The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-01-13
COLOR.


The "cauSc" of color, not nf tie NEGRO along
but in the case Of our own race. They
have gchcrai!y supposed that the aI1mcn-
fa~ "'gr""s, IL substance lying Immediate
y beneath the outer skin or cuticlc consti-
tu'cd this cause, and therefore the complex.
ion WAS fair or dark, blonde or brunette
just as this "coloring' matter might hap
pen To be dark or otherwise This. in a
sense Is doubtless true, but to speak of it
! rs a cause is AN abuse of terms, for il is
SIMPLY TACT, and no more Il cause ,har it
Is an effect. Cause and causes in natural
rhcn"ncna are known only to the mind of
Omnip";cnce, and vhy the Caucasian color
is white, or the Mongol yellow, or the ne
gro black, is as absolutely hidden from, us
us the "cause" Of their existence at alI-us
wholly beyond tllc scope Of human intvlli
scncc, and therefore of rational enquiry, as
the cause of the return of The scasons. or
why men and Il mails ut Il ccrtliu time ar
rive at maturity or finally decay and die
The divine wisdom and perfect fitness of
the fact itself, however is clearly apprccia
blc and we are able to see not only its
t'ansc"ndant Importance, but the utter I'M
possibility of its Icing otherwise. There
ls-ln all the works OF God perfect harmony
as well as perfect wisdom, and therefore
such II momstrosity rs II ''culureI man''-or
being like ourselves in all except the color
OF the negro, is not merely absurd hut us
imp"s>ihle i'll fact, though not SO ,s,pallc
t" II superficial intelligence, as white body
with II nrgr" head on its shoulders, or indeed
rs :, dog with the head of any other AMI
NAL or form of being.
the face Of the Caucasian reflects the
character, the emotions, the instincts, l., Il
Certain extent the intellectual forces, AMI
even the acquired habits, the virtues or Vi
ccs Of the individual. This, to Il certain
extent, depends on the mobility Of the IA
clal muscles and the general anatomical
structure and outline Of the features, but
without our color the next expression would
be very imperfect, and the face wholly in,
capable of rejecting the inner nature and
specific character Of the race. For exam.
pie: What is there at the same time 50
charming and SD indicative of inner purity
and innocence as the blush of maiden mod
esty! For an instant the fair face is scar
let, then perhaps palcr than ever in its deli
cate transparency. aud these physical chan
g"$, l".a",i:uI is they may be to the eve
are rendered thousand times more SO hy
our consciousness that they reflect moral
emotions infinitely more beautiful. Can
any one suppose such a thing possible to a
black face-that these sudden and startling
alterations Of color Which reflect the moral
and elevated nature of the
white women, are possible in the nrrrcss
And il the latter cannot reflect these ,I.inns
Ill her t;,cc-if her features are utterly in
capable of expressing emotions so elevated
AMI beautiful, is it not certain tl,at she is
without thcm-tlat they have no existence
in her inner being, are no portion of her
moral nature? To suppose otherwise is
not only absurd but impious-it is to sup
pose that the Almighty Creator would en-
dow being with moral wants aud capaci-
ties that could have no deveIopmen,-witl,
al inner nature denied any external reilec-
ton or manifestation Of its wants or Of it.
self. or course it is not intended to say
that the nrgrcss has not moral nature. il
is only intended to dcmonstra:" the fact
that she has not the moral nature of the
white woman. She absolutely does not
and absolutely cannot give outward expires
sion TO those high moral qualities which
are reflected in the varying color and chang
ing features Of the white woman, and there
fore those who would cndow her inner ma
ture with these qualities, must necessarily
charge the Creator with the gross injustice
OF withholding from her any expression of
SO essential to their own happiness
rs well as to our conception of the dignity
a. d beauty Of womanhood.
lh's same illustration is extensively di
vcrs'fi"' in regard to the other sex. It is
seen every day in our social life. and con
fronts lis at every step. The white man is
flushed with anger, or lvid with fear, or
pale with grief. lie is Mt one moment 50
charged with the darker passions rs to be
almost black, and the next so softencd bv
sorrow or stricken by grief that his face is
bloodless and absolutely white. All these
Outward manifestations of the inner nature
of the moral being which God has Ell
lowed us wilh-are familiar TO every one.
They form portion Of our daily experience,
ana constitute an essential part of our social |
'''o' There are great differences among
our own people in regard to the general ex
press on OF the features. Some reflect in
LncIr faces all tl,. Ia, ,,l,.L a.