some watch makers and as proof of this. we
need only refer to our own states at the South.
for verifcation Of this fact The travels Of
Barrow, Is Valiant and Mungo Park. abound
With anecdotes honorable to the moral ohsr