The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-11-13
aatisfellausnns.
~ From the Smv--



remarkable declaration 81 the Elder" that
" Nature instructs us that without Divine in-
reference there could and would have been
but one complexion, and that like the first
parents. Nature is consistent with herself
Like begets like. The complexion of Adam
and Eve was scaite"
1t is very difficult which most to admire in
this declaration--ths recklessness of the as
sertion, or the ignorance exhibited as to our
every days experience of the influences Of
climate, modes Of living, &c. upon the COM
plexions Of the human family. Although
IKE begets like" yet how often do we see,
IN the same family, that some of the children
have fair compilations, with light hair, blue
eyes &C., whilst others have dark complex
ions with hair and eyes to correspond I; even
when the compilations of the parents are the
sameE And how often do we observe the
TACT that man of fair complexion, son Of
parents Of the complexion, wandering away
from Northern latitude into tropical eli
mate, after many years absence, returns with
2 complexion so dark, so brown and weather.
peaten as to be scarcely recognized by his
friends : And whys Simply because the
sun had shown upon him. Thus Nature
lnstructs us that without Divine interference"
there are existing in the same family more
Than one complexion"
Before proceed further, however, to no
uce the influence of extraneous oircumstan-
ces, as climate, manners and customs. laws.
language, modes of life, clothing, &C., in pro-
euclng the great variety of colors in the diff
ierent nations Of the earth, beg to inquire
what authority has the Elder" for the as
sertlon that the complexion of Adam and
Eve was white p This the elder knows.
or ought to know, is disputed point-a fact
winch has called forth much discussion among
the learned, who, after all, have left the ques-
tlon just where they found tia question of
doubt and uncertainty.
In illustration of this remark, ouote a
passage from I'd Dunglinson's Human Phisi-
ology, Up. p. COZ 603)-" But it has been
asked, it all mankind have descended from
one family, which of the varieties now extant
must be regarded as their representative On
this we have nothing but mcclure to guide
us. 1t has been supposed by some to be
more probable that the changes, induced upon
mankind have been in consequence of the
progress from state of barbarian To refine-
ment, than the reverse; and hence. Il has
been considered that the variety ought 10 be
considered primary, which through all the
Vicissitudes of human affairs, has remained
~ the same degraded condition. and which.
IN It's structure, differs most materially from
the variety that has uniformly cnioyed tn,
greatest degree of civilization. Upon Thu.
principle, the Ethiopian would have to be re-
garded as the type of our first ancestors, anc
such is the opinion of Prichard and OF Bos
took. Blumenback, however, maintains tn,
converse view. Bishop Heber, again, sug
gests whether the hue of the Hindoo whief
is brownish yellow, may not have been tina
OF our first parents, whence the transition L
the white and black varieties might be NOR,
easy and comprehensive Philosophy occa
sionally aids us in our historical deductions
but the evidence afforded by it has to be re
ceived with caution. Tho Hebrew names
like all original appellation, in perhaps al
languages, arc generally expressive, ant
therefore worthy of consideration in question
OF this nature. The Hebrew word Adam i
not only the name of the first man, but /
signifies more in the abstract, correspondent
to the Greek dnthopos and the Latin Homo
We are told in the Sacred Volume IL a. i,
the day that God created man, in the Likeness
of God created he him male and femat
created he them and blessed them, and calle
their name Adam in the day when they wer
created The word Adam is derived from
Hebrew root signifying to be red,' and, an,
accordingly, it is not improbable that tn
originally hue of the first man was of tina
character"
Now, in view of these conflicting opinions
OF such men as above named, by what author
lty, pray, does the " Elder declare, with s.
much confidence, that the complexion O
Adam and Eve was rhite ?" Ifhe had looke
carefully into the controversy on this point
the investigation should have taught hin
naodesty at least; and he should not have pre-
nounced so authoritatively on question upo
which such learned Doctors disagree"
But if, for the sake of the argument, W
concede, which, however, dc. not, that 18th
complexion of Adam and Eve was white,
does it follow that the complexion of Noa
and of his three SONS, Shem, Ham and il
pheth, was thesame. And if the complexio
of Noah was white, how has it happened ths
there are so many-such varid complexion
in the world, from the purest blood to the j.
black? Does the Elder mean to aver tina
there has been "Divins interference to prc
duce these different complexions2 or does ever
departure from the iohits complexion necesss
rily involve the idea of "Divine interference
If the Divine interference" was necessar
to give to the Negro the "6Eack skin an
woolly head" as an attestation or evidence ,
the curse of perpetual slavery, to what pu
pose or end was divine interference had 1
produce the brosoHish yellow complexion of Il
Hindoo, the oliUe complexion of the Arab an
others, and the red complexion of the Amer
can Indan9 Or xvould tha laarnad E4EIdar