The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-01-29
IPs BcraIo Of FfeeSom.
LAWRENCE, K. Il.
Saturday Morning, Jan. %, 1859.
The Garden of Eden and Pixies Peak.

The Garden Of Eden and Pixies Peak.
The Chicago Times has an article of
three columns, half serious and half lu-
dicrOus, on the location of the Garden of
Eden, in which the writer attempts to
make it appear that the Western portion
Of Kansas was the identical spot where our
first parents were created. We established
the fact that Kansas was the veritable
Eden as long ago as the summer of 1855,
as those who read our lengthy editorials
Of that date will remember. The author
Of the article in the Times evidently has
read ours on that subject, but has done
it much better justice. We copy portion
of his daring remarks. He says -
"Hid away in the almost impenetrable
forests Of Central America have been
found the ruins of once popu!ous cities.
The silence of unnumbered ages rests
upon fallen arches and crumbling faeades
whose time-defying granite was wrought
by workmen skilled in the arts of peace.
Yet over them, as over their works, time
has cast the shroud of utter oblivion, and
the world to-day knows absolutely moth
ing oftheir existence, beyond what may
be cOnjectured from the fashion Of those
rough hewn rocks. Like the mysterious
mounds, found in every part of the West,
those silent ruins, marking the place
where nation has been buried, have as
yet furnished only themes of vain con-
lecture or speculative curiosity for our pro-
found friends of the Chicago Historical
Society, and some others. Yet, for the
truly philosophic mind, a clue has been
discovered which unravels the mystery Of
time and brings forth into the light Of
history and truth these monuments of the
early world
Upon some of the faeades of these ruins
have been found inscriptions in characters
identical NTH those found upon the stones
in the T0'oer Of Babel, and which are diff
ferent from any characters made use OF
by any people in the world since the con-
fusion Of tongues. Before that time, the
sacred historian informs us, "the whole
earth was of one language and of one
speech" Gen. II, l. The builders Of
Babel spoke the language of the antedelu-
vans, transmitted to them through the
family of Noah; the builders of cities in
central America spoke the same language,
let have shown you that Noah sent
none of his progeny into this part of the
world. Indeed, the period of hardly four
centuries which elapsed between the de-
iuge aud the confusion of tongues, was al
Ose'her too short to permit the carrying
out oil system of colonization upon the
extensive scale which it would have re.
CURED to build and people those immense
cues within that space of time. The
conclusion irresistibly forces itself upon
Tue logical mind that those who reared
.lese structures aud inscribed them in
'ue language of Adam, lived and labored
anu were guilty Of considerable iniquity
Oel0fe the wrath of heaven swept them
away IN the deluge, and left only thest
'unS to tell of their existence.
but | think hear some inquisitive in.
Gtvldual asking: Do you pretend thai
W Sse uaFden Of Eden was located down il
MN,caslraSua? No, / do not think Genera
ma WSlAer was ever so near to paradise
"nere, then, was Eden? The manifold
resources of philosophy, literature ant
historical research have failed to answe
rus T5 question. One learned author locates
. .uen on the river Euphrates, and 1 hsv'
seen a map in which it was carefully laiC
SOwn and the boundaries marked out b.
aJ"ed lines. The map did not state b.
s "aU% q the garden was surveyed. Relant
t saI Oalassume, two pundits, represent i
" nave been in the mountainous regiol
u armenia, among the headwaters of tn
tb 'ls and Araxes. Although l entertain
~ ofs pfOfOundest respect for the opinion
~ 'aess gentlemen, cannot agree will
r r-en' Other writers hold still other view
~ ~ s the subject; in short, to mention al
sn AM inherent opinions advanced by differ
r MI men who have given attention to th
, wSs would extend his discourse some
~ .aI I indefinitely. "The learued,n say
~, new Lyman Coleman, in his Histor
n 10, 10 u;sograPhy Of the Bi5le, "have brough
rso .ns Investigation the aid of the mo.
u' discoveries Of Eastern missionaris