The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1859-01-15
From Nrgroes ald y.gr5 >1qr7s-BgJH Taa Erie
COLOR


T. g.
COLOR
CHAPTER v.
Anatomi-ts and phyziologi,ts have la
bored very earnestly 10 account for Or To
show the cause oi color not OF the ne
gro alone. but in the case OF our own race.
They have generally supposed that tire
uiyrsata sigr.8n. substance living imma-
diarolv beneath the outer skin or cuticle.
constituted this cause. and. therefore the
complexion was fair or dark. blonde or
brunette. Just a. this "coloring" matter
might happen 10 he dark or otherwise.-
This I'm q sense. j. doubtless true. but TO
speak Of il as q cause II an abuse of terms.
Tor ID is -imp.va 'aCt. and no more a cause
than i j. an effect Cause and causes in
natural phenomena are known only to the
mind 81 Omnipotence. and rLyths Cauoa-
sian color j. white or the MOugrel yellow
or the negro black, i a. absolutely hidden
from Us as the cause" of their existence
at tl-whoIy beyond the scope Of human
intelligence. and therefore of rational in
gUuy ms the cause of the return of the
seasons or why mon and animals at a GER
tain time aruye nj maturity or finally de-
cav and die. The divine wisdom and PER
teer Gtn, o. the fact Itself however is
clearly a.Wcciabie. and we are able to see
NOT only IT, trtnscen4ent importance but
La- U.te. ImHo-sii.lifv Of its being other
wise. There j III All the work Of cod
perfect harmony IS wen a. perfect WIS
dom. and therefore such q moa-trosity
a~ "a "golorod man or q Jein. like our
elves Iu all except the color Of tie negro.
Is mot merely absurd, but as impossible
u acr though not so palpable to superb
s-a. intelligence as white body with a
negro head on its shoulders, or indeed as
dog with the head OF any other animal
Or form ot being.
The face Of the Caucasian reflects the
character. the emotions. the instincts. to q
certain extent the intellectual forces. and
even the acquired habits the virtues or
vices OF the individual. This. 70 certain
extent, depends on the mobility Of the
facial muscles, and the general anatomical
structure and outline O! the features: but
without our color. the expression would
I brVoIE imperfect. and the face wholly in
I capable of expressing the inner nature
and specific character of the race. For
example, What j. ti.-1a "a :he sam,
time So charming and 80 indicative Of in
uer purity and innocence as the blush Of
mlilau mode-ty: Fora instant the fair
face is scarlet then perhaps paler than
eyer I'll it- delicate transparency: and
those physical changes, beautiful as they
may NJ 10 the eve. are rendered a thousand
I times more so 10y our consciousness that
lh.v reflect moral emotion, infinitely
more beautiful Can any one suppose
such q thing possible to a black face? that
d q. d
. color which reflect the moral perception,
and elevated nature of the white woman
{ are possible % the uegres.?
And If the latter cannot reflect these
I things iu her flce-if her feature are ut
terly incapable of expressing emotions 50
| elevated and beautiful is il not certain
I tLat She IS without them-that they have
/ no existence in her inner being. are No
I portion of her moral nature? TO sup
pose otherwI sc is no. only absurd, bur imri
/ ous, 10 Is % suppose that the Almighty
. Creator would eldow a being with mora
wants and capacities that could have nC
development-wi1h an inner nature de
J MED any external reflection or manifesto
ton ol it, wants or OF itself. OF course
. il is not intended 10 say that the negres
/ has not q moral nature. il Is only intcndc,
' to 4 nou~trJtn the fact. that She has no
the moral nature Of white woman. Sh,
absolutely doe not. and absolutely canno
I give outward expression 20 those high nor
. III qualities which are reflected in tn,
/ varying color and changing feature. Of IA,
/ white woman. and therefore those VII,
| would cndow her inner nature with thc>,
qualities must necessarily charge the Gre
lt0r with the gross injustice OF withhold
ing from her any expression OF qualitic
20 essential to their own happines. as wei
rs to our conceptions OF the beauty an,
dignity OF womanhood
This same illustration is extensively iii
yer-.iied in regard to the other sex. Iti
seen every day iu our social life. and con
fronts us at every step. The white ma,
Is flushed with anger or livid with fear. a
pale with grief He is at one moment $.
charged with the darker passions a, to b
. almost black. and the next so softened b
sorrow or stricken by grief that his fac
+, bloodlo-S and absolutely white A
these outward mlniicstions of the innC
uasurc-of the moral being which Go
/ mas endowed us with-are familiar to ev,
" one They form portion of our dali
experience. and constitute an cSseuti,
part of our social life There are gres
differences among our own people III r,
gard to the general expression Of the fe;
lures. Some reflect in their faces all tn
emotions bv which they are moved. Will
others are SO stolii. or they have acquire
, such q control over themselves in the.
respects, as to appear impertmhable.
But this has no connection with colo
on any correspondence with that gre,
q | fundamental and specific fact bv whil
and through which the Almighty h.
t7mpcd the character and revealed u
| relative conditions of the several huma
races. Like all the other great facts i
vo.ved, color Is the standard and eXa
| 18mgasurcmcut of the specific characte
The Caucasian is white-the negro
? black the first is the most superior. Il
latter most interior-and between the
extremes of humanity are the intermet
ate races approXimating to the former
: approaching the latter, lust as the
mighty, IN His boundless wisdom and
etfable beucticence. has seen fit to ord
it. Color Is no more radical or univers
or no more difference between VIII
I men and negroes. than any other fact @
OF the countless millions of facts that $,
arate them. II Is more palpable to t
sense. more unavoidable, but no me
universal or inyariable than the hair I
+ voice, theattitude. the features. the 70,
OF the limbs. the single glohule Of bio,
g. or the myriads and millions of things Il
constitute the negro being.
.e Ii would seem that the Almighty c
s ator, when stamping this palpable diSti
.c ton on the very surface. had design
to guard his work from any possible de
Grafton, and therefore had marked it
legibly, that human ignorance. fraud.
~ or wickcdness could by no poSsihll
- mistake it, And indeed they do not II
take il. for those pcrvcr~c creatures amo
.. US who clamor SO loudly for negro ecu
Itv or that the negro shall be treated
~ If he was q white man. only desire
H. force their hideous theories ON Others
\. would rather have their own tamllleS
M terlv perish from the earth than 10 pr
c- tice or live up to their doctrines IN
n. repcci. ..-,.,
-. The term "colored man or 'eoiol
Of per.on" could never have originated u
,,nl community having negroes I'M ITS midst
ns il Is not only misnomer but an aosul
tv as cross as to say "a colored fish or
M crol bird. though natural enough pcrh
s~s TO Europcans. or 10 those who had ne
seen NEGROES or different races from the
& selves.
- Finally. as color is the standard and
test Of the specific character revealing
l<e inner nature and actual capabilities of
ny race, so, too, is it the test and standar'