The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-10-31
MIS- SoELLAM E0US.
Antiquity OF Nan.

AntiquitU Of Nan.
The antiquity Of tho human race, as demon
strated by remains discovered In the geological
strata Of North America, formed the chief topi,
of discussion before the American Science AssO
citation, at lis recent general session Ia Chicago
\ The views expressed by several eminent natural
lists aud gcoloRisls, aud the many evidences al
duccd Ia support Of the theory Of mans great
antiquity, are sufficiently importan, TO warrant
our bringing the subject TO the notice Of out
kreadeTs.
Whether or not the theory "a In conflict with
the Mosaic account OF mans creation as received
by theologians, Il nevertheless seems irrviuiihls
/ Putc science reaches forward tu It's CONCLUSIONS
through media OF an indispuiabl character.
facts Hnd when results have been thus snhsian.
/ TALLY attained which appear 10 contradict the
revelations VI Him whom We call God the Gre .
tot, u mos, serious dilemma Is presented dilrm.
INA which ma, be disposed Of oniy, ~ IL wuuli
seem, by the discovery o. an error IN our g-iri.
ally received interpretations 0f thOsc revelations
II, however, "thc wisdom Of man IL but foolish.
nesS with God, IN what respect could nian nipr.
gravely err than In his attempts To interpret ,h,
writing VI the Most iiigh, aud To understand
thoroughly Ills wa, toward mankind - ~,
character aud PURPOSES OF the Infinite ARE cUiir,
IS beyond the comprehension at the finite. IL ..
prcsumpiuous folly for the fniic to attempt iu lin.
scs by description. All serious minds will al
prove this. corOilary may bc drawn from such
conclusion to the effect that Scripture being the
revealed will Of God isiO BE- interpreted ii, lh,.
utmost care exercised IN the literal application ~
any part OF II. OF course W. aludc es,Ht'i,i.y g..
It's symbolism. There are passages, nnd wr ila.
they constitute the larger portion O: lh- lii"...
wh0.c Specification is comparatively simpl- ani
which scarcely admit Oi morr than Onr ctnsi.ut.
NJ NH
which have nn nsscriaiOry or dccatalJiy clDiA,-
irf, and which, II accepted Rsfdiiy. ,ctin a. r.,>
with souc manifest conclusion Ui cNinIirsi,r .mh
tcIsJn, 40 feel compelled, Tor the sIs- ~ ,,,u
science and g,Orai consistency. to hnll 10 ,Ys,.
ancc AL prvcOnccoych notions. NAM anO g.r.
passage OF Scripture has bccn clcAfly ,.gciltt.
by scientific mcihols. Especially l. The "a, r,.
with prophetic revelation; and We m,, ina!,
luoA forward ,O the Developments h,OHshI air,ni
by scientific Investigators TO Vulishien us Aii
rcfcirnc" 10 Bible teaching the subject Of u,s
or. in.
l.c, " examine briefly what our sIciHs ia ,nun
ell assembled at Chicago had to say ui our r-nt
ancestors. Mr. Charles Whiillcsry rnuincsii,i
several races of whose existence hriOfc the ir,i
mAn there ARE abundant evidences 10 the ,uI,r-
posed strata Of North America viz, the mp.uI
builders racC that lived IN the territory which
ig nov Wisconsin "a waflike race uhabii.n. il,-
region south Of lakes Erie aud Ontario: q, pcup.~
dcvOuily given 10 religious rites In the region a.
Mexico. The periods during which these ric.s
lourishcd have not been asccIiaiued but IL seem.
certain that they extend many thousands Of ears
inO the dim pasi--thonsands OF year before the
Christian era. Pottery, arrow heads. aud other
works u man have been found IN couilclou
with and beneath the bones Of the masiodon ani
megaihcrium. animals OF whose existence there is
no record save that Of their imbedded skeletons
In regard to the time the Indians have occupied
III etA N,liA - Z.
Three skeletons were found in a cave beneath a
heap Of faccumulations several feet in depth. The
crania were 81 nearly perfect that there was len
no doubt Of there being the cfAna OF red mcn
These bones were computed TO have been plncei
in their sepulcher 1000 years ago \ jaw and
tooth were found in stratum aud pronounced
by Prof. Agassiz 10 have been there 10, 900 ears
and must have belonged TO the bronsc men or the
stone men, as they are called. These stone mtn
belong 10 the second period Of prehistoric times,
or TO an age estimated n, from 1000 TO 10000
years back.
Mr.. J. ". Foster stated ,ha, there were recent
discoveries which warranted a msch greater an.
tiqIiiy for the human race than that shown hy
the estimates already given Along the bank. OF
the Nile excavations have been made TO a great
depth, and from them fragments Of burned brici.
have been taken out. Calculating from the depth
OF mud deposited by the Nile each century. an
age OF %, 600 years is ascfibed 10 men who burn
cd those bricks. The Pyramids are founded on
the handiwork Of man buried deep beneath the
soil on which their hoary foundations rest The
feet Of Napoeon's soldiers, upon whom thirty cen
turtles looked down from the piles ofgTaniic above
them, trod upon earth which for three centuries
OF centuries had embraced the relics Of u mighty
race. The discovery Of human skeleton Ia CAL
ifofnia deep down in the gold drih and covered
by five successive deposits OF lava also carries
back the antiquity Of man 10 period far beyond
the stone age
Prof. j. b. Whitney gave an account OF hu.
man skull well preserved which had been found
in Bald Mountain, near Altavillc, California 1870
feet below the surface OF the ground, beneath for
nations Of basalt and strata Of lava. lie had
himself visited the locality Of the discovery aud
used the best means in his power TO thoroughly
sit the matter TO its foundation, and could find
nothing on which 10 hinge doubt as to the au-
ihcntici,y Of the discovery.
Professors Siliman aud Blake discussed this
discovery nj some length, but without In any
particular denying il. Their attitude Appeared to
be that OF a suspension ofjudgemcnt the reasona-
bic effect ofa startling development; for II the
antiquity of this skull Is to be estimated by the
usual geological approximations, the depth at
which Il was found 10 the excavation, and the
many changes which had taken place IN the
earlh's crust around and above IT, would assign
!, 10 period Of antiquity ages anterior to ihaito
which geologists have placed the earliest men.
There were those In this learned assembly who
differed in their views from the distinguished gen
tlcmen already mentioned, aud whose opinions
are Of some weight in scientific circles.
Prof. True remarked that exaggera,ion, credu-
lity, and justification were the tendencies Of the
age. Now that the bones Of man have been found
associated with those Of the masiodon, IL would
he expected for u year or two 10 come that every
mastOdon found would have a human skeleton
beneath il. lie, however, did not believe in this
amazing antiquity Of the human race.
Prof Andrews thought there was a practical
joke nj the bottom Of the Calayeras County skull
discovery as detailed by Prof. Whitney.
Mr.. waierhouse Hawkins, the eminent naiu-
ralist and lecturer, was present during this dis
CUSTOM aud made a few comIon-sense rehec-
tons on tie manner In which specimens involV-
ing important scientific questions were preserved
lie urged the necessity OF taking up and preserv-
Ing with them the original material In which fos-
sis were found. This simple precaution would
relieve investigators OF many doubts and answer
many inquiries In q satisfactory way.
Whether or not the discovery that man lisa hun
drcd or thousand centuries old will subserve
any practical purpose in the enlightenment, and
progress OF the present man, we are not prepared
10 definitely say We do not sec the practical
connection Of such q matter with the real objects
and necessities Of society, aud think that no great
end would be promoted by iis demonstration.
Ye, no objection would be urged 10 such demon
s,raiion, for our organ Of Wonder, like that of
Americans 10 general, is hungry for the new and
startling. Let things "be done deccnlly," )" how
ever let them be proved before their assertion
Mere bsiig, one wayor the other, proves nothing
II is kHoriedgs We want. -Phreaoiogieal Journal
~
a BAD "SPELL. democracy and orihogra-
ply never had any sympathy 10 common, aud a