The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-18
SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY Is, 1865.

1t is a common boast of the North.
and rellsiously believed by most of its
people, that cold climates beget and keep
alive selfreliance, energy, enterprise,
skill and inventiveness; and that warm
climates produce Incidence, carelessness,
ignorance and improvidencc. If that be
the fact, we wonder that they do not stick
to their cold climates instead of seeking
to settle in latitudes where the enerva-
ting influences of the sun may cause
them to degenerate
But there are certain facts in the his
tory of mankind which conflict seriously
with this favorite Northern theory. We
do not mention these in spirit Of self
| complacency, but simply in selfdcfcncc,
and in defence Of the Sun, which per-
forms some important Offices in the
economy of nature This much, at
least, must be conceded: No Northern
man will contend that the sun diminishcs
the energy Of vegetation, or bcgets weak
ness and etlemnacy in the animal li(e.-
No one will pretend that the gigantic
growth of Southern vegetation is sur.
passed in Northern latitudcs, or that the
lion, the tiger, the elephant, the Arab
horse, are inferior lin strength, courage
and speed to the animals of cold coun-
tries.
If man IS an exception to this rule;
if the sun, which developes and cner-
gzes all the rest of creation, which stimu-
latcs, fosters and pelftcts all plants and
all animals, renders humanity etieminate
and indolent, we should like to see some
evidences Of the fact. We do not find
that evidence in the condition of the
aboriginal races Of America when first
discovered by Europeans. In the high
attitudes, the Indians were rude, improvi-
dcnt and savage; in all the tropical parts
ofthe continent, in Mexico, Central Ame-
RIGA and Peru, they exhibited forecast,
skill, inventiyeness, and were surrounded
by vast architectural remains, that
proved the existence Of an immemorial
civilization.
If We 20 to the Old World, we look in
vain for any illustration of the selfcom.
placent Northern proposition. We find
that man was created about the centre
of Asia, and we should thence infer that
that region was the most favorable 10
cality for his full growth and develop
mcnt. We arc no bigots on this subject;
not extreme, by any means, in our vindi-
cation of the Sun. The Sun, no doubt,
has his faults, spot or two here and
there but, Oh the whole, is a benignant
luminary, not unfayorable to human pro-
srcss. We arc disposed to concur with |
a theory, that as VIC recede from the iso~
thermal latitude Of creation, and go too |
far north, or too far south, man and all |
other created things deteriorate. Never
thcleBs, it is better to have too much |
sun than too little In the equatorial |
and tropical regions Of the Old World
there is abundant monumental and ar
,hitectural evidence that, before Greece
and Rome existed, those regions were
always inhabited by energetic and civil
zcd races, while in the Northern latftudes
here was only dreary waste Of igno~
,ance and barbarism.
1t was under a glowing sun that the
oatriarchs, prophets and apostles of Dir
inc Revelation were called to the great
mission of rcclaimins the human race
rom the ruins of the fall. 1t was under
such a sun that Moses, Joshua, David
Ind Solomon were matured to the most
rigorous manhood and the loftiest Wis
lom. h was there that the Sun of
FIRST arose, and blended
IS fructifying with that luminary,
which is spoken Of in Scripture as type
+ the spiritual energy and lifseivfng
,ower Of the Son Of God. +
Why has Northern Asia been always |