The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-07-05
Answers to Correspondents.

INQursrTrvE-Asks us sundry ques-
tons: 1st. Was Hannibal negro or
white manf
Ans.-Hc was a celebrated Carthage
nian General, and rs Carthage was a city
Of Africa proper, Of course he was not a
white man, nor yet negro in the
common acceptation Of that word. lie
was, Of course, an African, but quite
different in lineamcnt and color even,
from the negro of the kind brought here
as slaves.
ID. Who was tho first white manf
Ans.-We presume Adam Of old was,
rs we have no information Of his being
any other color; and rs white predomi-
mates largely among all the races of the
world, our impression is that Adam was
the first white man.
3rd. Was Ham black before being
cursed by his fatherH
Ans.-Ham's father did not curse him.
Doubtless Ham was born black, and the
curse Of his son CaaDan by Noah, his
father, had no other effect than TO render
Caanan and his seed the servants Of his
fellow men, and not to change the color
Of Ham. Read the 9th chapter of Gene
sis, especially the 18th verse. You will
find all about Shcm, Ham and Japhet in
the old Testament scriptures.
4th. Does an egg rot before ii hatches?
Ans.-This is scientific question
rather out Of our line Of information, and
should more properly come before a
chemist or a physician. However, We
venture to say, briefly, that in one sense
the egg does rot, but the germ lives, and
this germ, or rc''e,cing power, is brought
to life and raised again, by the very pro-
cess Of rotting, which goes on in all the
inner part Of the Drum. This germ, when
the process Of Matching begins, forms the
totun, which develops into the young
chicken. If the germ is injured, the
egg will rot in the true sense of the term
and never form a tets. The grain of
corn, wheat, and seed of all kinds, when
put into the earth, will rot, in one sense,
gut the germ will live, having been given
vitality by this same roiting process.
The parallel might be pusheds still further,
but in moro poetical and less express
i've way. The soul. the germ of man,
never dies : the body rots, while the soul
springs immortal to the God who gave
it. The question of our correspondent
is one which furnishes food for serious
aud scientific thought, and We should be
glad to have some one give us a scientific
explanation of the process of egg hatch
ing
9Th. Who did Cain marryS
Ans.-The Bible informs us that he
went over into the land Of Nod and got
a wife.
Many persons, who do not understand
the spirit of the Bible, conceive that they
have found an unanswerable question in |
this matter, and plume themselves upon
this one prop of infdelity. The history
of creation, as given in scripture, is only
given in relation 10 the Messiah. This |
accounts for the meagerness Of detail in |
many instances, because il is only in con-
nection with Him that the sacred histo-
rian has to deal. In speaking of Gains
offering it says: 'In process of time"
also. that 'all the days of Adam were
$50 years" 1t is in giving the genealogy |
of Abraham to whom Christ was prom.
ised. 1t will be observed, too, that the |
female ancestry is not given in this gene
alogy. Is il not reasonable to suppose
that Sin process of time the species
might multiply enough for Cain to have
found wife, since it is "hun,an reason"
% that asks the question in its doubt
and skepticism9 Gains wife is not men,
toned until after this process of time"
See Genesis, 4th chapter. We regret
that our own want of knowledge of scrip
ture-our own need of spiritual light,
render us incompetent to lead you out Of
the darkness entirely.