Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1872-11-23
TEle Antiquity OF aha an.

If hundred years ago a Sdva"t
had ex expressed, in company of his
peers, the opinion that the earth was
million Of years old, he would have
been laughed at; and if only twenty
years ago a geo!ogist had, in similar
assembly, asserted the great antiquity
of mankind and the existence of fossil
men he would have been considered
to be increduleus in religious matters
aud over credulous in regard to geologic
al evidences The general opinion that
the dlluvial age aud the modern perl>
cd were Enthusiastically distinguished
by the appearance Of the human race
could not, 20 years ago, be shaken
but now there is scarcely any geolog'st
left among US who doubts the existence
of man during the end of the glacial
periJd, or at least immediately after
/ the same.
Il should be Kept in view that, for
khe geolo3ist, when there is question
concerning the nature and habits OF
the fossil men, neither traditions,
written histories, nor pictures of an-
cient civilized people can give any
information. The Oldest among the
traditions or writings give US scarcely
any informa Jon Cor period of G,OOO
years while in regard to pictorial rel
les, even the highest estimates allow
maximum of only 1900 years.
But what is 5000 or 10000 years foy
the geologist, who measures the period
Of the earbonifferous era alone by
millions of centuries ?
Therefore, 10 order to obtain infor-
nation in regard te the history oi
/. primitive man, We are reduced to the
geological records, investigated and
explained according to true phi!osoph
ical methods. Such geological evil
dence we fnd, besides the somewhat
rare human skeletons, especially
in the tools, remnants Of food, kitchen
utensils, and other inlestructible taces
Of mans presence and activity. Rude
; contrigance3 OF arms to- suhJugate the
animals surrounding them, and to pro
, cure food for themselves, were in The
possession Of all primitive races, il
whatever savage condition they may
, have existed; and many importan
, conclusions may be drawn from thei'
appearance.
6 1t is evident that, in ali investiga
! tions in which there is question Of th'
! primitive history of our own race, W.
3 should proceed with care, so as t.
avoid errors because this question i
closely related TO those concerning tn
highest spiritual interests of mankind
This praiseworthy prudence is there
fore the cause that, in former yaArs
all recocds OF the diluvIal traces of mar
were treated with mistrust, and tha
there existed an inclination to consld
such remains as having reached tn
diluvial strata BY mere accident s.
the The report of Pastor Esper, who
, In IVA, dug human bones { amoni
those of the fossil cave bear } out
the Gailenreu,her cave, was no
noticed and a similar fate befei tn
records Of the English arch@ologist
!, John Frere, who in 1897 found, in tn
diluvium of suffolk, arms made of flint
The report OF Ami Boue, who in lS5'
+. found, in the bluffsof the Rhine vale,
in Baden, human skeleton, was ais
neglected and no notice was given t
J. the communications of the Frenc
\ arcbaologists and geologists Tourna
:, Christol, Jolly, and Marcel de Serre'
concerning several bones of new foss
n animals found in diffcrsat caves
which had been worked and fashionc
i by human hands, as we'll as flint in
% plements found among the bones
fl these now extinct animals, in the cave
!, Of Southern France. It must be ac
,f knowledged that several of the abov
reports conld easily he objected to b
reason of uncertainties 10 the observe
- tions aud the vsgueness Of the coacl'
. s:ana dramn Rut Il Ii alnnst une,