New-York tribune., 1867-05-18

plain narration of facts he ventures on the
difficult task of working up the facts in
support of a theory, and that q theory which
predicts the extinction of race now number
ing hundreds of millions OF human beings
it becomes at once evident that philosophy IS
not his forte. What, for instance, can be
more untenable and absurd than the view as
to the future of the negro race which he
gravely set forth, at the conclusion of his lee
tire last Tuesday evening, as his own delib-
crate cOnviction2 After reviewing the condl-
tion Of the negro in his savage state in his ma
tive home, and cOntending that the African has
no power of progression" he proceeded to
say "0f alrthe unciyilized nations, the negro
"has been found the most tractablc and do
"cile, and he has number of good qualities
"that compensate, i'll a measure, for the BAD
cones We ought, therefore, to be kind to HIM
"and elevate him: That he will follow, in the
"cOurse of time other lower races, and will
"fnally disappear, have very little doubt"
Now, with all Difference to Monsieur Du Chaillus
superior knowledge Of the negro, we make bold
to question the soundness of this conclusion OF
his. Granted that the negro has "no power OF
progression" n"-granted that he has for years
remained in a savage state; it does not follow
as consequence that he must "fnally disap-
"pear" from the face of the earth. With cer-
tain class of etlnologists this theory OF the dis
appearance of the lower races before the adj
vancng march Of civilized man is quite favOrte
one but there is nothing we contend, in either
history, or nature or Providence to warrant the
conclusion that such catastrophe is inevitable.
Inferior races, we admit, are disappearing In
certain parts of the world, where the superior
races dispute with the abOrgines the
possession of the land; but this result is
brought about not through the operation Of
any ordained law, but by the vices of a civili-
zation imperfectly controlled by moral and
Christian influences When Monsieur Du
Chaillu speaks of the final disappearance of
the African race, he seems to forget, too, that
he is coolly settling the destiny, not of t-ibe,
but of the whole people of large continent.
The negro race has an appointed location on
this planet and an appointed work to do on
it, and it is impossible to dispose of them by
the fippant philosophy philosophy so called
which is so fashionable nowadays in GER
tain very enlightened quarters. The equatorial
regions are his habitat. lie is specially fitted
for labor in the burning tropics and in places
where even Chinese and Hill Coolies sink
under malarial influences, he retains his health
and strength unimpaired VIII Monsieur Du
Chalu tell us who is to take his place in the
lands of the sun when he shall have finally
disappeared ? Or are immense tracts of them
to be given over to the wildncss of ma
turcl But facts are decidedly against the
theory in question. II is notorious that
in the British West Indies, since Emanci-
patton, the black population has increased very
largely. The blacks in Central and South
America are also on the increase, and IN our
Southern States thero are no signs ~ yet, to
say the least, of the final disappearance. Let
us give our explorer hint. Your philosophical
traveller is, generally speaking, an unmitigated
bore. People don't want generalizationS from
travellers; they. ask for facts only, pre-
fening to draw conclusions for themselves.
Monsieur Du Chaillu is entertaining enough
when he tells us about his adventures with
gorilas and chmpanzecs, and cannibal Fetch
worshipcrs: he is simply intolerable when he
begins to philosophize about the appointed fate
of the negro race.