The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-02-08

vegetables. 50 that tbe iact tnas tic casc man was strictly carniverous, does not set tie the question whether or not he had any remote connection with some Darwanian primogenitor of our race; for, if so, we would rather expect to find him vegeta- rian.
 With mans first instruments of war and the chase, man, Gf not so before), would be- come gregarious fiom necessity. In this stage of human progress, it is probable that his linguistic development or communica- tions were mixture of sign and sound without any definite system of language. A fixed language would become the neces- sity of, and be developed with urbiculous life, The admixrure of sign and sound is not yet fully overcome by any of the civil ized languages, as we see in the English shake and nod of the head for "yes" ard mo" and the French negative made with the shoulders.
 The origin of heathen superstition can only be sought in the character of their diyinities. Any system of worship that places before us for adoration the most cruel monsters, relentless, jealous, enraged, revengeful, whose cruel wrath could only be appeased by the slaughter and destruc- ton of animal life, spilling the blood of is- nocent creatures and roasting their flesh with fire, points us back to a time when all of the barbarities that could possibly at- tach to human nature were in the zenith of their development. Such system could only take it's rise among savages wnose leading feature was iendish cruelty, whose sweetest delight was in torturing to death the helpless victims of war, captivity or misfortune, by the most exeruciatiBg means. When we see the tiger bound upon his prey we can excuse him, for hls stomach makes the demand, and the bulldog becomes mer- cifui compared with the Aztec priest who having fattened his helpless war captive for his God, binds him face downward to tab let of stone and cuts his heart out while still alive.
 Coming forward to the time when tradi- ton first became reduced to written annaIs, the Phenecians and the Celtic and other barbarous tribes still continued human sac rifce, while the leading Oriental nations had become SO far affected with civilization as to revolt at the idea of human sacrifice, except in extraordinary cases, and with its abandonment or repudiation they substitu- ted the sacrifice of the noble animals, as the OK, sheep and goats; though the savage origin of their worship often outcrops in contact with civilization, so as to form con- meeting links between the primitive human and the more modern animal sacrifice
 Inyo, one of the wives of Theban King. consigned to the sacrifcial altar, her two tep-children-Phrexus and Heile. Aga memnon, the Greek General, offered in sac- r1fce, his daughter Iphigenia, that lhe Gods might send fair wind to carry his fleet to Troy, and Abraham, the founder of Mono- theism. offered his son Isaac. But the fact that Phryxus and Heile, Iphigeuia ana Isaac all made their escape from the altar by divine intervention, shows conclusiveIy that the Gods of Egypt, Greece and Chal- dea were all inclined to follow suit, and yield to the softening influence of ciyiliza- tion, and It is very creditsble to the people of those countries that any attempt to go back to, or perpetuate 6 barbarity so cruel, was overcome by wholesome philanthrophy which commanded even the respect of the Gods. These connecting links abound in ancient history, and mark we'll the struggle between superstition and mental freedom
 Among the tribes of Egypt, India and China, arose the first seats of eastern agri- culture, while adjoining tribes--less favored by nature--were pastoral aad nomadic.
 As agriculture always places her people in the foremost rank in civilization, India and China were blessed with the three ssviors, Rama, Crishna and Buda. who were sent into the world to abolish human sacri- flee, and to substitute in its place the inno- cent oblation of fruits, flowers and incense. As these neathen nations advanced to dense population, and had no herds for their Gods to feed upon, their Devinities were so very kind and accommodating as to accept the productof the harvest field, and SO the ancient Oriental cannibalistic Gods became vegi- tarians, while the contemporary Gods of sur rounding pastoral tribes abandoned human sacrifice, but still continued to be carniyor- ous, for the reason that their people had nothing but focks and herds for them to feed upon. Buf harea were refused ss nm