Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-02-09
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Sinms Ct South Carolina, the distinguished
poet and novelist, lectured, on Friday night
last, on Ante-Columbian History.
Mr.. Simms looks in capital preserv alton,
notwithstanding the APPROPRIATENESS Of his
late lecturing campaign at the North. He is
outward presence is Indicative Of rare mental
gifts-mcst Of the tribe of literary lions being
Of the singed-cat order, giving no exterior
hint Of their mental characteristics.
Commencing with q playful disclaimer Of
an intention Of carrying back American his
tory to the days Of Noah and Methuselah, as
has been done, he went on to indicate the va
rious evidences showing that this continent
was discovered by great voysgers at least Eve
hundred years before Columbus landed. The
Greeks. even in their writings, tell us Of lands
westward from the Pillars of Hercules, and
from which they were cut of By the terrors OF
the voyage. Plato, Homer, and Plutsrch al
lude to such country There were modern
traditions, more specific than these, In relation
to the existence Of a white race upon this con-
tinent as far back as the tenth century.
The lecturer described the characteristics
of the Mortimer or Scandinavisns; Of light
hair. blue eyes, fair skin, of great enterprise
and sudacious vslor They were the Hyper.
koreans of the Greeks, and the Romans knew
them from their fears Invading Italy, peri
odicslly, FIVE Roman armies were destroyed by
them, and the great military genius of Caius
Marius was unable to withstand them until his
troops had gradually got familiar with the
strange aspect and wild cries of their enemies.
Britons and Americans are distinguished by
similar valor and enterprise and il was mo-
ticed by the lecturer that as in the case of the
dreadful wsr-cry of the Mortimer, il was con-
fessed by the Mexicsns that during the late
war nothing struck such terror into their hearts
as the appalling shouts raised by our soldiers
as they rushed TO the combat. These bold,
blue.eyed barbsrisns, (the Scandinsvians
handsome, somely Of face, strong of lungs and
limbs, seldom met their match, and never
found their master. At home upon the water
as we'll as well upon land, they, under differ
ent names, ravaged various seas, carrying
terror in all directions
Chsrlemagne is said to have wept for the
safety Of his dominions when be saw the prous
of one Of these sea kings enter the waters of
his territories They discovered the 0rcsdes,
Iceland, Greenland, and there are proofs that
IN the twelfth century they penetrated Bafins
Bay. In 9S6, five hundred years before Co.
lumbus. they discovered country which they
called Vinlsnd, and which, in the opinion Of
learned men in America and Europe, was the
coast Of New England. The records Of voy-
ages to Einlsnd were preserved in Iceland,
the guiding stars were indicated, and their
maps gave a correct outline Of the New Eng
land coast. Columbus in visiting Iceland no
doubt had access to these records, and made
use Of the knowledge gained. These Icelandie
chronicles tell that the discoveries found Vim
land in possession Of the ferocious copper col
ored savage, but beyond Chesapeake Bay in
their jOurneyings southwark they came upon
. white people superior to themselves in CIV
iliIstion, wearing cotton clothing, carrying
banners, and who raised terrible wsr-Iike
shouts.
IL was al interesting question who these
people were Might they not been a colony
Of Irish Traditions favored such q theory
Between the sixth and twelfth century the
Irish were Of rowing and adventurous habits
and extensively engaged in maritime adven-
lures Ireland was then the seat Of learning
In the tenth century voyages from ireland to
Iceland were frequent, and the Irish had ira
ditions of a country to the west called Great
ireland 1t lie not improbable that between
the sixth and tenth century the Irish made a
settlement in America from which came this
white race found by the Mortimer The Ian.
guage of this white race favored such a SUP
position, and they, like the Irish, were famous
for shouting and fighting.
There were other plausible conjectures.
This white race may have been Welch.
Southey, In his epic Of "Msdoc " says th at
the Irish and WEIGH are oognate languages
and George Barrow says that thorough
70 speak WEIGH 1t may be that the origin Of
this people may be traced back to the ancient
Phenicisns, who, darling out with audacious
ProHs from Sidon, rushing westwardly upon
the measureless sea, planting vigorous colo
mics in Spain, visiting Ireland, working mines
in Britain, extended their voyages to Africa,
and even around the Cape of Coed Hope Il
Il not improbable that q people so adventu-
rous and so fond Of planting colonies should
have found their way to America and estab-
lished here a civilization higher than existed
IN Europe. There are traces innunerable
upon this continent Of a race superior to the
red men North and South, East and West,
the Indians have traditions Of having come
from the far West and Of having overcome a
white race who had iron implements and wore
cotton garments.
In Central and South America there are
traces Of the works of this superior race, which
will compare fsvoraby with Assyrian and
Egyptian art. They afford all the indications
Of quiet and luxurious people The red men
were hunters and warriors only. They cannot
be said 10 have lost the arts, for they were in
the full flush Of blood and courage people
must lose their courage before they can lose
their arts The red men showed no indica-
tons Of decadence, their boast was Of exploits
Of war and hunting, and they were wholly I'M
able to comprehend or ex plain the meaning of
these monuments and indie tions of higher
civilization. When the Spsniards Invaded
Mexico they found traces Of Welch and Irish
words, and the native Mexicans ascribed all
their civilization TO race Of white and beard
ed foreigners who came to their country in
vessels They had tradition that this white
and bearded people were to return again and
conquer the country, and the fierce tyrant
Aontezuna, lost all courage upon the sp-
prosch Of the bearded Spanisrds.
Other remarkable traces Of such q superior
race were noticed by the lecturer-the sculp-
tured stones found in Virginia and Ohio, and
the plates Of copper in other States. A fact
Of great Importance was, that this people had
worked mines, in various parts Of the CONT
nent, in q manner that modern art has not
made much improvement upon. Ancient gold
mines had been discovered in Georgia and
Carolina In California, shafts Of these an
ciently worked mines were found two hundred
and ten feet in depth In the Lake Superior
copper mines, worked by this race, have beer
found the tools Of the ancient workmen, and
detached and partly removed masses Of the
metal. Who worked these mines? We can
only answer with the Mexican, Qaisn sabe'
There is no good reason to doubt that they
were natives Of the soil, and that the mine.
workers and mound builders were the same