The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-06
From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
HENRY r. SCHOOLCRAFT.


Anart from the protested antiquarian and profound
scholar there sye very few persons acquainted with the
true value of our indian legends or OF records OF their
manners and chronological pecuarites great interest
supposed by the partially educated to attach to any OF
the races of the Old World but tie Indian to them
nopus homoa paruenu in history creure with very ut
tie scientific value and concerning whom nothing definite
can be known.
Our romance writers have with rare exceptions,
elected the singular and mysterious child Of forests
that they might elevate themselves to the worn-ou hack
MED Combinations" of European society and those
who have depicted the Indian have confined themselves to
the OF the scapngkne and torturing stake quite
negectfu Of deeper and wonderful myths connected
with him which little study would render incredibly fas
cinating But even Longfellow himself scholar in his
Hiawathahe first attempt to ancient Indian myths
into poeryshows no appreciation of their Hydrologic
character Of their apparent meaning or OF their startling
identity with ancient Oriental Arkte and Sabaan legends
an identity which is carried in calculated to
almost awe the scholar who finds in mounds and
relics proofs clear daylight that in the far morning time
of the early world the strange hierarchy which had but
one language and great religion held under its
not only all the Old World but the New. Whether it was
the ancestor Of the Indian of the present day who thus
Worshpped the and the serpent the reproductive prn-
cipe OF all nature and the emblems Of agriculture
whether it inconceivably ancient race which
prsceded them, know not What do know is, that
all which can tend throw light upon the singular sub
ject is OF very great importance and that but very few
men indeed have taken pains to collect information rea-
tive to our Indians which throws light upon it.
From this accusation must, however, exempt Henry
r. choolcra whose chronological Researches Respecting
the Red Man of America" Is of genius reflect
ing honor the country and placing its author among
the very highest scholars of the age and Of the world In
IL we find accumulated with research which deies APP
probation an industry which is incredible, and quick
piercing genius which reads the value Of every fact
glance mass of material which WILL in future ages
veal to the scholar facts which yet far from be-
inc able to develop We know that the work and the
author have been praised now, but have never
heard the one the other estimated they deserves for
cerain we are that Germany has better to boast
of Hammer Purgsall Kaiser, Grmm France of Niche
let or Laard England Of any of her long array of anti
auaries from Leland Pasgrave than we have to boast
Of Schoolcra as shown in the great work in question
That man should be thorough philologist and lin
guist speaking fuenty many Indian tongues, is creda-
Bic but wonderful That he should have the uner-
ring glance for verythng which could by any possibility
be of in future researches and thus show himself gifted
with the mysterious intuition of value which only genlus
displays is wonderful and yet not without parallelfor
Faber and Wnckeman to have both possessed this
singular seventh sense; but that singlehanded
without the advantage of previous researches of solid
value should sngehanded have collected and reduced to
scientific order the vast array of facts given in the ethno
logical researches in question: s perhaps unparalleled and
will be recognised as such at some future day.
II h matter of pleasure and pride TO ms 10 reflect that
the work in question is published In this our city, where il
may he had OF j. b. Lppncott Without descending from
the genius of the writer the excellence of his work.
can very sincerely pay tribute of admiration to the
quise typographical execution OF the latter IL is pub
lshed by authority Of Congress and illustrated and print
ed in BETTING of the greatest literary monu-
ments Of the country