The mountain Democrat., 1863-03-07
TIE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT,
Rrsa ths Journal Of coansros.
The Black Race.


90 trace the successive periods Of civil
zation and barbarism, the rise and fall o
nations, the occupation Of countries il
alternative centuries by the arts and sci
ences, or by the wild beasts and the wa
terfowl.
But in recording the progress Of the
human race, it is q melancholy TACT tha'
one large portion Of the race has no part
in the history Of that progress, has nc
history of advancing civilization Tor itself
We trace the existence of the black
race. A 4 distinct people, to q very early
period. Some persons Imagine that the
ancient Egyptians were negroes; Ihls
notion has gained ground FROM the per
sistent falsitication Of history 6y a6oll'
tionistS. We know more Of the ancient
Egyptians, in regard to form and feature,
than OF any other ancient people, from
the thousands Of Contemporary paintings
which remain on their monuments. The
negro is found on the ancient Egyptian
monuments, but always as slave. The
Egyptian is a very difereot 0ersOnNSc.
We learn from these monuments that so
long ago as the period Of Rameses H.,
and perhaps much earlier nearly, or quite
B. c. 1000, the negro race was found rs
. distinct type, wholly different from the
white race, having the dark complexion,
thick lips, and wOOlly head as now, and
then As now appeared among the other
races only as q servant. No record in
Egypt assigns the black man any higher
position than this, nor is he ever repre-
seRted even among tho upper servants,
who appear to have been admitted to
confidential relations with their masters.
At this period, therefore, it is evident
that at least some parts Of Africa were IN
the occupation Of the negro race, ard
from this time we may commence view
of the history Of the TWO races, down to
the present date. How widely different
the history In Africa itself, the one
race building the gorgeous works of
Egyptian Splendor, celebrating 4 civilzn.
tion whose relics remain to this dav for
the astonishment Of man, the other race
relapSing, even on the upper waters Of
the same great river, into u low barba-
rism out Of which they have never
emerged.
The white race in every part Of the
world advanced in ell that We call refine
ment and civilization. One who desires
to trace this advance might do it well by
studying the history Of language. the in
vention Of the alphabet and written Ian
guage in general, the improvements in
paPyruS, parchment and paper, the new
forms Of letters, and finally the printing
press and modern books and newspapers
But sweeping glance over the world
will suffice to show what we mean. In
Asia the remains Of ancient glory abun-
danIly show the works Of various branch
es Of the Caucasian race. In Europe, We
have the highest evidences Of their early
and progressive civilization as we'll as uf
their reformation after relapseS into bar.
bariSnL in cold or in warm climates, un-
der governments Of any and every form,
by the sea, cr in the interior of The CONT
HentS> they built cities. temples, churches,
palaces, they carved statutes, they ia.
vented arts, they investigated the secrets
Of nature and elaborated the grand sum
Of human knowledge which the AIT Of
printing has gathered into thousands oi
bo0kS. Wherever the white race wan,
dered, their civilization seems to have at
tended their efforts at self culture and re
warded their attempts At improvement.
Even in China, Japan and the wildS Of
HIndOstan time improved the race, and
without Christianity, without any direct
guidance from superior Intelligence, man
worked out for himSeIfa path to a certain
degree Of knowledgr, refinement, civihza.
tion. II it be said that the race was not
originally barbarOus, that the immediate
descendants Of Noah were possessed of
the arts and sciences known before the
food, still the truth is plain that the
white race preserved the benefits thus
received, and when. in the course of time
as in the heart Of Asia, and throughout
Europe, they relapsed into barbarisln,
there was still = recuperative power
which brought them up out Of that state
and restored them always and every.
where to civilized grade. 1t is vain to
charge this to climate. In all climates
the truth remains the same, and the
hottest regions Of Ind . give abun-
dant evidence Of the wonderful advances
made by men, not Of negro blood, in arts,
sciences philosophy and general civiiza-
ton and refinement
In contrast with all this, the history of
the black race is profoundly sad. We
know that upwards of three thousand
years ago this race existed in Africa. We
know that that Is country capable Of
everything that man needs for comfort or
luxury. 1t has great rivers, mountains
and valleys, rich soil and seas that wash
its shores, which would carry an adven-
turOus man to any portion Of the world
1t had within it the richest sources Of
commerce, mines Of gold and Jewels,
birds Of gorgeous plumage, spices aud
balms for the luxury or the wants Of
mankind 1t stretched away into tenn
perate regions, and had every variety Of
climate and soil. Alas for Africa, that in
the wisdom Of God it was given to be the
ehOde Of the black race Wherever the
other race entered il and gained foothold,
it was redeemed from barbariSm. Egypt
was the mother Of European wisdom AID
civilization. The Pentapolis was rich in
temples, and palaces, and glorious works
of art. Here and there, in the northern
part Of the interior. adventurous travellers
like DR.. Barth have found the splendid
remains of Italian art, marking the foot
steps Of the Roman. But from the day
the black man possessed the soil he has
never advanced one step in civilization,
never built hut more convenient than
his foreiathers built thousands of years
ago. never invented written language,
never made q coin, never hewn a statue
or . column, never erected temple,
never learned that the world moved
around, never constructed a ship, or even
arude bark, to navigate the great rivers
OF Africa. In short. the race if il nos.