Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-01-28

lilies and classes that embodied tn
Iintellects of the country, many spet
linens of the highest Caucasian typ'
The Carthagenians have also bee
referred to as evidence of the Negro
capacity, and writer who ha
recently published book in vindl
cation of Southern Slavery, proceed
/ ing on this erroneous idea, gravel.
attempts to traduce the fair fame 9
Hannibal by asserting that be Wa
but an ordinary man in every respec
except his wiekedness. The Gauss
of truth demands no such perversior
of facts ms this. Hannibal was
great and patriotic man, and one 0
the most brilliant generals the uorl'
has ever produced---for military
genius and fertility OF mind, he rankee
among the ancients where Napoleon
the Great does among the moderns
But unfortunately for the theory o.
Negro greatness, based :pon his
achievements, Hannibal had not one
drop Of Negro blood in bis veins
He belonged to one branch OF eau
casian race, and bis features, as they
have come down to posterity on au
ancient Carthagenian coin, were re-
markable for their pure and beautiful
Grecian type. The CarIhagenians
were q colony of Phoenicians, the
builders Of Tyre aud SidoD, and be-
longed to the Semitic Caucasian fami-
ly. Every school boy is acquainted
with that most touching and beautiful
incident Of history, which is related
Of this people. When the Romans
in the third Punic war, had by dis
honorable stratagem, gained posses.
sion of all their arms and had surren-
dered Carthage and cut off their
supplies from every quarter, the no.
ble-hearted women of that city gave
up their long and beautiful tresses to
supply bowst1ings for the archers.
This sublime act Of patriotism would
have been simply a highly amusing
absurdity if the theory were correct
that the Carthagenians were Of the
Negro type. Bow-stripgs made ofthe
kinky tresses of Negro belle would
have done but little execution among
the Roman legions and would hard
" be worth mention in history.
Thus it will be found that the Me-
gro races have not furnished one
civilized nation, either in ancient or
modern times, nor have they accom-
plished one valuable result within
the memory of man.
Though a trading and trafficing
people, possessing many thousand
miles Of sea coast, the Negro races
have not only never engaged in COM
merce, but have never built a ship
or boat The genius Of their most
skillful naval architects aspiring no
higher than the construction OF the
rude canoe. Their harbors are never
whitened except By foreign sails,and
the use of dock-yards, wharves,
lighthouses. buoys and naval fOrtlli,
cations is unknown among them.
For centuries they have witnessed
the ships of other nations Of the
earth blowing the mighty deep and
bearing away the gold, ivory and
slaves of their furnishing, but the
thoughthas never entered their heads
that the forest Of their own land
furnish materials for building like
structures. In conducting an inter
nal trade Of considerable magnitude,
their caravans traverse thousands oil
miles, conveying down to the sea
coast and to the nations of the North,
bees-wax, ivory, gold and slaves, re-
turning with coarse but gaudy cloths,
powder, tobacco and the various az
ticles Of trumpe-y which constitute
the luxuries of savages. Although
this has been going on for more than
two thousand years, Negro intelli.
gence has never built bridge or
constructed road except after the
manner Of those natural engineers o.
our Western prairies, the buffaloes;
In their migrations alters more abun.
dant supply Of grass.
Equally rude in agriculture, they
have never made a plow and know
not its use, a rude hoe is the ne p.u'
rlfra of their farming utensils; witf
this they scratch the soil, plant tbeiI
squash and rice, qnd like the OK
rely on naluie for fhe rest.