The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-12-16
Conflicts Of Islam aud Christianity.


Saint Paul Mercantile Library Association
was delivered on Thursday evening, at the
First Presbyterian Church, by Col d. A.
Robertson, upon the " Conflicts Of Chris
tiauity and Islam." The prevailing idea
Of the lecture was the radical antagonism--
not unlikeness, but antagonism-of the
white and dark races-whether Of print
tive or mixed stocks-an antagonism re-
sulting from organic differences of structure
and accompanying their whole development
in all primary social forms and religious
IDEAS that the organized sensuality Of Islam
was the natural outgrowth of the moral ma
ture of the dusky tribes Of Asia, while
Christianity expressed the religious needs
Of the Japhetic character in short, that
Christianity and Mahommedanism are pos
tive chronological distinctions as specifically
inherent and indigenous to the respective
families Of Japhet and Ishmae, as their
differences Of complexion or temperament
that they, therefore, coincide with the nor.
NAL distinctions which separate the races
barriers over which neither the one nor the
other can leap without degeneracy and ruin.
We, of course, do not pretend to give the
language Of the lecturer but this is a con-
else statement Of what appeared to be the
theory Of his lecture, and which, however
fancifal it may be, it is scarcely necessary
to say, was sustained with force Of argu-
ment and copiousness Of illustration that
enchanted the attention Of the audience
and if they did not convince cannot fail to
have awakened an earnest interest in the
subject.
Nor can we deny to this theory Of an
chronological religion, as developed by the
lecturer, certain degree Of logical consis-
tency and dogmatic symmetry, maintained,
however, at an extravagan: sacrifice OF his
torical truth, and with convenient facility
of assumption that might, it seemed to u,
il embarked on the field Of astronomical
speculation, have been employed with quite
as Elective plausibilty in proving that the
moon is made Of green cheese" notion
that certainly derives some color from the
existence of the milky ~hty, which pre-
supposes eurd somewhere, and popular ira
dition points 80 significantly to the moon in
this connection, that we wonder it has e.
capped the attention Of cosmogonists.
Now. to say that Christianity and Mo-
hammedanism are forms Of religious devel.
opement indigenous to the respective races
which have adopted them, and expressing in
their essential hostility the radical and in.
evitable antagonism Of these races, is sim.
ply to say that Christianity is for the white
man alone and the various forms Of orien.
tai superstition the inaienable heritage Of
the dark races-an improvement on the
bred Scott decision which we are not yet
prepared to adopt. This is not conclusion
deduced by any artifce Of sophistry from the
lecturers proposition it is the naked pro-
position itself, stripped of irrelevant YER
biage. and put in plain language. 1t means
simply that Christianity is the exclusive
monopoly Of a racc-that it is essentially in
compatible with and unfit for the moral ma
ture Of the tribes "who sit in darkness"
How utterly irreconclable this doctrine is
with the cardinal attributes Of Christianity
ltself-it is not necessary to show.
As an illustration Of the sort Of history
which was pressed into the support Of con
illusions 30 monstrous we may mention that
the lecturer stated it as an established his
torical fact, which no scholar could gainsay,
that the extant monuments Of Arabic learn
ing and culture were not Arabic-and
though popularity attributed to Arabic
sources were in fact due to the accidental
presence among the Arabs, Of individuals OF
the antagonistic Caucasian race; and to illus
trate this fact" further, 30 that his meaning
could not be mistaken, he stated in substance
that it WAS as absurd to attribute the ideas
received through the medium Of the Arabic
tongue, and apparently from Arabic sources,
to the Arab himself, as il would be to give
the Indians Of the Lakewood Republic the
credit Of Mr.. RIGo's Dakota krieon. A
discovery 90 startlingly subversive Of oil re-
ceived ideas Of history, certainly does great
credit to the researches and learning Of our
talented citiDn, il be can verify it. A be
did not attempt to do this We will be par.
doned for preierring the standard authorities.
Yet peculiar as some Of these views may
seem t. those whose Judgments are Ices
warped by the Vaccinations Of .heoy-it will
not be considered iuvidious to say that the