Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-05

bnbhttnt thoukut 10 Nuub Whn Rukh'
Us. Happily the mind Of man is Sc
constructed by our Creator, that as time
goes on that mind expands and gradually
grasps at things and subjects which our
ancestors could not have dreamed OF.
Not only they grasp them, but they
master them. Our history is rayeled into
mystery but a dim light begins 10
show itself and slowly, as a hope that
with time, patience and perseverance,
man may in great measure compre-
hend the state in which his progenltor
lived in time OF which we have no his
torical record When we survey all the
inhabitants Of our globe we are struck
by the different types and races in
habiting il. We see at once three dis
tinct types--the Negro, the Mongoliau
and the Caucasian. In each type we
see divisions or races which gradually
depart from the original type to which
they seem to belong and generally lower
on the scale of intelligence. For ex.
ample, the Hottentot seems allied to the
negro, and almost forms type Of itself.
The Bushman, the 0bongo, the Adamans
and others seem allied to the negro, and
the question is, are they not an older
family than the negro2 The New Zea-
lander, the Australian, the Poly
nesiau, and the American Indian
races and others, approach the Mongolian
type. When we look at some Of those
low types and races of men, such as Hot.
tentots, Bushmen, Obongos, Australians,
some tribes Of negroes, and other crea-
lures low in the scale of intelligence, we
shrink from the comparison, and we
naturally ask ourselves if we all come
from one primordial type. For not only
do the people differ from us in color and
in their bony frame, but above all in the
scale of intelligence when compared
with the higher races. In looking at
their receding forehesds we account at
once for their want of intelligence. For
mankind to come to such state of dis
integration as we now see, prodigous
number of years must have been required
in order to work such change from a
primordial type-for now it is even i'm
possible to tell now what type was, or in
palmer words, what the first man was.
As far back as we have any historical
knowledge we find that the living types
and races of men stand in the
same relation to each other as
they did formerly. We see no diff
ference whatever in the pictures of the
ancient temples of Egypt, several thou
sand years old, on which the negro and
Caucasian physiognomy were portrayed.
They stand in the same contrast as If
they had been taken to-day. | have no
doubt that if the Hottentot, the Chinese
or Australian physiognomies had been
taken by the Egyptians they would show
the same contrast to-day as they did
formerly. Hence there seems to be
among all the races of mankind perma-
nency Of type, and when in the course
of time changes are to take place, | can
only foresee it in the progressive Cau-
casian types has ceased. Not only has
it ceased, but their extinction is surely
taking place. Primitive man could not
possibly be endowed with all the knowl-
edge we now possess and shall gain here
after. / am of opinion that he must
have been born i'm a warm climate, and
that as the family of man increased he
gained knowledge, and consequently he
knew how to protect himself against the
weather, which knowledge allowed him
to scatter all over the world. If oil the
races of mankind came from single
promordial type, and as we see that there
is progression, am inclined to believe
that the Hottentot and negro are the
Oldest races now living. / believe firmly
in the decline of the vital energies of
man and in The extinction of the races
of men at the exception of the progress
sive Caucasian race. | not only believe
in that extinction, but | see it. We all
see it. Hence the Hottentot Bushmen,
being the lowest type Of the negro, will
disappear first. The Australian, Poly
nesian, American Indian, and others,
being the lowest representations OF the
Mongolan, will disappear also. In fact,
they are all disappearing, and we can
almost tell the time when the Caucasian
race will be all over the continent of
North America, and when not a single
Indian will be found. l am amazed
when / hear men asserting that the
white man is the cause of the extinction
of the aborigines wherever he comes in
contact with them--as if races had only
been disappearing of late. Other good
and most kind hearted people will quietly
tell you that as soon as these communi-
ties of savages will become citizenized
the decrease will stop, as they will be-
come as intelligent as the Caucasian. l
need not mention to you here of what you
have heard before-the discoveries which |
have been made in America and in Eu-
rope concerning the antiquity of man.
The mounds which have been discovered |
IN America have shown in most con-
elusive manner that once there existed a
race of men more intelligent than the |
sborigines of the present day. The ruins
and remains found in Central America,
N Peru, etc, ETC., testify to the same |
faet. In Europe discoveries leading to |
he same conclusion may be said to have
been found. This shows you at once that
he white man has never been the cause
)f the disappearance of such people |
le never saw them. In America they |
lad gone before he came, and what is
more, the Indians, when the white man
zane, had not even the slightest tradition
hat such people ever existed. Hence
)ne must come TO the CONCLUSION that the
Indian race in America has lost its
gital energy and has been decreasing for
very remote period When the first set
.lers entered the Valley of the Ohio, it
vas covered with an immense forest
They never dresmt that once race of
men had inhabited the country, as the
mounds found:there testified. These ex-
lmples bring before you to show how
ash is the assertion that the white man
s the cause of the disappearanee of the
over races of mankind. How to ac-
,ount for the gradual disappearance Of
be vital energy OF race Is yet beyond
he domain of science TO point to us
But We know il to be a fact, for we see
be RACES disappearing one after anotheri
md, as have said masy times before, ]
,o.rn not for IN this order of things / /