Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-12-19
REPLY 10 ELI NICHOLS.

In the communication of Eli Nichols in the last
Bugie, may be recognized some truth, more plau
sibility, and several logical deductions from assum-
cd, and very questionable premises. The latter
are tantamount to n repetition of his assertion that
God made the races lie begs the question, he
processes to argue; hence has nothing to do but
record his conclusions. 1t is probable he has
formed, or confirmed his opinions,Gy reading Agasis
and writer's Of his stamp; but not one of that class
of philosophers, more than the rest Of us, was
present at the creation of any of his assumed ra-
ses, nor has he any authenticated account of the
locality, or time of it's creation. IL is simply con.
lecture. 1t affords proof of industry and, per-
chance, ingenuity, in research, but has no other
merit for want of reliability, or utility. lie swcars
abolitionists. black and while, on the question Of
inbern prejudice, yet would not himself swear,
nor would any court Of law Qiberal as they gem
orally are in admitting evidence that degrades the
black man) permits him to swear that human bipeds
have one, or one hundred origins.
1t would be injurious to the intelligence Of Eli
Nichols to suppose him ignorant Of the fact that
naturalists trace the variety in horses to the same
origin. The same of dogs, aud other domestic
animals. They trace the cause of this diversity to
Siilhdtci ~ uiu %1uuiiNtiIS Tue uoblHutu
cause of diversity to be the cause in several known
cases, is it not n reasonable inference that it is
true in one, where less is known? That the de.
scendents of those who were born in the Torrid,
Temperate or Frigid Zones, retain their peculiari-
ties for a long time alter a change of locality, is
not more true of our own race than of those we
please to call interior. The New Foundland Dog
and his mate, if kept separate from other varieties
Of the species, continue to produce their kind, with
such deterioration as climate and other circum-
stances amply account for.
Eli Nichols may surmise that the change in the
human being is too slow and impercepti6le to jus.
fifty us in placing him in the same category. This
would be true were it not that human animals
take from double to quintuple the time to mature
that other animals require, hence the changes to
be wrought in them must be slow in proportion.
1t is no doubt true that animals of any type, il
any species, can, in time be changed to another
type of the same species, but not to any type ofano-
Their species. Species cannot be changed, though
they may be blended, bu, The hybrid cannot per.
petuate its kind. This holds good, it is believed in
vegetables as we'll as animals and is the best,
and final test of species. Our race furnishes an
extensive variety in form, color and other charac-
~teristics all capable of perpetuating, and produc-
ing a medium between the originals, or, ae the
case may be, the peculiarities Of one parent may
predominant.
Eli Nichols says, climates were adapted to races.
Another would say climates (by which more is
understood than degrees of latitude) make races,
and here we might ask E. Nichols, whether Goods
wisdom and mercy" would not be as manifest in
one case as the otherf The adaptation being the
same on either hypothesis.
Whatever part of the $4,000 blacks in Virginia
and Maryland that are at liberty to leave, are in.
duced to remain less on account of climate than
attachments to relations and friends, these make
it o kind of home to them. Some who were born
North, may 60 South, to crafty the same social
feeling. For free black men to 60 North there is
no inducement. They must leave what they have
OF home, break the ties of friendship, affinity and
eonsanguinity, to 60 among strangers, we'll nigh
as cold as their climate. Your correspondent like
myself, has had the means of knowing that howe.
yer the Quakers may have ged the
equality Of the negro, in the abstract, in practice.
as = sect they have treated him as an inferior, who
was entitled to common liberty and humane usage
when free. They never conceded his manhood,
n q liberal sense. They made a point of feeding
and paying the black man well, but preferred tina.
he should attend worship where there was singing,