The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-03-19
THE PLURAL ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN
RACE


RACE.
lecture was delivered in New York by DR.
Raphael. on The Plural Origin of the Human
Race, ia which he ably argued that ethnugraphical
researches tended To prove the dual origin at man
kInd that the Caucasian aud the negro VT re dis
tinct races aud that the latter were not descended
from Adam aud Eve. He first spoke Of the
dIvcrsi y Of both mental and physical organization
| among the inhabitants uf the several portoas of
the globe, aud then referred to the striking differ
ence which OVERRIDE all individual peculiarites
that characterized the Ethiopian aud the Cau-
casian, mai king them races of separate origin
With those forms and proportions aud cOlors,
which We consider 50 beautiful i'm the 6ne figures
OF grace, to quote from Mr. Lawrence. /" CONTRAST
the woolly har the fat n.se, the thick lips. the
retreatlng forehead, advancing jaws aud black skin
Of the negro, &c the general appearance of many
of the barbarous nations of the earth. aud the
difference is nu,iced, emphatic aud strongly
marked.
he physiological and cra,iiM differences of tho
two set f,rih by@thr lecturer in .
striking lighr. 1he characterize. .cs of the eau.
c,srau are. white skia red cheeks hair black, or
of the various lighter c ,lIrs cIpiIus, suit, and
generally more or less curied or waving; eyes
dark IN tn 81 with brown skn-blue ar gray in
he fair or rosy complexion large cranium mp.
proxlnIatlng to perfect oval; the anterior or
frontal portion particularly large the moral feel
ns aud intellectual powers more full and suscepti-
bic OF high development
he cbUr in the Ethiopian race is black the
eyes black the hair black aud wonlly; the
skull much depressed in the coronal region. and
elongated toward the back the forehead low, mar
row aud slantng; the cheek bones prominent
The jaws narrow aud projecting the broad,
thick, fiat aud confused with the extended jaw
the lips are thick-partic icu;arIy the upper one.
Dr. Raphael described the numerous varieties Of
the two tribes, taking the type Of the African
race the negro found in his native wIlls.
he African seemed the Intermediate link be-
tween the animal aud the highest human deSel.
opment.
Let we'll formed Caucasian. an African pos
sessTng the real likeness nf his race. aud an 0raIs
outang he placed aongsi lie nf eacI other. aud the
=ra!ua ion fom the first to the ~ will be obvious
aud striking. he Caucasian will be nI,st perfect,
the African less so, aud the rang.uIang the least
ut the three; aud the African will resemble the
"rang-outang in az many points as it resembles the
Caucasian.
If the union of the races and species Of men be
assumed there are but three suppositiuns which
the diversity we have seeh between the white and
black and the intermediate colors can he accounted
'or-to-wit: First, the direct act of the Almighty
IN changing one type Of mankind into another
Seeonily, the gradual action of physical and acci-
dental causes. such climate, food made of life
&c; and, thirdly, consenital or accidental varia-
ion.
He would MT entertain the first hypothesis as
there evidence in its favor.
With r.gard to the second. it is admitted by
rthnographers OF every party. that physical in
huenceS such a. climate, food, &C., may influence
mankind in many particulars that bot climate
lurkrns the conn lexion and that il alters sOIne-
what the figure of the Caucasian, experience has
proved. But it alters a type Of mankind only to .
given point. and there it stops fa,Fever In the
Snuth of Eurnpe, the inhabitants embr0wned
by the climate aud their figures differ somewhat
from those IN the North; but in every case, the
is the same-if original Caucasian. il remains
so 1t is commonly receiyed.err.r. that the in
huence of hot climate is gradually exerted ON
successive generations, until species of
kind is c"ml leely changed into another--the dark
shade being impressed the first, and another
shade added o the child. and another still TO the
next generation aud SO on through succeeding
generatnns until at last the fair Caucasian is
transformed by climate into the black African.
This idea is abandoned by all ethnogrAphers Of
whatever class. The exposed parts OF the body
are alone changed and the children OF the white
nian in New Orleans and other hot climates are
born fair their ancestors and would remain
so if carried back to a colder climate.
The next theory is quite absurd; the only
one that be consistently sustained 10 the light
of science logic revelation. is the thenry that all
the races we're not descended from Adam. DIR
Raphael concluded by showing that this theory
was not contradicted, but rather upheld By the
Bible .@s
The lecture was well received by the large
audience in attendance.