The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-07
ANCIENT AMERICANS.
French Savans Discussing Amer
lean Ethnography.
WHO DISCOVERED THE CONTINENT?
The Morse, Phoenician and Chi
neSe Theories.


\ host of quaint and curious souvenirs Of a ro-
mantle past, Is gay with decorations aud banners
and the streets are thTonged with wise, solemn
looking men clad in black, waking two by two,
and earnestly discussing some important subject.
Astrange r arriving suddenly IN the richly orna-
mcnteG Place Stanlslaus, and seeing the crowds
throngin9 it this evening, might for moment
imagine that the people Of the proud section, OF
which Nancy i the chief town. were celebrating
some national J1ta or planning some new
vengeance against the hardy invaders
who, four years ago, took Nancy
and levied formidable Contributions upon her i'm
mense wealth. Those were dreary days when
Prussian patrols rode up and down The streets
and under the huge ancient gateways; when
Prussan bands plaj ed IN the pretty squares and
Prusslan Dragons lolled about the basins of the
splashing fountains; when the Old ducal palace,
one OF the finest monuments OF It's kind in Eu-
rope was the headquarters Of an invading stan;
and when tie vineyards round about tram
pied down to make room for camps and military
stores, the stranger might weil imagine the peo-
pie OF Nancy united in sorrowul commemoration
or their misfortunes; but his error would soon be-
corrected by the numerous placards which ne
would see, each bearing at It's head the words
Amerlcanist Congress-" The fact is that people
OF the city and the thousands OF strangers who
have come TO visit them are interested in discuss.
ing the history and traditions OF country more
than three thousand miles away from them and
OF another continent They are assembled In
response to the following
INVITATION.
An international reunion OF persons interested
In the history OF America previous 20 It's discovery
by Christopher Columbus: IN the Interpretation
OF inscriptions on MONUMENTS. ana In the ethnoG-
raphy o. the indigenous races OF the New World,
viii take place Nancy, lasting nom the 10Th to
the ga OF July pncluslve), 1875. An exposition OF
American archaeology wnl be opened during this
same period.
Thus runs the invitation originally issued, fol-
lowed by "a statement OF the terms upon
which persons are admitted as members OF
the Congress-vlz. the payment of small sub
EcrIption. The Central Committee OF Organizl-
lion contented Itself. when the enterprise was
nrst started, with passing the following subjects
Tor debate as a general guide for the conduct OF
the sions:-Frst, the relations of Europe, ASIA
Africa and Oceanlca with America before Chris
iopher Columbus time; second, the Interpretation
,f the documents written concerning American
Equities (Mexican dldactic paintings calculform
writing maya and palenqueen Inscriptions the
Peruvian Quippon and the writings OF the Indian
populations OF North America; third, the ethno-
graphical and iingulstlcal classification OF the
Indian races Of the New World The secretary or
his Central Committee, which mas in a few months
secured moro than fifteen hundred members for
the Congress, and paved The way for the publ
cation OF an ELABORATE series OF reports on the
subjects above enumerated, Is M. Lucien Adam,
Tor long time one OF the most conspicuous mem
bers OF
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF FRANCE.
This latter organization counts among It's adher-
ents the most illustrous savans of Europe, and
has published reports o. the exhaustive char.
acter America and its strange history. the
American Society was founded in 1857. Aubin,
Malte-BruD, Maury, Appert Renan, Cortamoert,
Labartna and others of note being among the
Igucrs OF the original statutes. But OF these
were amateurs rather than practical workers in
the science, TO which the + cnch have now
definitely given the name. OF Americanism,
and, although good deal Of excellent
work was done, they lett the immense
neld comparatively unoccupied. NJ. Adam was
iomewhat dissatisfied with tnis and at last, en-
.ouraged by the brilliant success which the Inter-
national Congress OF Onentalists obtained, ne de-
termined to invoke n reunion of oil the Swans
who have occupied themselves with the history OF
the New World previous TO the arrival there OF
Columbus. In order TO avoid any feelings Of
rivalry or Jealousy IN taking this step he invited
mis- native clty-Naucy-to take the new lnterua-
nonal Congress under It's patronage, and it has
done so with the most
COMPLETE SUCCESS.
The number OF persons who have subscribed in
Rid OF tne Congress Is OF course vastly in excess
Of that directly interested IN the subjects under
consideration: but the present Congress certainly
comprehends greater number Of Specialists than
the American Society ever succeeded IN gathering
together, and lis meetings promise TO be OF solid
value to Science. The efforts OF N. Lucien Adam
nave been ably seconded Dy NJ. Nader de Mont
au. President OF what may wen be called
the parent society; bv NJ Leon de Kosny
professor IN Paris ScrOOl of Living
IS Oriental Languages aud one o. the brightest men
Of his class IN the world. Botn OF tlese gentle
natn 70 Anft no "a flfa mara
lions, and the latter Il especially conspicuous IN
the discussion OF JuIS inaugural Amercanist Con-
Iress. IL IS Understood tnat tue Germans maze
vigorous efforts 10 secure tile location OF this
Congress III Germany; but the french. having
succeeded IN nXtng Cat nancy, carefully renamed
rom inviting any RUSSIAN savans, thus carrying
The war spirit out IN TINS as tnsF nave IN every
Iblng else reli tlng 10 Northern Germany since
The close of nos tties IN ISL The United states
members OF the present Congress are all good
men, as VIII be seen by glance at the following
names Hubert II. Bancroft, charles Is. Brigham
ana Charles w. BROOKS, Ol san FrahclscO; Maurice
Blum, OF 81. Louis, tae only United states dele
gate thus lar present; Professor Henry, oil the
smithsonian institute aJ Washington; FRANCIS
PacAman and Robert Winthrop, OF Boston;
ter at Athens; Edward b. SALISBURY, Seere-
taiy OF the American oriental society; h.. q.
Squiers, OF New YORK; W. ID. whitney, OF New
Haven, and President lrumbull. Of the American
Pathological society. Ihere mas already 0een some
mention OF tue p0SsiDulty OF "a second session OF
the Congress at Philadelphia during the Centen-
Mat year, and u the enthusiasm with regard 10
the fascinating study remains high as lt Is now
even the stay -at-hUiue French Swans may dScIde
10 cross tho ocean IN pursuit OF now hight upon
their lavOlitc theme.
THE OPENING SESSION
of the Congress was heIa thls morning in beau
tlful nall OF the 40 DucGl PaIacc--l Han suisse
GueEtly to become the restored Lorraine Mu-
seam, and already Handsomely decorated win
paintings, s;atudry Snd OIher rare works OF arr.
lhe LOrraincs fNd iC highly appropriate NAT tho
Congress should DC heid ia the!r mlnst siuce II
Was 10 a Duke ol Lorraine the lllaSirious Rene
H. That Amcrcus NcHpucious ded catcu the his
I0rT OF his voyages TO America. In tns ucdict-
llon Nespucus reminae1 IRE DuNe o. ther 4llchG-
slip as cHidFeu and their fellowship at schUOl,
whcn they took the same Lessons IN grammar at
Florence from Georges Antoine Nespucius, the
uncle oil the celebrated navigator whose name bhe
Western Continent bears. Rene was an enlRht-
6nci Prince who 10 lk no iit interest IN Use IN
purtant discoveries vines were IN progress dur-
Ing ais reign. Ne was particularly iona Ol science
ana letters, ana entered iutD tne slUiy "a lhtm
with the same tremendous t%rheatness Win
winch he thrasAeq CDarles Lr IemerA!re WAeh
that "ar-Ikc prince toJK 10y assautL aud at
tempted 20 mold Dy oFcc, the Town OF Nancy IN