The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-02-12
GEOGRAPHY AND THE HUMAN RACE

on tho evening of the 18th inst, Profes
sor Guyot, of Princeton, N. j., delivered
most interesting lecture on the above sub
Ject, before the American Geographical So
ciety, in the chapel of tho University. tl,i
city.
Lie considered geography, in its bearing
on the physical, mental and moral condition
OF man, and saw, in the formation of con
tlnents, in the distribution of land and wa
ter, of plains and mountains, and in the in
fiuences and variations of climate, portion
OF the plan of Deity for the civilization ant
elevation OF the human being in this world
and for the development of those conditions
OF his nature which are to fit him for We,
higher existence in another. Beginning
with the oceanic period, when water nearly
covered the globe, and advancing through,
the subsequent geologic epochs, when land
masses began to appear as islands, and then
as continents, the state of the earth under
all these conditions suited the organism Of
the physical life which was on it. Nor was
there any reason to believe that the exist
cnce of any of the species Which success
lively appeared upon the earth, was fortu-
itous consequence Of the existing condition
of matter.
The world is suited to the wants of the
life which is on it, and man, the highest
organism of all, could not appear till the
world Was suited to him.
The Professor invited attention to one
continent i'll particular, in illustration of his
meaning; for continents, he said, were i'll
strumentalitics for mankind as a race, Just
rs much rs mans own body is an instru-
mentality of his soul. Asia was the CONT
nent that he would especially refer to, by
far the largest upon the earth, the fitting
root of all the races. 1t reaches into all
the zones-possesscs the coldcst and the
hottest regions-cxtcnds from the tropics
to Siberia, where the earth is frozen forty
feet below the surface. Aii climates on the
globe are to be found there. Every condi-
ton of land, barren, fertile, dry, and water
ed, level and mountainous, alIuvial plain
and higl, table land, were in that continent.
All the cvilizing races of men first started
from Asia. 1t was the original seat of cv-
cry race important to the destiny of the
world, yet so varying i'll pcculiarities of
condition that all characters are represented.
America, Europe, Africa, Australia, have
each native races. Asia alone has the rep
resentativcs of all the races. Take man as
developing himself, and we find in Asia
all the germs and starting points of civiliza-
ton. Inventions, histories, religions were
first heard of in Asia, and they influence
the world now, and will not cease to do so.
Brahminism, Christianity, and Mol'ammcd-
ism all started from there.
The three great languages of the world,
which had synthetic influence in the for
nation Of all otllers-the Japhetic, the
Semitic, tue Ethiopic originally As-
attic. The condition of man was directed
by the geography Of his birthplace. AL
luvial plains became the first centcrs of
civilization, because men were first drawn
into societies by the pursuit of agriculture.
There were five great alluvial plains in Asia,
aud there were five civilizations. But man,
progressing and growing bolder, was no
longer confined to the plains, but built his
cities OH the shores of the Mediterranean,
and commerce began to flourish. And now
those are masters Of the world who are
masters of the ocean, to whom all the
oceans are open. The maritime peoples
can alone be now said to sway the world.
Geographical positions arc powerful in
struments to form mans destiny. Is this a
plan or an accidenta Undoubtedly plan,
design on the part of Providence. Tho
earth is everywhere prepared for a certain
object, and all its arrangements are made
for the highest developments of the existing
life.-,Scientife american, 31st uls.
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