New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-27
MAN OR DE1STt

In tho multitude of cOunselors there may 20
safety, provided always there is no ethnoogist
among them, and the point to be considered
is not the simple humanity OF black people.
But given the great facial-angle- question, with
its shin-bone corollaries and given also dispu-
tants learned in the history of races, and the
confguration of the human form divine, and
we have at once q middle of assertion ana
rejOindcr sufficient TO disturb the equilibrium
of the most accurately poised intellect. We
have in our time read some forty or fifty ueati-
ses-mostly of the pamphlet description-which
were intended TO demonstrate 10y eOpious citations
from Rollins Ancient History and the Book OF
Genesis that "Nieger" Is Niger" and
that White Man is a White Man. although
these appear to be pair Of selfevident facts
in little or no need either of proposition or of
proof. Lately the tedium Of the investigation
is somewhat allcviatcd by the new question OF
"What Is an Albino y What is the proper 80
cial and political status of q creature the pupils
of whose eyes are pink, the hair OF whose
head Is "preternaturally white" whose skin IS
of n light color with dark spots or OF dark
color with light spotsf Is n human being thus
yariegated TO be considered as still under the
curse of Canaan9 These are matters which
might we'll arrest the attention OF DR.. Joseph
Jones of Now Orleans Secretary of the South
ern Historical Society. Professor of Chemistry
in the University of Louisiana, and late Pro-
lessor of Physiology and Pathology in the
University of Nashville. The Professor has
had drought to his notice some remarkable
leases of purely negro parentage. OF children
"whose skins were perfectly white and free
"from any African tinge, while every feature,
Except that of the skin, was Enthusiastically
"that Of the negro Still more serious and
extraordinary case coming under DIR. Joseph
Jones's observation was that of -blooded
negro, who, not having the fear of the ethnol-
ogist before him, gradually turned white"
until he was nearly as white all over as the
editor of The Express. Indeed, Albinos are
rather common than otherwise; they are
found among all races of men; they were well
known to the ancients, and may have assisted
at the building of the Tower of Babel; and
there are Albino animals both wild and do
nestle. In Africa, the Albinos are very nu-
mefous, and His Majesty the King of Loango,
as we'll as His Majesty the King OF Ashautce,
employs them as the ornamental attendants Of
his person. These are facts which give rise to
variety of conjectures, bat We content our
selves with q simple point Of casustry, viz:
Whether o Black Man having become by some
mysterious process White, thereby escapes the
curse pronounced upon hisrace by the Almighty
But We are forced to admit that this is q
problem which we are not learned enough In
sacred science to solve; and as the hard headed
race of Pro- Slavery Divine Doctors has pretty
much died out, we fear that the matter must
remain unsettled and q collegiate distraction
through all the ages.
Il The Investigations of DR.. Joseph Jones have,
however, had one valuable and practical result.
(" lie finds" does the Doctor that between
"the epidermis of tho White and Colored
b" races there Is an identity Of structure aud
"no such organic difference as indicates \ d..
versity Of origin and species of the different
races This Ia dreadful blow to the writer's
of the sxpenny pamphlets, with their weiglity
logic and their polygot knowledge Of cuticular
tints before the Flood and after it, and with
their fine theory OF the general influence yf
the shin-bone upon tbe moral character. Over
and over again, these gentlemen have proved
both the justice and the necessity OF Slavery by
arguments drawn from the hair the eyes, the
cntcle. the nose, the teeth, the hands and The
feet Of the slave. They wefo anatomical in
their politics. They were physiological in their
religion. They sought to color legislation by
setting up a radical and fundamental difference
between Americans and Africans. The gorilla
was unto them a god-scnd. The chimpanzee
was installed the ally OF. the Federal Constltu-
ton as they were eager 30 understand IL; and
here comes DIR. Joseph Jones of Louisiana, and
denies diversity of origin and species Of the
different racesD Cruel DR.. Jones He even
reaches the narrowing conclusion, from mi
eroscopical and physiological investigation.