The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-18
Barbarism and Civiliz alton.

In the atlantic Monthly" for January
we find very instructive and powerfully
written article with the above heading,
showing most conclusively that, as civiliza-
tion progresses, the physical as we'll as men,
tai condition of the human race is imp.oved.
We append few extracts, demonstrating
the advancement of civilization over barbar.
ism, as proven by historical observations
TRANSFORMATION.
The savage cannot, as a general rule,
endure transplantation he cannot thrive in
the country of the civilized man whereas
the latter, with time for training, can equal
or excel him in strength or endurance on
his own ground. As it is known that the
human race generally can endure greater
variety of climate than the hardest of the
lower animals, 30 it is with the man of civ.
ilization when compared with the barbarian.
Kane, when he had once learned to live in
the Esquimaux country, lived better than
the Esquimaux themselves; and he says
expressly, that their powers of resistance
are no greater than those of well-trained
voyages from other lands. Richardson,
Parkyns, and tombstone give it as their
opinion that the European, once acclimated,
bears the heat of the African deserts better
than the native negro. "These Christians
are DEVILS" says the Arabs "they can en-
dure both cold and heat" What are the
Bedoins to the Zouaves, who unquestionably
would be as formidable in Lapland as in
Algiers? Nay, in the very climates where
the natives are fading away, the civilized
foreigner multiplies; thus, the strong New
Zealanders do not average two children to
family, while the households of the English
colonists are larger than at home, which is
saying good deal.
WHAT SCIENCE CAN DO.
Most formidable Of all is the absence of
all recuperative power in the savage who
rejects civilization. No effort of will i'm
proves bis condition: be sees bis race dyiny
out, and he can only drink and forget it.
But the civilized man has an immense ca
pacity for self-restoration he can make
mistakes and correct them again, sin and
repent, sink and rise. Instinct can only
prevent; science can cure in one genera
tion, and prevent in the next. 1t is known
that some twenty years ago thrill of hor>
Tor shot through all Anglo-Saxondom at
the reported physical condition of the op-
eratives in English mines and factories. 1t
is not 90 generally known, that, by recent
statement of the medical inspector OF fac
tories, there is declared to have been most
astounding renovation of female health in
such establishments throughout all England
since that time-the simple result of sani-
tary laws. What science has done, science
can do. Everybody knows which symptom
of American physical decay is habitually
quoted as most alarming: one seldom sees
dentist who does not despair of the republic.
Yet this calamity is nothing new: the elder
branch of our race has been through that
epidemic, and outlived it. In the robust
days of Queen Bess, the teeth of the court
ladies were habitually so black and decayed,
that foreigners used constantly to ask it
EDglishwomen ate nothing but sugar.
Hentzer, who visited the country in 1897,
speaks of the same calamity as common
among the English OF all GLASSES. Two
centuries and half have removed the stig-
ma improved physical habits have put
fresh pearls between the lips Of all England
now and there seems no reason why we
Americans may not yet be healthy. in spite
of our teeth.
COMPARISON OF SIZE.
Thus much for general consideration; let
Us come now to more specific tests, begin
ming with the comparison of size. The ar
NOR of the knights Of the middle ages is too
small for their modern ascendants Hamil-